in which joelle d'amore is completing her final semester of university in the grand city of los angeles, california. when she finds herself in the presence of harry styles, a piercing man with dangerous agendas, she is permeated with fear. she saw s...
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I didn't book the fanciest room for our stay. Finding a suite to be unnecessary, I settled for a regular room with a queen-sized bed on the ground floor. It was small with white walls and orange ceramic tiled flooring, but at least there was a sliding door that led to the beach.
Harry walks into the hotel room behind me with our travel bags. He sets them on the floor while taking a look around at the tight space we had. Remembering my claim of the bed, he heads for the couch tucked into the corner near the AC unit.
Like the car ride here, he's silent. I can't tell what's on his mind this time. Maybe he remains sad over Sage.
Instead of going over to console him, I lift my bag off the floor where he'd left it and I take it with me into the bathroom.
Small as the room, it's clean and comfortable rather than luxurious. I don't mind it at all, though.
After shutting the door, I lift my duffel bag onto the countertop to open it. I don't plan on staying in the hotel room for the rest of the night—especially when evening has only begun. So, I pick out an outfit before I proceed to freshen up.
I apply makeup on, covering the bags under my eyes that have gotten worse, I've noticed. Perfecting my eyeliner, I then apply mascara to my lashes. I think back to the makeup tips Sutton gave me.
I miss her.
Shaking my head, I push aside the fact that I've been avoiding her texts. Although it makes me feel like the worst person in the world, it's to keep her out of my mess.
I get dressed, putting on a skin-tight red dress to match the color of my lips. Fixing the spaghetti straps over my shoulders, I then run fingers through the ends of my hair to let waves fall into place. To keep the wind from blowing in my face, I decide to pin the front pieces of my hair back. Last, I slip on strappy heels that I successfully lace up above my ankles.
Finished and satisfied with my appearance, I clean up after myself and zip up my bag.
I leave the bathroom and I drop my duffel bag onto the floor near the bed I've claimed. With only a shoulder bag that contains my cellphones, cash, lipstick, and room key, I finally lift my head to acknowledge Harry. He's already staring.
"I'll be back," I tell him and with that, I head towards the door.
"Wait. Where are you going?" he asks, rising from the couch. When I look over my shoulder, I see he only wears a white muscle tank top with a pair of gym shorts. It's as if he was ready to crash for the night.
"It's been a long day. An emotional one, too. I just want to have a drink and maybe take a walk," I tell him.
