a/n: surprise! double update! after the last chapter i can't leave you guys hanging! enjoy, i think? 😉
don't forget it's a double update! be sure to read chapter 24 first!
McKenna Prentiss | January 8, 2018
"You sure you want to do this Mack?" My dad asks from the driver's seat, looking at me briefly before turning his gaze back on the road.
"It's what's best, for me." I whisper the last part, finally coming to terms that I put myself first.
The rest of the drive was quiet, the only sound coming from the radio that was quietly playing Fleetwood Mac's The Chain.
And if you don't love me now
You'll never love me again
I can still hear you saying you would never break the chain
It was as if the universe was giving me signs that I was doing the right thing, although my heart, the only fibre in my whole being, was telling me something completely different.
That night after the encounter at Harry's, I finally told my parents everything, from how I grew to like him, to how I fell so deeply that no one even caught me. They were shocked to say the least. I told them about my thoughts on the whole PR stunt, telling them how I want it to be over, and they agreed.
Which is why I was with my parents, on the way to management's studio. My mom in the backseat, humming quietly to the song whilst my dad drummed his fingers on the steering wheel.
I nervously sat on the passenger's seat, fiddling with my fingers in the hopes of distracting myself. When my mom called Clive to arrange this meeting, she never told him why. I wanted this meeting to be in between me, my parents and Burt, no one else.
I know that Harry should be present, his name was signed under the contract too, but I couldn't bear to see him. I haven't even seen him since that day, and I plan to make it permanent.
After driving from our home to downtown LA, we finally made it to management's building.
It was a quiet Monday morning, paps nowhere to be seen which I was grateful for, no one needs to know what's going down today.
We make our way through the front doors, and into the elevators, the elevator quietly playing jazz music. In the midst of my anxiety, I tend to focus on different things.
We finally make it to the executive floor, our feet dragging us to the conference room, where Burt was waiting.
"The Prentiss'! Delighted you're here, but why?" If there was one thing I liked about Burt, and I only like one thing, it was that he was very direct, and straight to the point.
"I want out." I try to keep my head held high, not letting Burt, or anyone for that matter, break my confidence, I need that today.
He scoffs, bringing his coffee mug to his lips as he takes a sip.
"What do you mean you want out?"
"I want out, of the PR stunt. My parents aren't painted in a negative light anymore, I'm working on my album, and Harry's on tour. I don't want to do this anymore." As confident as I sounded, I could feel a few tears escape my eyes, and I angrily wipe them away.
"Aw, has little McKenna grown too close to her fake boyfriend?" Burt teases, chuckling lightly. My dad suddenly steps in front of me, eyes glaring at Burt.
"Burt, don't. We're fine now, there's no need for this publicity stunt to happen." My dad speaks sternly.
"Think of the benefits McKenna!" Burt stands from his desk, walking forward as he stops in front of his desk, sitting atop of hit and he crosses his arms.
"I don't need the benefits Burt, I need to be mentally okay to finish the album you're pressuring me to finish!" I snap, but instinctively lower my eyes and start playing with my fingers again.
"Alright, fine." Burt rolls his eyes, walking back behind his desk and fishing out our contracts from his drawer.
"Why isn't Harry here?" He asks, finally finding our contracts and lay them on his table.
"You can inform him."
"Alright, so this contract is now voided." He spoke, stamping on both Harry & I's contract, which made me sigh out in relief.
That was easier than I thought.
"We'll call Harry later in the day, he's in London right now. It was a pleasure, McKenna!" Burt says, placing the contracts in a manila folder.
My parents and I finally make our way out of the offices. As soon as we were inside the elevators, I finally let out the sob I was holding in from the second we stepped into Burt's office.
My dad immediately pulled me into his chest, while I continue sobbing, my mother took my hand in hers, rubbing her thumb over it to help soothe me.
"Shh, Mack, it's going to be okay, you're going to be okay." My dad whispered in my ear.
The elevator ride wasn't long, and soon we were standing in the lobby, what was stopping us from leaving was the amount of paparazzi's that were waiting for us outside the building.
"Oh for fuck's sake." My mom whispers, suddenly leaving my side. I hid my face in my father's chest, not letting paparazzi get any shot of my tear-filled face.
"Mack, put these on, keep your head down and hold on to your father & I's hand okay?" My mom passes me her sunglasses, quickly placing it over my eyes. She takes my hand in hers and I take my other hand and place it in my dad's.
We finally made our way out of the offices, the flashes of their cameras blinding as I kept my head down, but it was as if the flashes seemed to be getting stronger.
"McKenna are you alright?"
"McKenna how are you and Harry?"
"McKenna are you and Harry engaged?"
Paparazzi kept shouting questions left and right which just made my growing headache worsen, I clung on to the hands of my parents, squeezing both so they knew I was uncomfortable. The walk from the entrance of the building to our car was not far, but it felt like it was.
It was hot out, and I felt the sun glaring down at me, my headache finally at it's peak. I softly tug at my dad's arm, suddenly feeling hot in my tank top and sweats. I know, unprofessional outfit for a "meeting"
We finally reach our car, and as I was about to hop in, I started to feel woozy, I grip my fathers arm, and soon, all I see was black.
Harry Styles | January 8, 2018 | London, England
"Harry! So glad you could join us!" Nick exclaims, opening his hands for a hug, to which I gladly entertain, placing my arms around his neck.
"Been too long, Nick!" I say once we pull apart, making my way to the seat in front of him.
"Way too long, it took you what, 2 years before you pop back in the BBC studios?" He jokes, laughing as he sets up his microphone, placing the headphones over his ears, I do the same and mentally prepare myself for this interview.
"Good Morning, BBC!" Nick greets into the microphone, "Today we have a very special guest in the BBC office, pretty nice of him to finally drop by. It's Mr. Harry Styles!"
"Ey! Good Morning Nick!" I greet, smiling at him as he laughs.
"G'morning H! How's the tour going? S'going good?" He asks
"It's going pretty well actually."
"Alright, so before we get into it, I have a little game for you." He smirks at me mischievously, I narrow my eyes at him, my hands instantly finding it's way to my lips as I nervously tug lightly at it.
"We're going to attach you to a heart rate monitor, to see how your heart reacts to certain photos." Nick grins, and I face palm.
Oscar approaches me, the monitor dragged behind him. He places the wires to my chest, and I rub my eye, biting my lip anxiously.
"Alright, so he's popping them on." Nick talks to the microphone, he was wearing a lab coat and a pair of stethoscopes were draped around his neck.
"Is he alive Doctor Oscar?" Nick asks
"Hang on, Hang on." Oscar speaks, his attention fully on the heart rate monitor, checking to see if the wires were responding.
"What if it's like, there's nothing." I fiddle with the button of my shirt, smirking as Nick lets out a chuckle.
"He's a robot, Simon Cowell created." Nick animates his voice, to which I laugh at.
"Hey!"
"Okay, is that good?" Nick asks.
"Heart rate is resting at 68 beats per minute." Oscar says, leaving my side and sitting behind the camera's that were recording the whole thing.
"Alright, so as I said earlier, I'm going to show you a series of images, and we're gonna see how you react to these images." Nick spoke, holding onto a few papers, and I nod at him.
"I think we should start with, the man that has made you a movie star, Sir Christopher Nolan," He turns the stack of papers to show a photo of Christopher Nolan, "Talk to me about your relationship with him."
And I explain how I was in awe of him, and how I was a bit scared, more like intimidated, by him. My heart rate remained calm, and I was calm, nothing too dramatic about it.
It went from Christopher Nolan to a pair of those gross purple trainers I wore on the X factor, to Ryan Gosling.
"How does this image make you feel," Nick turns to me a photo of Ryan Gosling, shirtless, from the notebook, "It's Ryan Gosling, from the Notebook."
"Looking very handsome." I speak, nodding at my words, "It's a good scene. Uhm, He's great!"
I start to think about McKenna, and how we watched the Notebook, how she told me she's never seen it, and how I had forced her to watch it with me.
"Heart rate's rising to 80." Nick smirks
"No it's not!" I deny, laughing under my breathe. This possible can't be happening.
As soon as my heart had calmed down, Nick showed me a photo of Zayn, I wasn't at all phased.
"Next, How does money make you feel?" He showed me a photo of a briefcase filled with money, and as soon as my eyes hit the paper, the monitor next to me let out a noise. I turn to look at the monitor, then back at Nick with a surprised expression on my face.
Nick laughs at this, "There's too much in his bank account, he's flatlined!"
I cover up my laugh with a cough, but end up laughing at Nick's joke.
"Next up, we got Actress and Model, Camille Rowe, how do you feel about her?" I tried to keep my face stern, taking all my will not to break out into a smirk as I answer Nick.
"I don't- I don't know her." I shake my head, to which Nick let's out a surprised, 'You don't know her?', and I shake my head some more.
"I'm sure she's wonderful." I nod, hoping to God I don't break.
"She looks nice."
"I'm sure she's a wonderful person." I repeat, turning to Jeff who was behind the camera to see him face palm and laugh quietly.
"Heart rate, lower than the purple gross trainers." Nick speaks, then suddenly, his face lights up, a grin making its way as he looks at me.
"I like this next one, how about your girlfriend, Model and Singer, McKenna Prentiss, how's your heart feel about her?" He asks, a smirk on his face as he looks at me mischievously.
"Erm, I-" I let out a small laugh, my heart was racing, I could feel it.
"Heart rate's rising to 80." Nick jokes, and I laugh, then I suddenly remember what happened last week, and my heart rate dies down immediately.
"Oh, heart rate dropped quickly to 68, normal." Nick's surprised, even Jeff as he looked shocked behind the camera.
"Alright, next up it's a favorite, a Chelsea Boot!" Nick gets excited, knowing full well how I feel. I laugh, shaking my head as memories with Kenna and her teasing my boots make way in my brain.
"You're shaking your head." Nick states.
"I hate you all so much." I groan out, trying to keep myself composed.
"Why?" Nick asked, shocked I would say that.
"A Chelsea boot." I couldn't even finish my thought as I burst out laughing.
"Heart rate's rising!" Nick exclaims, and I scratch the bottom of my nose, laughing as I look to Jeff who was smirking at me.
Nick, Jeff and Mitch were the only people I told regarding the story behind Kenna and the Chelsea boot, so it was clear they both orchestrated this.
When McKenna & I first started "publicly" dating, she made a comment about how my clothes revolved around my shoes. She said she's only ever seen me wear a Chelsea boot and that men who were boots are extremely hot, in her words. It was no surprise that my heart rate is rising now, since, well, I guess I'm starting to think I love McKenna too.
"Heart rate's the highest it's ever been!" Nick says incredulously, "Heart rate's gonna hit 80, 81!"
I couldn't contain my laughter as Nick narrates for the radio how high my heart rate was rising.
"Uhm-"
"Would you say that was the biggest love of your life, a Chelsea boot?"
"Uhm, Probably"
"Heart rate's at 85! 92! 100! A hundred!" I face palm, my hands covering my eyes as I laugh together with Nick who was dying of laughter.
"You can take that home with you. We'll laminate it!" Nick jokes.
"I hate you, I hate all of you."
"What? Why?" Nick fakes surprise as I look behind the camera at Jeff, and Mitch who was now suddenly by Jeff's side.
"You two are idiots!" I point at Jeff and Mitch with my fingers, while both of them try to silently laugh at my state.
"Who are you talking about?" Nick asks.
"Jeff & Mitch!" I speak, a smile on my face as Nick explains.
"Well, they're mutual friends. I reached out to them for some triggers. And it worked!" Nick exclaimed, "Alright we'll go to commercial now and when we get back, we will still be graced by the presence of Mr. Harry Styles."
Soon we were off the air, and Oscar rushes to my side to remove the wires that were attached to my chest. I shot Nick a look who was smirking at me.
"Liked what we did there?" He smirked, his brows wiggling in suggestion.
"You're an idiot!" I joke, laughing along with Jeff and Mitch.
"So, how are you and Ms. McKenna Prentiss?" He asks, leaning forward, his arms crossed on his desk.
"Fine, good. Nothing new." I shrug, nothing new bullshit.
Since that day that McKenna told me she loved me, I started to look at things in a different perspective. I first talked to Mitch, who apparently knew, and he smacked me upside the head when I finally figured it out. Then I talked to Helene, the one person from my team who was closest to McKenna, she told me that I should give McKenna some space, and that McKenna would talk to me whenever she was ready.
And since that day, Camille has been acting clingier than ever. She'd always want to be by my side 24/7, and now she threw a fit when I told her I would go to London. Sometimes I feel as if she's not 8 years older than I am, she acts more immature than Kenna.
Camille's clinginess could be justified, why? I was acting distant as well. I would always either space out when I'm with her, or not touch her, hell we haven't even had sex since then, I turned her down every time she'd ask.
I know I was being a bad boyfriend, thinking of other girls while I'm in a relationship, but McKenna just dropped the biggest bomb on me, and I didn't know how to take it. Questions kept swarming my mind everyday, like How long did she realize? Why did she keep it from me? How does Camille know? Why'd she still agree to the contract?
Questions that can only be answered by McKenna.
The interview with Nick became much more smoother, no questions about Camille, more about Kenna, to which Jeff and Mitch were silently laughing at behind the camera. Soon the interview was done and we made our way back home.
However, halfway through the car ride home, I told Jeff I wanted to go to the studio today. He shoots me a look and I just nod at him. He drives down to the studio, and it was a good thing this studio was empty, and it was also a good thing I had my journal with me.
I grab the guitar, playing some chords as I think about the girl who knows how to infuriate me, and make me happy at the same time.
I don't want your sympathy
But I don't know what you do to me
McKenna
Every time I see your face
There's only so much I can take
McKenna
Hope you never hear this and know that it's for you
I don't know what I'd tell you if you asked me for the truth
I continue writing that day, pouring my heart out. This writing day just made me realize how I'm totally screwed, I'm juggling my life between two girls, is this even morally correct?
Jeff soon barges into the studio, phone clutched in his hand and his eyes were wide.
"I just got off the phone with Clive, McKenna's manager." Jeff speaks, and I furrowed my brows
"Alright, what did he want? Is McKenna flying here? Do we need another public appearance? I swear, they just keep getting more annoying-" I rambled, but Jeff cut me off.
"No. The contract's now voided. Apparently, McKenna came by their office earlier and asked for the contract to be voided." Jeff spoke, but I didn't hear anything else except the voiding of the contract, what?
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double update for y'all! how'd you like that!
i know harry said "lou & harry" at the end of that interview, but i wanted to change that for this story!
looks like shit went down in the last two chapters, how would the next chapter go, hmm?
did a double update this weekend cause i'm not 100% sure when i'll update next! school's beginning to get hectic and i'm drowning in coursework
i hope y'all enjoyed this chapter! things are about to go crazier from here!
all my love,
savannah x