I'm Meant To Hate You

7

The following day wasn't any better for me. It was anxiety induced, and I couldn't change any of it. Yesterday was bad for me, it was bad for the business and it was certainly looking much worse for Emily. But that theory only worked if the truth of our altercation ever got out. I highly doubt that she would admit to something like that to the public, that she had slapped me out of jealousy. Because that's all it was, there was no other excuse, no valid reason behind her behaviour. Her childish and petty behaviour.

"Just remember, when they come in, her parents know nothing. You can talk about everything apart from what happened last night and try not to show too much disdain towards her, we're trying to separate her from her parents a little. This is something they don't need to hear of." Richard said beside me as I was perched on his desk. We were both waiting for them to arrive, and I had realised fast that the meetings between the four of us was going to become a daily thing. I understood where Richard was coming from, telling her parents would embed them in the situation, and to try and make her aware that she does actually have control of her life meant keeping them out of a few things.

Of course if things got out then they would definitely find out about it, but for now it was better to keep it quiet.

I was also finding it much harder to hide my disdain towards him. With Emily, hiding my hatred towards her came naturally, because when we were younger, at family meals, we had to act as if we liked one another. But with Richard, I had never felt the need to hide my feelings towards him, this was a first.

"Here they are." He whispered, "Dave, Jenny, how fabulous to see you." He stood from his seat, greeting them as soon as they exited the elevator on to the floor. "Emily, why don't you head in whilst I catch up with your parents? We won't be long." Emily reluctantly nodded at his suggestion, not wanting to be rude. She silently walked past me into my office, her head down. I followed behind, my mannerisms almost identical to hers. Her eyebrows furrowed as the silence grew heavy, her mouth getting ready to say something but she was rendered speechless by what seemed to be her own thoughts.

"Just so you know, I'm not going to tell them." I said, shuffling around my desk, not once looking at her as I opened my drawers, searching for next weeks schedule that I had printed for her. She remained silent, something that didn't bother me as much as I thought it would. If she had nothing to say, I wasn't going to drag it out of her. My phone buzzed against the desk, causing me to stop my search and look over the screen. It was Mel. "Sorry." I said to the room, maybe to Emily out of habit, picking up my phone and reading through the message.

Mel-

Unrelated, but come out with me tomorrow night, I have exclusive access to a party, let's get your mind off things for the night. Pretty please hot-shot?

Me-

Do I have to? Who's party is it?

Mel-

You don't want to know, but they always throw good parties. Alcohol, strippers, what more do you need to let off some steam?

Me-

Fine.

"Someone important?" She finally spoke up from the other side of the desk, letting her curiosity get the better of her.

"I don't see how that's any of your business." I replied bitterly, maybe a little too bitterly. It came across worse than I had intended but I couldn't hold back the emotions I felt towards her at the minute. Maybe Mel was right. Tomorrow night would be good for me. I resumed my search for her print out, finally fishing it out from beneath a few business cards.

"You're right, it's not, sorry." She seemed to deflate in front of me as I let my eyes stay on her as her parents walked in, their chatter with one another breaking the newly formed silence.

"This is next week's schedule." I addressed them all, mainly Emily as I handed the piece of paper over to them, leaning across the desk slightly to add notes with my pen. "You're free today and tomorrow but you have set on Sunday. Early start, Harry will be picking you up at seven so you get there on time." I explained, adding a time next to that day. "Tuesday you'll be on set again, same time, Harry will pick you up the same." I said, adding the same time to Tuesday. "And then Friday you'll be going to Spain for another premiere." I concluded, finally looking up at her to check that she had caught everything I had said. Our eyes met for a longer time than I had liked, neither of us acknowledging anything that was just said.

"Emily? Did you understand everything she said?" David broke our eyes apart, I cleared my throat before leaning back to my side of the desk, waiting for her response as I looked down at the pen in my hands.

"Y-yeah." She hardly got out, still in a bit of a daze.

"Good. If that's all we need to know Kiana, then we must be off, we have a family get together to show up to." He said, gesturing for Jenny and Emily to follow him out the door.

"Thank you for your time Kiana." Jenny spoke up as she hurried after her husband, leaving Emily loitering a little longer after they had left.

"I'm- I know you don't want to hear it but I really am sorry about yesterday." Her voice cracked as her hair fell over her face, her eyes focused on the floor beneath her feet, maybe praying that it would envelope her. "I lost my cool and that wasn't fair on you. I don't usually get like that. I don't ever get like that. I'm sorry."

"Emily! No time for chitchat, I'm sure Kiana has much better things to be doing than listening to you talk." David made his presence known as he frowned from the door, Jenny close to him with an apologetic look on her face

My legs were walking around the desk before I had any chance to register, my hand placing itself on Emily's lower back.

"That's okay David, but it was actually me who was talking to her. I forgot to tell her that Mel will need to know her number so she can get in touch when she needs to see her." I explained, my hand warm against Emily's bare skin. The dress she was wearing had a split back, meaning that because of this stupid situation I had put myself in, my hand was way too intimately placed on her slightly toned body.

"Oh. Well sorry. But we really must be leaving. Unless you want to stay Emily?" He offered her a choice, one that made her look up at me before looking at her mother. Jenny slightly nodded at her, giving her a get out of jail free card.

"I'll go and give my number to the social media advisor before I forget." She spoke up, some muscles twitching underneath my hand.

"We'll see you at home then." He dismissed her, turning on his heels. This was the side of him I had never seen before, he didn't even apologise to Emily for blaming her, he apologised to me for getting it wrong.

"Now I understand why you don't think before you act or speak." I muttered, removing my hand off her back and standing away from her, letting out a breath.

"Don't make me out to be the same as him. But thank you for that." She spoke almost shyly.

"You don't think before you speak or act, which is exactly what your father has just done to you." I retorted.

"Let's say you're right. I was caught up in the moment and I snapped, have you never done that before?" She was now caught up in emotions, she had admitted that I was right, nearly. But that was good enough for me. I was only trying to reason with her.

"Of course I have, but I'm not analysed for every single thing I do, no one knows me. You on the other hand, the world knows your name. So you need to be more careful." I tried my best to keep my tone level. I didn't want to start anything that didn't need to be started.

"Fine." She finally muttered, defeated. She knew I was right, she knew that I was only really trying to help her, she just didn't want to admit that I wasn't her enemy anymore.