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I sniffed quickly, opening my locker to grab my bag. We just ended practice half an hour ago. I planned to freshen up, pick up the contract that I already had drafted by my own lawyer, along with an NDA. I thought signing just an NDA would be fine but I didn't want Demi to back out on me halfway through, so I had a full, proper contract made.

I plan to pick that up and then go to Demi's apartment because we need to do this fast. I want her to pack up and move out of her apartment as soon as possible because when she's living in my building, she'll be around me more, she'll be seen around me more, and when finally people approach me for an interview, we'll be able to start our plan.

I got dressed in an empty changing room, grabbed my bag, took my car keys out of it, and headed out. I was nearly at the exit when I heard James calling me from the top of the staircase. I turned around, sighing.

"Come here!"

I rolled my eyes and jogged upstairs, entering his office.

"Where are you going?"

"Why?"

"I need to know if you spoke to Demi about... what we planned."

My eyes narrowed at his movement. He seemed uncomfortable. "Are you asking as my manager or her friend?"

He looked at me, our eyes meeting. "I'm worried," he huffed.

"About her or me?"

"About both of you. I don't want this plan to backfire for you, your career is on the line. And she's my friend, so..." He shrugged nonchalantly.

"I'm going to see her right now," I replied. "But she knows, I told her yesterday."

"What did she say?"

"She'll do it but she has a few conditions."

"Sign a contract and an NDA," he suggested.

"I already had those made, I'm going to pick them up right now," I answered.

He nodded slowly. "All right. Keep me updated."

I nodded before turning around and leaving, getting into my car, and driving to my lawyer's office. It was a short drive and I walked in, over to the reception where I was greeted by his assistant.

"Hi," she beamed up at me.

"I'm here to see Ashton," I said.

"He's free right now, no clients, you can go in."

I walked down the hall and didn't bother to knock on his door, pushing it open and walking to his table, sitting in the chair across from him.

He mumbled a small, "Hey," while grabbing the papers from under the table. He took out a folder, handing it to me. "The contract and the NDA. Sign them and bring them back to me. I'll handle it from there and keep you updated if I need anything else."

I nodded, flipping through them quickly before putting them back in the folder, telling him bye, and leaving. I drove to her apartment. I was already there by the time I realized I should have told her I was coming, she may not even be home right now. I slipped inside, keeping my head down and walking to the elevator, getting in and forcing it to close before anyone stepped in. I reached her floor and apartment, ringing the doorbell. I heard her footsteps and then the door swung open. I felt my eyebrows twitch as I stared at her while a look of shock swept over her face.

"What are you doing here?" she asked with her bowl of cereal in her hand.

"Surprise," I said sarcastically, walking past her and into the apartment. I went into the kitchen, sitting on the stool and taking the papers out.

"What are you doing here?" she repeated, walking around the counter and putting her bowl down, grabbing the edge of the counter and staring at me, waiting for an answer.

"I brought the contract and NDA. Sign it."

"Already? You have it?"

I nodded, sliding them over to her.

She walked to a cabinet and went on her toes, reaching into a sugar packet box.

My eyes ran down her body, resisting a scoff at her clothes. She has on an oversized dark green t-shirt with pajama shorts that are hidden under it, only the hem visible, and only socks on her feet. I glanced at the bun on the top of her head, looking away as she turned around and added sugar to her cereal.

I frowned in confusion. "Who adds sugar to cereal?"

"I do," she replied, sitting down. "The cereal is Kellog's, it's not sweet. At all," she mumbled, going through the contract while eating. She took five minutes, reading it twice before sighing and looking up at me. She just stayed quiet and glanced back at the contract, nibbling on her bottom lip. Without a word, she went into her room. I stared at the doorway, waiting for her to come back out. She walked out, clicking a pen nervously. She sat back down, staring at the contract.

"Sign it, Tiffany."

She looked up at me, biting the inside of her cheek. "Would I be stupid not to?"

"A little," I nodded. She's getting just as much as she's giving. It's a fair deal.

She took a breath before starting to sign. She put her initials at the bottom of each page before signing the last one and sliding it back over to me. I made sure she didn't skip a page and then took the NDA she sent my way. She tossed me the pen and I caught it, signing the papers and tucking them back into the folder. She stood up in the meantime, moving to rinse out the bowl.

"You should start packing to move," I said, standing up and walking over to her.

"Already?" She froze when she realized I was standing behind her as I tucked the pen behind her.

I moved to stand beside her, leaning against the counter and she washed her hands, closing the tap and turning to me. "I need you to move in as soon as possible."

She lifted her hands and flicked all fingers, sending drops of water to my face. I closed my eyes, sighing as she grabbed paper towels and dried her hands off. "I'm not taking everything," she said.

I expected her to since she's lived here for two years. But I guess not. "Whatever you're taking, just let me know when you want the movers to come over and take the boxes."

"What if I say I don't want to move out yet?"

"Then I will come over and pack your stuff up myself. Because you signed the contract. You're mine now."

She looked over at me.

I tilted my head to one side, lifting a brow.

"I signed the contract. The contract says I have to move in by the end of the month."

"At most by the end of the month," I corrected her. "Get packing, Tiffany."

She sighed, "I already took out some boxes. I knew you'd rush me into this. I just haven't started packing."

I glanced at the time. I only have evening practice now, so I'm free today. "Pack. I'll help you," I shrugged.

"Right now?"

I nodded in response.

"Um..." She glanced at the time on the clock, then at her room. "Okay. Come on."

I followed her into the room, taking my phone out and leaving it on the bed. "Start at the desk," I suggested, "you have the most stuff here."

She grabbed a box from the corner of the room and unfolded it, placing it on the floor.

I glanced at her desk and bookcase. The books were color-coded. I read my fair share but not the kind of books I know she reads.

"How about I give you the books and you pack them?" She lifted a brow at me.

"So I do the dirty work?" I asked.

She nodded, smiling.

"Fine," I mumbled, going and sitting behind the box.

She moved to the bookcase, starting at the bottom. She took out a few books from each shelf to give away and handed me the rest. While she was debating whether to keep or give one book away, I grabbed one and read a few lines from a random page I opened. I let out a scoff, reading the most cliché rain love confession I've ever known.

She turned to me. "What?"

"Nothing." I put the book back in the book. "I just can't believe you read this stuff."

"Why?" she frowned, handing me the book. "What's wrong with it?"

"Nothing. Apart from the fact that it is absolutely pointless. You get nothing out of reading it. No knowledge, no advantage. What's the point?"

She stared at me blankly. "It's entertaining. And you fall in love," she shrugged nonchalantly.

"With what?"

"The characters. And love," she said pointedly, handing me another book.

"You fall in love with love?"

She nodded with a hum.

"There's still no point."

"Why?"

"Because none of it's real."

"Who says?" She glanced at me. "Things don't need to exist for people to love them. We love people who die too, don't we? If we can love something when it stops existing, why can't we love something that never existed in the first place?"

"They're just words on paper, Tiffany. They aren't real, neither is their story, and neither is your love for them." I thought for a moment. "Actually, I doubt love is even real."

She grabbed the last book and then walked over, sitting in front of me and going through the books one more time. "Why do you think love's not real?"

"Because it's an illusion and people always fall out of it," I shrugged, grabbing a marker and labeling the box 'desk items + books'. I could feel her watching me.

"That doesn't mean they were never in love, to begin with. Love is never fake," she finally said as I looked up at her. I held her gaze in silence until she stood back up, moving to her desk items, starting with the lamp. "Write 'fragile' on that box too."

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