Irresistible Touch (A Harry Styles Fanfiction)

67: In Ink (Part One)

(A/N: I really do not enjoy tea but if this man offered it, I'd drink it. And look! There is a Part One! I hope you know what that means! Enjoy.)

There are some days when I feel like I've grown so much, become more confident than I've ever been. And then there are days I'm pacing in a tiny bathroom taking advantage of the kindness of my friends while I freak out over the smallest thing yet not inconsequential.

"Mia you really need to try and stop freaking out. It's going to be fine like it always has been."

"How can it be? I love Gemma and you for doing this but she ordered like 5 books and I'm sure she and Anne have bought two of them already. How on earth am I supposed to sit there and talk to a group of people with nothing to offer?"

"First of all, I've watched you at a dozen of readings and you have a lot to offer. You're not only good at speaking in front of a room full of people but you're great at the one on one interactions when you're signing. You've tackled college towns with teenagers who think they know everything and have never lived anything close to what you have. You're great." Her words really boost me up. I'm still nervous as all hell but I'm glad Zoe has such confidence in me.

"Second of all, you're an idiot if you think I'd set up a reading with only five books. I hope you know I'm better at my job than that."

"Thank you! I know you are, I'm just insane and nervous and all over the place at the moment?"

"Mia, seriously, is there something else going on because you have nothing to worry about. Gemma said she invited a bunch of her childhood friends and they did the same. And so is Anne! If you take a step back, this should be the easiest one of all. The room will be filled with family and friends who are there to support you."

"You're right on that front, but I also don't want to let them down. Plus I wish you had been able to fly out here, Zoe. I miss our trio."

"Me too and we'll have the again when you write something else! I know it," she says with all the confidence in the world. I won't tell her now that I have zero ideas for another book. All I've been writing is about life on tour. "How is Hunter? He seems to be having fun. He sent me a picture of the sunset from his hotel window yesterday."

I explain to her that I gave him a few days off and he decided to push on to Manchester with the rest of the crew. From all accounts, they've been having a wild few days off in the city. It's nice to watch him find his own group with everyone. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to have him here, Hunter is also a part of my family, but it's nice to watch him having fun instead of listening to my emotional downfall day after day.

"Well, I'm glad he's having fun. Maybe he'll meet someone," Zoe says hopefully and I silently chuckle to myself thinking back at the time I wanted to create a love match between Zoe and Hunter. "He deserves to meet someone special."

"Agreed, if only to be able to return the favor and spend hours talking about his relationship with me," I chuckle. Poor Hunter, I've really put him through it. "I've been terrible company this past week."

"Can you please tell me what's going on? I'm starting to worry about you."

I have to say, I am honored to be surrounded by strong and independent women who are not only great role models but also care about me. I strive to do the same in equal measure.

I will be forever grateful to Anne, Gemma, and Zoe for unintentionally leading the way for me.

Now I just need to act on their advice.

I go on to tell her the abridged version of what has happened this past week. Not going into deep specifics but expressing enough to relay that I've been an impossible emotional mess since we touched down on European soil.