8:03 AM

Jeff:

Meeting today before we head out @ 10 am sharp – don't be late.

A few weeks had passed since the night of the concert, and slowly many things were changing. Or, so I was told.

Hank had officially become the manager for The L.A. Devils and was reported to get them signed to a decent recording contract. Jeff had briefly said that TJ, Silas, Weston, and Patrick had all moved into a new house, supposedly paid for by the company. Hank described the outside of their old, rundown apartment as a war zone for paparazzi, camping out for as long as possible until they got a photo of TJ. It was an issue of security. Not just for their living arrangements, but also for the contract they had just signed. They were worried about TJ hitting a breaking point and attacking a cameraman. And Hank feared it would result in them getting dropped from the label before anything could start.

Of course, this was all hearsay. It's not like I heard any information firsthand.

The news of TJ's father went far past a day in the news cycle. It was picked up by almost every media outlet I could find. An illegitimate child, as they were labelling her, from one of the world's biggest rock stars seemed to be all anyone could focus on these days.

Unable to stop myself from falling into the trap, I read gossip sites to find most of my updates on the situation. But it didn't make me feel any less guilty. I was currently giving in to reading what I had sworn I hated. It wasn't an easy pill to swallow.

There was little information that seemed credible, which only furthered my guilt from being as intrigued by the situation as I was. The only statement given was by Richard Stanton himself, who told a paparazzi to get a camera out of his "fucking face". At least it was clear where TJ's attitude came from.

I glanced down at my phone, contemplating the same thought I struggled with every day. To send a text, or to not. Although it was childish to fight with this for as long as I had, I assumed the changes they were all facing were hard to adjust to. Maybe answering phones was not something she would want to do right now. And I was not sure what her reaction would be from seeing my name pop-up on her phone.

Besides, I had other things to keep me occupied throughout the week. The new single had been selected and the recording was finalized. Jeff wasn't too thrilled when I told him the album was being redone. Thankfully, his frustration greatly dwindled when he listened to it, and even more when I told him it was almost done. This time, I was honest.

Turning on the television, I flipped through the channels, stopping when her image appeared on the screen. At this rate, I just had to accept that there was no escaping her. To be fair, it was a promotional image of the entire band. But my eyes were drawn to her.

9:27 AM

"Seriously?"

I turned my head to see Ryan, clearly prepared and ready to go.

"Shit!" I got up quickly from my spot. "Give me two minutes!"

I hurried to my room and changed into something more presentable than sweatpants and an old shirt. I grabbed my luggage and checked that I had all my essentials. As I hurried towards the door, I ran my fingers, my substitute for a comb, through my hair.

"Two minutes exactly," Ryan said as he opened my front door.

The two of us made our way into the parked car and I gave a quick apology to the driver who waved it off before starting the journey towards the office.

"Ah, there you two are," Jeff announced as I walked in, Ryan following shortly behind me.

I gave another sheepish apology to the members of the team in the room as I took my seat. Jeff began giving an overview of the trip, touching on everything from the photoshoots to interviews, and gathering updates regarding various things from different people in the room. Already aware of the schedule and having been throughout what I felt like a million times, I found myself drifting away with my thoughts.

My eyes fixated on the large glass panels that enclosed the room. It was a perfect distraction for people watching, as it provided a view of the hallway. That's when I saw her walk by. It would have been easy to miss her, being surrounded by Silas, Weston, and Patrick, if it weren't for her vibrant hair. That always made her easy to spot.

"Carter?"

Jeff's voice snapped me out of my trance, "Sorry, what?"

"I said, are you okay with that?"

"With what?"

Jeff sighed, "Hank informed me that they will also be in New York City and I suggested they stay at the same hotel as us for security reasons. Are you okay with that?"

I nodded, "Yeah, sure. No problem."

"Great. Let's continue then."

The meeting finally came to its long-anticipated ending. I knew all the information was important. However, it became increasingly difficult to focus knowing she was just down the hall. Let alone in the same building.

"I'm going to head to Hank's office before we head out," Jeff directed his attention to me as people started to leave the room, "I need to run some things by him."

I nodded as I got up from my seat. I turned to Ryan as we trailed behind Jeff, walking down the hallway.

"Why would Jeff offer the same hotel?" I whispered.

Ryan shifted his eyes around the hallway as we walked, checking to make sure there were no listening ears, "My guess is so he can keep a closer eye on them while we're all in the same city."

"You think?"

"Why else would he?"

I shrugged, "Don't know... To be nice?"

Ryan quietly snorted, "Jeff? Being nice? Good one."

It was a short walk before we were outside of Hank's office. Jeff lightly knocked against the door, opening it once a faint "come in" was heard. I trailed behind Jeff as we stepped inside. Hank sat behind his class desk, typing slowly on the keyboard of his computer. Weston was leaning against the window. Silas and Patrick sat on the couch, looking at something on a phone. And TJ sat against on arm of the couch, twirling a piece of her hair around her finger. Her eyes caught mine but only held their gaze for a second before looking away.

"Perfect timing," Hank's voice broke the silence in the room.

Jeff handed over a folder, "Everything has been approved. We are all set now."

"Great." Hank opened the folder, quickly glancing over the pages. "We will be in later tonight."

"Hey man," Silas stood from his spot, walking over to where I had positioned myself by the door, "Guess we'll be joining you in New York."

"Yeah, it should be fun." My eyes flashed quickly over to TJ as I spoke, who had now fixated her attention towards the window.

"Thanks again, by the way," Silas continued, "I know we wouldn't be getting this opportunity without your help. We all appreciate it, trust me."

I got the feeling Silas was alluding to TJ with how he spoke, but I took his gratitude for what it was worth. "You guys wouldn't be getting this opportunity if it wasn't for your talent. It's not because of me."

I glanced back at TJ, seeing her look at something on Patrick's phone. Whatever she was seeing seemed to entertain her, as she let a soft laugh escape, saying something in a hushed tone. It was the first time since entering the room she appeared to be anything other than disinterested.

"Alright, well, I have to get these kids off to some stylist or something down on the tenth floor," Hank announced as he stood from his desk, leading Jeff towards the door.

The band followed suit, all acknowledging my presence except for one, as they exited the office and began down the hallway.

"TJ, hold up," my voice called out before my mind could fully process the decision.

TJ slowly turned, taking a few steps towards me and away from the others, creating a brief amount of distance. She didn't speak; crossing her arms over her chest, awaiting the words I had yet to think of to say.

"Uh, how have you been with..." I let my voice trail off, trying to rattle my brain, "everything?"

"Everything?"

I cleared my throat, shoving my hands into my pant pockets, "Yeah, with the press? And... and your dad?"

"Fine."

"I know it can get pretty invasive-"

"Look," her voice snapped, "We don't need to do this, okay?"

"Do what?"

"Give a shit about each other." She stated flatly, "You got your song and your press off of me. We're done now."

With that, she turned on the heels of her feet, leaving me more than confused by her words. Or, maybe it was more hurt. The suddenness of it all caught me off guard to pinpoint what I was feeling.

"What?" TJ's voice snapped.

I glanced up to see her back with the other boys, as they slowly continued off down the hall.

"Teej, come on," I could hear Weston's voice harshly say to her, "That wasn't cool."

"Fuck off," was the last thing I could hear her say before they were too far in the distance.

10:11 PM

Entering my hotel room, I was happy to finally be alone for the first time since waking up this morning. What I wanted to do was to go for a run. Take my mind off of everything and explore New York, a city that I loved to visit. However, I knew that wouldn't be possible without security following me. And that's not what I needed right now.

I needed a drink. A strong drink. 

The table was had a lavish display from the hotel staff. A welcome card, flowers, an assortment of desserts. What caught my eye was the alcohol. I grabbed the bottle and a glass, filling it to the brim. I brought the glass to the lips and took a sip, closing my eyes as the burn hit the back of my throat. That was exactly what I needed.

But before I could help it, I was allowing myself to think. Specifically, think about her. I learned many things being in this business. One of them was forgetting. The ability to not only forget what people say but the people themselves. With her, that wasn't possible. It didn't matter where I was, what I was doing, or, to be frank, how much I had to drink. I thought about her. Maybe I just hadn't been around someone like her in a while. Someone tough and strong. Someone who wore a disguise of mystery like it was a second skin. Whatever it was, it wasn't allowing me to forget about her.

I took another long sip from my glass, her words from earlier replaying in my head. I didn't want a song or press off of her. It was hurtful, to say the least, that she would think that. Then again, she barely knew me. And I sure as hell didn't know her.

Hearing a soft knock, I walked towards the door with my drink still in hand. I was surprised to see who stood behind it, wondering if the world was playing a cruel, torturous game with me.

"Hey... Can I come in?"

CHQ: WHO'S AT THE DOOR?! :O

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