isn't it? [taylor swift]

chapter 45

Leia wasn't entirely sure how Dylan was somehow managing to get invites to award shows, galas and generally what seemed like remarkable exclusive events.

He didn't even have a proper job - unless you counted terrorising people as a job, which Leia figured he was pretty good at these days.

When she first met him, he had just been around because he was good friends with Justin Bieber, and that was how he'd been invited to the after party. It explained some of the things he'd been invited to when she'd first met him - but made little sense now. Justin was barely in the public spotlight these days and didn't attend events, so she'd just assumed that's where Dylan's invites would have stopped.

Yet here they were, invited to a film festival... and not because of her fame but because Dylan had a plus one on his invite. What did Dylan Redcrown know about films? She wasn't sure, but here they were anyway.

She wasn't overly optimistic about having a good night - although she never really was when she had to stand and pose on Dylan's arm like some sort of trophy girlfriend - but especially since she had seen some of the rumoured guest-list and knew there was little chance she would survive the night without at least one awkward run in with people she had once called friends.

Selena and Cara were both on the list Azul had obtained - Selena to promote a film she had coming out later that year, and Cara for reasons Leia wasn't sure on. Regardless, she knew that the chances of being able to avoid running into both of them was high, and the chance of running into one was even more significant.

Dylan seemed to be aware of that too, reminding her in the limo on the way to the red carpet of their 'little arrangement'. She'd noticed how Azul had tilted his head in the direction of the man, and Dylan had promptly stopped talking to her but kept that smug little smirk on his face. In another life, Leia would loved to have seen Azul wipe that right off his face with a good, old-fashioned left hook.

As Leia stepped onto the red carpet, the flashing lights momentarily blinded her. She blinked rapidly, her eyes adjusting to the chaos of photographers and reporters vying for attention. Dylan's arm snaked around her waist, pulling her close in a possessive gesture that made her skin crawl.

She plastered on her best smile, the one she'd perfected for these events, hoping it reached her eyes despite the unease churning in her stomach.

They moved down the carpet at a glacial pace, stopping every few feet for photos and the occasional soundbite. Leia's cheeks ached from smiling, her jaw tight as she tried to maintain her composure. She was yet to have to stop for an interview, and she truly wanted to keep it that way.

They had barely made it halfway down the carpet when Leia's heart skipped a beat.

There, just a few feet ahead, was Cara. The model-turned-actress was striking in a sleek black jumpsuit, her signature eyebrows perfectly arched as she posed for the cameras with a smirk on her lips. Leia felt her breath catch in her throat as Cara's eyes met hers, feeling a little bit like a deer that was about to be hit by a truck as Cara's eyes seemed to bore right through her and looked down at where Dylan's hand was wrapped around her hip.

As if drawn by some invisible force, they found themselves moving closer, the sea of people parting between them. Dylan's grip on Leia's waist tightened, a silent warning she couldn't ignore.

"Cara," Leia said, her voice barely audible over the din of the crowd. "It's... good to see you."

Cara's smile was tight, her eyes darting between Leia and Dylan. "Leia, hi. You look lovely."

Leia knew that Cara didn't think it was good to see Leia based on that alone. She'd seen Cara's expressions enough in her life to know that the blonde was not happy to see Leia at all right now, and Leia knew that it was likely in part to the 23 missed calls that had littered Leia's phone as soon as she'd broken up with Taylor, and the 17 that had came after her and Dylan went Instagram official.