mastermind [h.s.]

chapter 13

"Deep breaths, Julia, deep breaths," I instruct. Julia is literally on the brink of throwing herself into a panic attack as she gets ready for the night. "You can do this."

"I can do this, I can do this, I can do this," she chants to herself, rearranging her already perfect curls. She beams in the mirror. "I got this."

"See, that's the spirit!" I encourage. Half a second later her face crumbles and shoulders drop.

"Aria, I can't do this!" she cries, throwing her face on my shoulder. I pat her back gently.

"You can do it. You have to. Harry needs you by his side."

Eventually I coax Julia out of her room. She wallows in anxiety right up until Harry texts her that he's here.

"Okay, listen," I say, quickly repeating what I've been telling her all night. "All you have to do is smile and nod. He'll ask you about your interests and hobbies—you just have to be honest!" Julia nods, hanging on to every word I say. "He might ask you about your father's business, but you already know everything about it!"

"I do," she agrees.

"All you have left to do is make sure Harry is doing okay. He be nervous so just be there for him. If he looks panicky just squeeze his hand under the table or something, he just needs the reassurance that someone else is here for him. And if you get the chance make sure you tell him he's doing great, okay?"

"Okay. Got it."

A knock sounds at our door. I open the door to see Harry standing there in a black suit with a white shirt. Instead of wearing a tie, he opted to unbutton his shirt until the butterfly tattoo on his stomach peaked out.

"H-hey," I croak, hoping he somehow didn't catch me checking him out.

A warm smile grows on his face. "Hey," he responds softly. Julia comes running behind me and nearly topples me over in her haste to get to Harry.

"Harry! You look so handsome," she says. I step back behind her, letting them speak. As I walk into the kitchen to busy myself, I hear Harry's response.

"Thank you, you look beautiful."

"Aw, thanks babe," she kisses him. "I'm so nervous I feel nauseous."

"Me too. We'll be okay though," Harry says tightly. He gulps and I catch his eyes glance at me nervously. You got this. I mouth, giving him a reassuring smile and he nods in return.

"Shall we?" Julia suggests. "Let me just grab my purse. Then we can leave and get this over and done with."

**

I settle in comfortably on the chair in the living room and kick back my legs with a bowl of warm popcorn in my lap. Flicking through the channels, I stop at the Food Network for a bit before continuing on until I find Friends re-runs. Half way through the episode and my phone buzzes already.

In the restaurant.

I read Julia's text message and I fail to see where this concerns me.

Ok. I reply back and put my phone down again to watch Rachel and Monica arguing. Another couple minutes pass by and I hear my phone ping again.

His father is here with his girlfriend she says.

*fiancé I correct.

What?

She is his fiancé not girlfriend.

oh fuck. Thanks for letting me know

np