It was too early as I fixed my lipstick, making it a simple nude color. I cut down a lot since we were just going on a flight. Rather than breaking out my contouring and eyeshadow skills, ones I learned from Kiara herself, I kept it light with lipstick, masara, and some concealer.

"Wake up. Wake up. Wake-"

Halfway through my self-scolding, I yawned loudly and covered my mouth. I swore right after and then checked my watch on my left wrist, seeing that it was ten minutes from six.

"Fuck." I grumbled and looked at my messy hair. I decided to just put it in a ponytail, leaveing the messy curls as they were.

I shoved my phone in my backpocket, my earbuds being tossed in my purse after I tied them with a hair tie to make sure they didn't tangle. Tangled earbuds are the absolute worst.

I turned off the bathroom light and then grabbed my suitcases, poking around to make sure I had what I needed. I packed a lot of clothes, deciding that if I were to be with Mr. Mendes, I'd get eaten up alive if I wore the same outside twice in one month.

Don't you just love fashion critics, jealous fans, and magazine journalists? They just always need a reason to hate someone or say something negative.

I stared at the bags, racking my mind to think of things I forgot to pack, but nothing came to mind. What Kiara liked to called my "last minute anxiety", was starting to show, and I was coming up with situations where I'd need to have stupid things on me like an old gym shirt or my dozens of hair ties that costed like two dollars all together.

I shook my head, trying to resist the urge to shove other random things in my bag, and took the two blue suitcases off of my bed. I wheeled them to the front door and turned off the lights before opening the front door. I looked at the old place and smiled.

"Goodbye, I'll be back soon." I said to the apartment, which felt like home to me, and then closed the door.

I locked it, shoving the keys in my purse, and then made my way downstairs with my bags. I saw our landlord and gave him a nod, acknowledging the fact he was staring at me. "Where are you going?" He asked me and motioned to the suitcases.

"Vacation." I lied since he always did creep me out. KiKi, Jonah, and I all hated him.

"Where to honey?"

"Somewhere." I said, staying vague and blunt. He went to walk up to me but I was already headed to the front door.

He grabbed my arm before I could leave and I let go of my suitcases to try to push him off of me. "Who do you think you're talking to missy-"

"Let me go!"

It was too early in the morning for most people to be up, so no one was here besides us two. Elderly and teenagers lived here, and neither of the two got up before the sun, there was no way you could make them either.

"Leave me alone!" I yelled once more, too caught up in trying to push him away to notice a car roll up in front of the building.

"I don't know who you think you're talking to sweetheart but-"

The door opened and the dude was ripped off of me before he could finish his sentence. "Don't you fucking touch her." I heard a familiar voice and I saw Mr. Mendes as I yanked my sleeves down. "Keep your hands off my girl, and when she says let go, you fucking let go, do you understand me?"

The landlord seemed completely shocked, either from the way he spoke to him or who he was, but either way, he just looked dumbfounded. "Not you get your ass behind that counter and stay there. You have no business, no right, to persue after a woman who told you to leave her alone."

He was quick to scramble to the desk and I held on to Mr. Mendes as he held md. "You alright?" He asked me, his voice lowering and eyes softening as he gently touched me. "Are you hurt?"

"Maybe bruising." I said and held my arm. "It's fine, can we just go?" I asked quietly and he nodded.

"One more time and your ass is replaced. My business or not, you're gone." Mr. Mendes told my landlord and he nodded. "Come on doll, where are your bags? I've got them."

I nodded behind him and he took them, wheeling them out for me and allowing me to walk before him. I held the door open for him and he thanked me as I smiled.

He put the suitcases in the back of a black limo and I got in the back seat. "Thank you." I told him as he asked the driver to roll the partition up.

"You sure you're alright?" He asked and I nodded. "Good." He said and kissed my forehead.

"He's always been a creep. Usually Jonah would argue with him to distract him as we walked past." I said and he asked who Jonah was. "My best friend's boyfriend, he's like my brother."

"I see." He said and nodded as soft music filled the cars. It was some kind if indie pop I think.

"My girl?" I asked after awhile of silence and he looked at me. "You called me your girl." I told him and he smiled.

"That's because you are," he said and gently cupped my jaw in his hand. "Aren't you?" He asked md.

"Daddy's little girl." I said after I made sure the partition was all the way up. He chuckled and nodded, his lips ghosting over mine.

"That's right," he told me and smiled. "And as long as you're with me, not a single man, or woman, will treat you with any ounce of disrespect. However though... I cannot control magazines and my fans, I'm sorry."

"That's fine." I said and pressed my lips against his. His hands were soft and gentle with me, cupping my jaw and holding my waist as he guided my body from beside him to on top of his lap.

I tangled my hands in his hand and he hummed softly as he pulled away. "You look beautiful." He said and I chuckled.

"I'm in skinny jeans and your t-shirt." I said as he messed with the buttons on the grey Henley.

"Absolutely stunning." He said and I rolled my eyes as I buried my face into his neck. "Sleepy darling?"

"Mhm."

"Stay up a little longer, you can go to sleep after we're in the air." He told me and I nodded as I yawned. He played with the ends of my hair and I hummed, extremely comfortable in his arms.

-

"We'll be here for awhile." Shawn said and I nodded. "Not too long, maybe four hours? Little bit less, depending." He added.

"Okay." I said and sat down on an ivory colored leather chair. It was surprisingly comfortable.

I leaned back and closed my eyes as I crossed my arms over my chest. "Any requests music wise?" He asked me and I hummed.

"I don't know..." I said honestly and tilted my head to the side as I yawned a softly. "You decide."

"I'll just put shuffle on whatever's hot right now." He said and I nodded as I crossed my legs.

"Hungry?" He asked after awhile as some electro-pop song played. I shook my head and opened my eyes to look at him.

"Not really." I said, tired from not sleeping more than twenty minutes in the car, but also awake because I slept in the car. It was something in between.

He sat beside me since I was by a window and he ran a hand through my hair. "What do you want to do when we get to LA?"

"Take me shopping?"

He laughed and nodded. "Alright, we'll go shopping before we do anything else." He said and I smiled.

I leaned my head on his shoulder and he wrapped an arm around me. "How about you take a quick nap? You look exhausted." He told me and I nodded.

"A nap sounds promising." I said and he agreed. I tried falling asleep, but it just wasn't happening, especially when a familiar song began to play.

"Hey..." Mr. Mendes said as he realized something. "That's me!" He said like a little boy who just got called up for student of the quarter.

"That's you." I confirmed and he laughed. "Your music is in what's hot." I told him and he hummed along to it as he played with my hair. I just listened to them both, too tired to speak, and slightly unsure of what to say.

"Please have mercy on me, take it easy on my heart..."