Still The One (Sequel to Truly Madly Deeply)

Chapter 36

Decided to post today because I know I won't be able to tomorrow! My grandma's coming from Pakistan tomorrow, and I'm so excited since I haven't seen her in 3 and a half years! Hope you like this chaptahh

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Carly’s POV:

            “You can do this, Carly,” Kris gave me a reassuring smile as I fixed my clothes.

            I nod, biting my bottom lip. “Yeah, I can.”

            We were currently in New York City, and I was about to go on David Letterman. It was an important interview, more than others, seeing as I was going to be clearing the water with the whole cheating scandal going on. Harry and I had barely spoken a word to each other while we were coming here. Only when we were in public was when Harry would hold my hand and ever so often smile, pretending everything was alright.

            But it wasn’t. Everything was screwed up, and it was all my fault. If I had told Harry about the movie earlier, he wouldn’t have thought so irrationally about the picture, the media wouldn’t have blown up, Harry and I wouldn’t have gotten into a fight, and I wouldn’t have said something I didn’t mean. So tonight, I need to make sure that I tell everyone the truth of what really happened.

            As soon as I heard David Letterman introduce me, I plastered a smile on my face and walked out, the audience cheering and clapping as I waved at them. I sat down on the couch next to David and he smiled at me. “It’s good to have ya, Carly.”

            “It’s good to be here,” I reply with a small laugh.

            “So first of all, you’re here on your tour, correct?” David gets right to it.

            I nod with a smile. “I am.”

            “And how’s that been so far for you?” he questions.

            “It’s fun, definitely,” I answer. “I’m going all around North America and it’s amazing to see all of the support from the fans I’m getting.”

            “Now, do you work on any songs while you’re on tour?” David asks, glancing at his index cards. “Any songs you write?”

            “Umm,” I think for a moment. “Not at the moment, no. But if I ever feel a song coming on, I grab a pen and paper and just start writing, I guess,” I laugh.

            David asks a bunch of more questions, until he gets to the big one. “Now recently there was a huge scandal involving you,” he says and I nod. “There was a picture of you kissing actor Duke Scott. Do you have anything to say about that?”

            “I do, actually,” I say, sitting up. “You see, the whole picture was blown out of proportion. What’s actually happening is that that picture was part of a film I’m shooting. I was approached by Damon Santostefano, who’s a big director. He wanted me to audition for a movie that he’s directing, and I did and got the part. Duke is merely a co-star who plays my love interest in the movie, and that picture is out of the kissing scene we were scripted to do.”

            David nods his head, looking at the camera. “Well there you have it, folks! The rumors about the kissing scandal have been cleared up by Carly McKinley herself!”

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            I got to the hotel in a couple of minutes, paparazzi swarming the hotel entrance like bees attracted to a flower. I walk up the broad stairway, keeping my head down as Randy guides me through the thick crowd. When we reach the lobby, I thanked Randy and walked towards the elevator and then up to my room. Reaching my floor, I take my room key out from my bag and walk into the suite while biting my bottom lip. Harry should be here, unless he went out somewhere to explore New York City.

            “Get changed into warmer clothes.” Harry’s voice startled me. I turned around and saw Harry standing there, wearing a black coat and jeans. “We’re going out.”

            “Where?” I question, furrowing my eyebrows.

            “Just get ready, Carly,” he replies sternly.

            I nod quietly, going into the room and changing. I put on black skinny jeans, grey UGGs, and a light blue over sized jumper. Letting my hair fall down perfectly straight, I take my phone and reenter the living room area where Harry was.

            “Uh, ready,” I tell him.

            Harry looks at me and then nods. “Let’s go.”

            Grabbing my sunglasses, Harry and I go down to the lobby. Instead of going out the main entrance, the two of us take the back doors in order to steer clear of the paparazzi that were still out there. When we’re out and about in the cold city of New York, I feel Harry’s left hand lace with my right one. I’m taken aback at first, honestly. Harry hasn’t shown me any sort of emotion or affection for the past few days. This was a first.

            We walk in silence for a while, entering Central Park. As the two of us walk around for a couple of minutes, I had finally had it. “What’s wrong with you?” I ask him suddenly, stopping in my tracks. Harry stops too, looking at me as his hand was still in mine, and when he doesn’t answer, I continue. “You’ve been ignoring me for the past few days, and now suddenly you wanna walk through Central Park?”

            Harry stays annoyingly quiet, and I pull my hand away from his grip as I run it frustratingly through my hair. “Look, Harry, I know what I said upset you. Believe me, I felt so fucking guilty when I said it. I explained to you what really happened, and you never gave me a chance to properly apologize. What do you want from me, hmm? What can I do to make this better?”

            Finally, Harry looks up as his green eyes pierce into my plain brown ones, his jaw clenching and unclenching. “I want you to not believe what you hear about me on the tabloids,” his gruff voice finally spoke. “I want you to know that I’ve learned from my mistakes, and that I’ll never ever cheat on you again. I want you to know that I love you and only you. There’s no one else, there never was anyone else, and there never will be anyone else.”

            With each sentence, Harry was taking a step closer and closer towards me, until he was finally towering over me. “I promise you all of that, unless you do the same for me in return,” I tell him seriously, looking into his eyes. “Come to me when you hear about that shit on the TV before jumping to conclusions, and I’ll do the same.”           

            For the first time in a few days, Harry smiles down at me, dimples in view. “I promise,” he says, leaning down and placing his lips softly on mine.

            I kiss him back, smiling through the kiss. It’s actually scary how I can’t go a couple of days without his kisses – I missed them like crazy. Not only his kisses, but I missed him like crazy too.