Love Me or Leave Me [Shawn Mendes]

1. "Are you ready to start?"

With a deep breath, Alissa started to slow down from her last sprint to a light jog as she started seeing her apartment building. Taking her airpods out of her ears and the keys out of her armband she opened up the entrance door and took the stairs to her floor instead of the elevator so she could cool down from her morning run.

Opening the door and tossing her things onto the little table by it, she shook her head at the sight she was met with.

"How the hell are you still in the same place that I left you in?" Alissa asked her best friend, Kaylee, who was sprawled across the couch watching Keeping Up With The Kardashians.

"Rachel called you" Alissa heard her say as she went into the kitchen to grab a water bottle and went back into the living room to sit by Kaylee's feet at the edge of the couch. Her friend then continued, "And just so you know I got up to pee a few minutes ago".

Letting out a soft chuckle Alissa picked up her phone from the coffee table "That doesn't make it better", unlocking it she saw the missed call from her manager and then a message from her too.

Good morning, just want to remind you not to be late for today's session. We can't afford to lose time right now. Already warned Paul and Elena. Be there at 8:30.

"Shit" Alissa said when she looked at the clock on her phone. 8:03 am.

"What?" Kaylee asked sitting up on the couch.

"I lost track of time, I'm gonna be late" Alissa said while going to put her bottle and running to the bathroom to take a quick shower.

Managing to shorten her usual twenty-minute shower into a five-minute one, she entered her room and groaned when she saw her unpacked suitcase sitting on the floor.

Alissa had gotten back to LA last night after a two-day stay in New York to promote her new song with Lauv and to meet up with Andrew Gertler to sign a contract that was supposed to be the highlight of her year.

When Rachel had said that she had gotten the opportunity for Alissa to open another world tour so soon after Taylor Swift's one and her own national headlining tour, she was a little weary but when Rachel also pointed out that opening for big names was helping her extend her fan base, she sighed and only asked how long she had to write her new album before having to pack up again and return to the road, completely forgetting to ask who she was opening to.

So imagine the surprised she felt when she found out the singer in question was Shawn Mendes, one of the topping charts musicians at the moment. She had met Shawn twice now, one time while she was hanging out with Hailee, one of the few good friends she had in the music industry, and the other time when he had visited Taylor and Camila during one of the shows of the Reputation tour. He had been friendly both times but she doubted he remembered her.

Putting on the first clean underwear set she found, some jeans and a burgundy v-neck t-shirt, Alissa put on some perfume and threw the essentials into her purse before living her bedroom while smoothing her wet hair with her fingers. When she got to the kitchen Kaylee handed her a full coffee cup.

"I love you, you know that right?" Alissa said taking the cup from Kaylee, "Are you sure you can't stay for a few more days? The trip to New York was at such bad time". Kaylee had flew in more or less a week before to celebrate Alissa's birthday with her, but she hadn't known about Alissa New York trip that ended up shortening their time together.

"I wish I could. But life in Chicago never stops and I have to go back to work" her best friend answered with a sad look in her face, " Everyone misses you back home, you have to come visit more often".