Sylvia's PoV

I ate too much.

The food was so delicious I paid attention to nothing else. Apparently, I also didn't realize how much the cost had gone to. 

 Add the fact that it was one of the most expensive restaurants here. We got to almost 400$.

Well, shit.

Rebecca and Isabelle ran away to the restrooms. Selfish little brats. I smiled and shook my head softly. Austin started giving me impractical reasons he was to pay the bill, fully. I knew he was rich, but I was taught never to let the other person pay.

Not that I minded him paying. He was being a gentleman. Which made me like him even more.

I was just being polite.

Or trying to be polite.

In the end, we both decided to pay half of it each. Becca and Izzy had still not come back when the waiter arrived with the bill.

Seriously, what was taking them so much time?

Austin and I stood up to leave the restaurant, when our two amazing friends approached us. They had sneaky smirks on their face. 

Oh, yes, they knew what they had escaped from.

" So stingy." I muttered. They grinned. Austin rolled his eyes and threw his arm around my shoulders.

" Whatever. Don't mind them. They're just selfish pieces of shi-" he started

" Oh, please. Look who's talking. Don't get me started when you refused to pay for a small little gumball machine. You couldn't even do that for me. It was barely more than ten bucks! You're just acting all gentlemen 'cause Sylvia's here." Izzy retorted.

" Shut it." growled Austin. I laughed at them as they continued bickering like 10 year olds.

Heading out the door, I took a fresh breath of the night air. It felt so good, in the sparkling night of the city. The stars twinkled, knowing the feeling I was getting.

I really thought I wouldn't find anyone here. No friends, nothing.

But I did. The arm around my shoulder belonged to a boy.

It felt good.

Laughing, we all exited the sidewalk and sat into the car. I turned up the music as the red roof opened up. The night sky bent over us.

I lifted my hands into the air, feeling the wind pass through my fingers. The thumping music filled my ears.

It had been the best Sunday.

Three weeks had passed since that dinner. It was a fresh new Monday today.

Or, rather, a dull old monday.

How I hated Mondays.

I began hanging out with Austin daily. Everything happened. Movies, kisses, talking. 

He started calling me his girlfriend. I brushed him off when he did that. I was just a fling after all.

A fling that lasted almost a month.

From what I had been told, that was impressive for Austin.

Also, he hadn't taken me to bed yet. Austin probably did that after 3 days of talking. I knew him. There was something holding him back with me.

I wasn't saying that I wanted it. Though I sometimes wondered what it would be like.

I shook my head. I don't think it would happen with him. I wouldn't do it. I liked him, I really did.

Just, not in that way. It had been my latest realization. It had put some guilt in my heart. 

When he kissed, I felt no sensation in my heart. No passion in my veins.I even researched it up on the internet.

I had come to the conclusion that I didn't like him in a romantic way.

Even though he kissed expertly.

Even though he was the dream boy of girls drooled over.

You would ask why I was him then? Because he was a good man. I didn't want to lose him. He..he had become a person in my life I would remember.

Plus,  didn't want to be the one to break up with him. He would do it soon enough anyway.

I was prepared for it from the beginning.

***

I stepped up into the bus.

Opening up Spotify, I pressed my One Direction playlist. Music started blasting in my ears. Taking the empty seat beside an old lady, I bobbed my head softly to the music.

I was heading to the studio. Usually, Austin would drop me off, but today he had some late classes.

I decided to take the 4:30 bus to my destination. It was a little early, but I didn't mind. We were starting a new project today anyway. I was thrilled about it.

Time flies when you are listening to music. Especially some of your favourites. The bus screeched to a stop in front of a building. The studio was just a few blocks ahead. Stepping down, I started walking down the sidewalk. BTS started playing now. I smiled, sang along to it. 

Or, tried to.

My hands were cold when I pushed the glass doors and stepped onto the familiar wooden floor of the studio.

Waving hi to Bertha ( the cleaner ), I headed to Charter's office. I knocked on the door softly. Voices faded in and out in there. He seemed to be talking to someone. 

I heard the doorknob turn and Charter's face appeared. There was someone behind him but Charter's long frame covered him.

" Sylvia! We were just waiting for you." his high pitched voice echoed.

" Oh, And you must be wondering why I said 'we'. You know our new project. I want it to be perfecto. So, For this new song, you'll be working with someone. He's a new somebody who's just joined today. He'll be your working partner for a few days, or weeks.  Depends. But anyways, he's a very good artist, and I think you'll do very well together. "

Charter had always been very straightforward with me. Always blabbered anything he needed to say right at once. I smiled and shook my head.

" At least let me step in sir."

" Oh. Yes yes. I'm sorry." He moved away from the door, uncovering the mystery guy.

I lifted my eyes up to the person he was talking about. 

My smile dropped as I saw dark blue eyes peering at me.

I cursed under my breath. A horrible curse. 

Brady  Ashford stood there, his hands crossed over his chest and leaning on the desk. He wore a black leather jacket and a black jeans. 

He had that infuriating smirk on his face. 

His dark hair was ruffled as always. I met his blue eyes again. They looked amused. Something started tingling in me. 

Irritation? Anger? 

Yes. Anger. That was it. Did he know I was here?  He did it purposefully. But why would he?

He never really ever paid attention to me since that day on the field. Only a few words had been exchanged among us. 

Why the heck was I seeing him here now? Why was he the person I was going to work with? 

I didn't even know that he had musical talents. 

My instincts told me to run away. 

Still, since I was stupid, I took a step inside. His smirk grew as his purring voice rumbled through the white room.

" Why, hello Sylvia."