loved by you // j.b

prologue

☆ prologue: the interview ☆
word count: 1201

"Welcome back! If you're just now tuning in, I'm currently sitting down with one of the sweetest people I've ever interviewed. It's no surprise that the world has fallen in love with her. She's recently been nominated for her first Grammy. She's just announced her first world tour. She's ranked number one on the charts and number one in our hearts! It's one of the most popular musicians in the world right now; Rylee!" the interviewer spoke enthusiastically into the camera.

"You're too nice to me!" I gushed, placing my hand over my heart and smiling in her direction, "No, really, it's such an honor to be here. Thank you for having me!"

"Hey, I'm the lucky one here," she laughed, gently placing her hand on mine for a brief second, "With such a busy schedule, how do you fit in all these interviews?" I smiled, "I make time for the things that are important to me. I know some people just see these interviews as a media opportunity, but I look at it as us hanging out. We just happen to have a camera in front of us."

"Ugh! See, guys, how can you not love her?" She swooned, turning back to me and preparing for her next question. "Rylee, tell us. Are you nervous for your first world tour?"

"Um, absolutely!" I laughed, "I would say it's a good nervous, though. More excitement than nerves, really. I've done a few tours around the U.S. and I had so much fun! I love being on tour and getting the opportunity to perform and connect with my fans. I'm just so grateful that this time I get to travel around the world and do what I love with people and places I've never gotten to."

"Touring has to be hard, though. I mean, there's so much that goes into it with the rehearsals, sleeping on a tour bus, jumping from city to city. It sounds exhausting, honestly. I'm curious, how do you keep it all together?" she asked, leaning back in her seat.

  I nodded, "Yes, there's a lot that goes into touring. Most of it is bigger than me. I truly couldn't do it without my team. It's not easy... There are definitely nights where I get back on the bus and I am completely drained. What keeps me going is the fans, honestly. I absolutely love being on tour. I love performing for a crowd and seeing how much fun they're having. Or even seeing them just simply enjoy the music. It makes every tiring part more than worth it. When you're doing what you love and it's something you're so passionate about, nothing else matters."

"That's amazing, Rylee. Do you think you could give us a little hint as to what the fans can expect if they go to one of your shows?" she asked, smiling and looking to the camera momentarily.

"Well," I smiled, opening my eyes wide in excitement to the camera, "I can't give too much away, but I will say that I've seen a couple of my tour outfits and they are stunning. I think everyone is gonna love them as much as I do. Also, the choreography we've been working on is really fun. As far as the setlist goes, I'll say this; you can expect to hear some of your favorites, but you might get to hear some stuff you've never heard before!"

"Oooh, okay! Does that mean you've got some new music on the way?" she gasped, playing up the dramatics for the camera. I shrugged playfully, "Maybe! You'll just have to wait and see."

She flashed a cheeky smile and patted the arms of her chair, "Well... I for one cannot wait to see what you have in store for us. I know it's gonna be well worth the wait."

I was so thankful that she hadn't asked any questions that were too personal. Most interviewers try to dig a little too deep and ask questions that I'm not always comfortable answering. Don't get me wrong, I understand it's their job to give the fans what they're wondering. The more questions I answer that are personal and private, the more attention the interview gets.

Unfortunately, I seemed to have jinxed myself. Just as I had let my guard down and was starting to relax, the personal questions started flowing.

"The fans, as well as myself, are dying to know... How's your love life? Is there maybe a special someone you've been spending time with? Does anyone have your heart right now?" she asked. She bit her lip as she crossed her fingers in a playful yet menacingly way. She was just doing her job, but this was one of those questions I tried my best to avoid.

These are the questions that cause a lump to form in the pit of my throat and make me feel as though someone has just turned up the heat. My head was rushing with all sorts of words as I tried to find the right way to answer this.

  "Yeah, there is actually..." I paused for dramatic effect, "Me! Myself. I'm currently on a journey of self care where I'm putting myself first, and I'm learning self love on this journey."

  She furrowed her eyebrows in disbelief, almost to hint that I had to be hiding something. "Amen, girl, that's what I like to hear. Men tend to only disappoint us anyway," she giggled, looking to the camera. I raised my eyebrows, "You said it, not me!"

  "You know, I just think it's amazing to see how much your career has grown in the past year and a half. So many big things have happened, and it looks like it's only up from here! Through your journey, it seems like there has been a certain someone who's been by your side. Can you tell us a little bit about them? In a few words, what would you say to them if they were watching?" she asked.

  I swallowed the lump in my throat, knowing exactly who she was mentioning. As subtle as she was trying to be, anyone watching also knew who she was talking about. I had a feeling he would come up at some point during this interview.

  The man who truly had been by my side through this crazy ride. The man I had history with. The man who helped me learn to navigate all the fame. The man who showed me how important it is to protect your mental health when you're in this world. The man who helped me keep faith in the dark moments you don't hear about that come with fame. The man who I have looked up to for most of my life. The man who inspired me. The man that I idolized at one point in time... The man I had fallen in love with.

  Justin. Fucking. Bieber.

☆ author's note ☆
— hey everyone! this is a new story i've been working on for awhile. if you're reading this then that means i've actually decided to publish it. i hope you all enjoyed the prologue. anyways, more to come <3