lmao I literally posted that last chapter and then peacefully went to bed
...
Amelia
Melanie and I sit in a café right next to the street vendor that sold us the magazine I hold in my hands. I've been staring at it for the past twenty minutes, unable to process the words on the cover. I mean, it must be bullshit, right? The media is known for twisting words to make some sort of story out of it, or just completely fabricating lies altogether. I refuse to believe this is true.
But what if it is?
"Who even is Lauren Jones anyways?" I ask Melanie in a mutter.
I vaguely see her hold up a finger to me from across the table.
"Hold on," she says. I place the magazine down on the table and look at her. She types away on her phone, presumably looking up the girl on the internet. "She's twenty-five; she's from New York; she's a fashion model and an ambassador of Cartier - I guess both her parents work for them, I don't really know. Wikipedia is confusing,"
I bite the inside of my cheek. So she's from New York, presumably living in the city since that's where the hub of the action is. It's not impossible that her and Harry were hanging out recently, but it just seems unlikely. He would have mentioned something to me about it. He's not the type to keep secrets from me.
While Melanie continues reading about Lauren Jones, I open up the magazine and skim to the page dedicated to Harry's secret 'affair'. I shouldn't be reading into it this much but I can't help it. It's addicting, as much as I wish that it wasn't.
Apparently, Harry had messaged Lauren on Instagram through their direct messages. I'm not sure how the 'source' got this information but it seems unlikely considering Harry rarely goes on social media. I never see him on it. He's told me numerous times he hates it so already this story seems implausible.
My phone vibrates on the table in front of me, interrupting my reading. I glance down and see it's Harry calling. I debate answering it, but ultimately I just let it go to voicemail. I'll talk to him when I go home but right now I just want to think.
"That's the third time," Melanie comments, gesturing to my phone. "Maybe he knows about the rumors and wants to clarify,"
I shrug and push the magazine away from me after closing it completely. It's making me nauseous.
"Maybe," I mumble. I groan and sink down in my seat. "I need to talk to him about this. I'm just...scared,"
Melanie gives me a sympathetic look.
"Do you really think he cheated?" she hesitantly asks me.
I don't answer right away, although I know the answer already. It's the only thing I am absolutely sure of.
"No," I confidently respond. "No, Harry wouldn't cheat. I trust him. But I still want to talk to him and see if he knows Lauren, or if he's been in contact with her. Maybe the magazine is all fake news, which I'm pretty sure it is, but I just want to hear Harry tell me. Then I'll feel better,"
Melanie nods and then flips the magazine over on the table so I can't see the disgusting cover of it anymore.
"I think you should go speak to him now. As much as I love hanging out with you, it'll be a big weight off your shoulders to find out what's really going on," she tells me.
I smile at her. I wish I had known Melanie sooner. She's a great friend. I wonder how much my life would have differed if I was friends with Melanie rather than Shannon in college.
