Reckless || Harry Styles AU

22: hellos and goodbyes

DOUBLE UPDATE. MAKE SURE YOUVE READ CHAPTER 21 BEFORE THIS ONE :) the gif on the side or above explains their relationship lol

COMMENT A LOT ❤️

Harry

"Good afternoon, Mr. Styles," Mark greeted, shaking my hand. I gave him a very weak and an "I do not want to be here" smile. I look across the table at Jess' other publicists.

Mark tells me to take a seat, so I sit in the chair two seats away from everyone else. There was no way I was going to sit next to these people.

"How are you, Mr.St--"

"Can we cut to the chase? And if you don't mind, call me Harry, please."

Mark wasn't fazed by my interruption. He simply gestured for a woman to pass him a file. He opened the folder and I noticed the pictures of Jess and I from the fashion show.

My breathing hitched at the sight of her. She had such a huge smile on her face. And the way her eyes sparkled...

I coughed and cleared my throat to cover up my admiration of the simple photos.

"Do you see something in these photos?" Mark questioned, lining up four pictures in front of me.

"What is this an interrogation?" I say humorlessly.

He glared at me. "Just tell me something that the public might get from these pictures."

The answer I was thinking was way too obvious. There had to be something else. I took a good look at each still moment.

The first one was one of both her and I smiling to the cameras. Nothing bad about that one.

The second, she was laughing while I was covering mine up with a smile. I hid my smile as I recalled how I'd told her a joke. This one wasn't that bad.

The third one, I was looking down at her as she posed for the cameras. I didn't miss the wonder in my eyes. I guess I could see how that could be taken by the media.

The last one, I was the one posing for the cameras and she was looking up at me. A part of me wanted to believe that she had the same look in her eyes as I had in mine.

"Anything, Harry?" Mark interrupted my thoughts.

"Just tell me why I'm here."

He sighs and clasps his hand together, turning his body towards me. "To be frank, these pictures look like you're in love with the girl!"

My jaw clenches instantly. "What's the wrong in that?"

Another man butts in. "Jessica has her career laid out in front of her. Her album is doing phenomenal, with the help of Nick Jonas' relationship with her--"

"She'd be breaking records without the help of him," I defend. Jess is an outstanding artist. Her music does the talking, not some PR stunt.

"And if Jessica gets twisted in some childish love triangle, she'll get loads of negative attention, that will not sit well with sales."

Where the hell was this discussion going?

"Why am I here?"

"We need these rumors between you and Jessica to end."

"Well, I'm sorry. I can't control what people think." I lean back in the chair and cross my arms.

Mark leaned his elbows on the table. "Listen, Harry, we called you in here. Alone. I was going to tell Jessica to come as well, but I figured you'd want to have this conversation by yourself. We're asking you to move on. At least show the public that you've moved on."