harriette storms out of the glass building where she was just confronted by not only luna but also phil, who she felt turned against her.

he showed himself lenient as soon as the words luna spoke were spoken and took on to her side, comforting her in throwing his arms around her, seemingly protecting her from the scene that was to follow.

because, as phil was trying his best to calm his best friend, who had now turned to full on sobbing following the events in the conference room, harriette just left. she left without uttering another word.

now, she felt conflicted.

one part of her told her off for leaving her friends behind, told her that phil would work out a way for them to get what they want with everyone being satisfied. that part told her that luna is reasonable, that if she were on the other side one month would be logical.

also, they are her friends. and it wasn't as if she was forced into a relationship that was horrible or with someone she strongly dislikes.

and maybe luna is right and she is being egotistical and not thinking about what the management and especially, luna, would have to go through.

but that other side keeps nagging, telling her that those people in the management always preach that bad publicity is better than none at all and just as good as positive ones.

the other part of her told her that she has already waited long enough. that even though it is how it is, it sucks. and that she is unhappy this way and phil is unhappy this way, too. both of them would be able to spend one whole more month in freedom with the person they want to be closest to, they could go out in public with someone they feel most connected to and wouldn't have to lie, lie, lie in interviews and fake something between them. and dan would be happy, too!

that side of her told her that there could actually not be any negative outcome to her giving into what she most desires at this moment, right now. so why wait another month is she could have it right now?

it's as if there's a little angel and a little devil version of her sitting on each of her shoulders and she doesn't know which way to look.

conflicted as she is, she finds herself walking without direction but somehow near the set of the show and her feet come to a halt when she sees none other than warren horace sitting and sipping a cup of coffee through the window at the very place they had met for the first time.

she decides to step in, the little doorbell ringing as she enters and warren's face turning towards her as if he had expected that she'd come.

a smile now makes it onto her face, presenting her dimples. she queues and orders, taking her drink and moving towards him.

the smell of coffee is very prominent in this coffee shop and she takes it in and it is as if it wakes her up from a long slumber.

"is this seat still free?" she asks and he nods shortly, motioning to the chair opposite of him, hiding his smile by taking another sip out of his cup.

after some small talk and some contemplating, harriette finds herself slowly caving in and quickly tearing down the walls she and everyone else around her have constructed carefully for a long time.

as brick after brick is pulverising and she feels the weight on her chest lightening, she says, "i still owe you a shirt."

one last string of doubts seems to lift off of her as she erases phil and luna's voices from the back of her mind, "and a story."

*

*

*

*

immediately after she told warren what her 'relationship' had been about, she regretted it.

there now was this odd feeling she couldn't shake off and warren insisted on knowing all of the details at first, but she chose to not share more with him.

but then he comforted her and harry's mind was back at ease.

little did she know that the person she had taken a liking to and now put her trust in, would later leak the little information he had gotten, as harriette mainly told him that phil and her broke up, not wanting to tell him the full truth.

later that day, as it comes to an end and harriette goes to bed, looking forward to another date with warren the next day, his magazine would publish the first article, spreading all different kinds of reasons why harry and phil had broken up.

that one article will start a chain and by the end of the week, the media will have gone berserk.