Spotlight |h.s|

Seventy Three

Harry Styles

The vast number of dressing rooms in this hallway are almost all empty, everyone but Aubrey sitting in one of the comfortable black leather chairs lining the space in our full red carpet attire while we await Aubrey's exit from her room.

I'm in the silver suit I tried on ages ago in Danielle's office, my hair being styled since it's a little long and my skin tone being evened out with a bit of makeup. My makeup artist asked me if I wanted anything else after that, and I bit the bullet and asked for the slightest bit of eyeliner on my waterline. It isn't a wing from a liquid pen like the one Aubrey gave me on Valentine's day, it's a pencil line that simply makes my eyes "pop" a little.

I felt a bit weird about it at first, but Ruby noticed it the second I walked out of my room and said that it made me look badass, so I decided to leave it.

My mind was only on one thing for the hours of getting ready, and that thing was Aubrey. I'm so incredibly worried about this entire text situation once again, the day of the sending of this photo seeming like a bit too much of a coincidence. They wanted to freak her out on a big day like this one and put her and everyone else on edge, and here it is working. I can't help but worry, though. I would rather overreact than downplay a situation that ended in complete chaos.

Ruby can sense my nerves beside me with the tap of my foot and fiddling with my rings, her eyes burning into the side of my face as a nonverbal request to share my thoughts with her. I fight the urge to run my hands through my hair, knowing it was just styled and not wanting to mess anything up. I turn to look at her with a sigh, giving in and getting ready to speak.

"I'm worried."

"I know," she nods, "Talk about it."

"I just- I don't think anything is going to happen today. I really think the picture thing was a scare tactic to freak us out on such a big day. I'm just worried about when we go back to the loft. I feel like something is going to happen and I'm not going to have a way to stop it."

She nods and brushes her styled curls back so they aren't rested on her shoulders anymore, sighing before responding, "I wish there was something better to say than this, but I really think the only solution, for now, is to not give them what they want. Go out there and have a good time tonight. Show them that they don't have as much of a hold over you as they think. All they'll get is more satisfied if they see that you're all nervous and antsy on the carpet and at the party. Don't give them what they want. Not today. This is your day."

"I don't know how I'm supposed to—"

"Nope! No more worried Harry!" She interrupts me.

"But I—"

I cut myself off from complaining any further when Aubrey's door opens, revealing her in that same navy dress I remember her trying on all that time ago. The corset top, the slit in the leg, the silver clips holding the right side shut once the slit reaches her upper thigh. Her hair is curled and left down, her natural makeup accompanying the bold choice of dress.

I know I've seen her in it before, but my jaw still drops as her eye catches mine and she walks my way. The only out-of-the-ordinary piece of makeup on her face is the sparkle of her eyeshadow. She normally doesn't wear any, that being the only difference between this and what she does on a regular day. Her lips have a nude shade on them, her heels being the same color but only one showing due to the length of her dress.

She makes her way toward me with a tight-lipped smile, her eyes running over me with her arms crossed over her chest. I can sense her stress without hearing her say a word, her tense mannerisms giving her away without her control.