Matilda | Harry Styles

NINE

I wasn't entirely sure how to feel when I eventually made my way downstairs into the hotel lobby the following morning.

I'd pulled myself from the warmth of the hotel bed, though notably empty in the absence of the person I'd fallen asleep beside. I'd packed the majority of my things, ensuring that all of my belongings were ready to go so that I wouldn't have to pack after I got back to the hotel later that night, after the show. The next day, we'd be moving on to the next city, early in the morning. Somehow, it still came as a surprise to me that I was unable to truly focus on the night I had ahead of me - arguably for what would be the biggest night of my life, so far. Tonight, was Harry's first show in the US; my first show as his photographer.

I'd dragged myself into the bathroom, leaning forward to wrap my hands around the rim of the dauntingly polished, marble sink, eyeing my tired image in the mirror. I looked like hell. I wasn't a morning person, though I'd have liked to have the resolve to be one; I couldn't hack it. My hair fell down, messy and dishevelled, over my shoulders, and I was somewhat fearing tackling the tangles I was bound to find in them after last night. The remaining makeup that I'd failed to remove the night before had also collected in dark smears beneath my eyes, and I couldn't help but hope that this wasn't how I'd looked throughout the previous evening.

Silently cursing my former drunken self for her neglect to wash my face, I let out a tired sigh, lifting my arms to scrape my hair back into a ponytail so that I could begin to work at removing the remanents of my makeup. I brought my hair upwards, tying it back with only a small glance in the mirror, only for my eyes to be drawn back to my own reflection, widening in horror. My lips parted in bewilderment, as I frantically tilted my chin to the side, craning my neck into an awkward position to try and enable myself to gain a better look.

There was a damn hickey beneath my ear.

Just below the lobe of my ear, where I'd felt Harry's teeth graze over it on multiple occasions last night, was a deep, purple marking. My hand rose to cover my mouth in momentary dismay, before I groaned, dragging my hands over my face at this added, unnecessary inconvenience. Talk about subtle.

I traced my fingertips over the mark, unable to ignore the small flutter in my stomach at the images it caused to resurface in my mind. The way Harry's mouth had fallen to my neck, kissing over my jaw and my ear, not a single spot unattended to; the way his fingers had dragged over the surface of my throat, coaxing my head to tilt backwards. I'd ended the night being pretty drunk, as had Harry - I knew that, for sure. But I was sure that even if I'd drank twice the amount I had, I wouldn't have been able to forget the way the night went.

After I'd showered, and applied a nearing-ridiculous amount of makeup over the bruise, feeling somewhat like a teenager who'd been caught doing something she shouldn't have, I was still unsatisfied with my attempts at disguising it. With a defeated huff, I pulled my hair back down, and got myself dressed. It wasn't truly noticeable, with my hair covering it - not unless you were really looking, but it was still a nuisance, and something I would have to be wary of showing. I wasn't at all sure what to expect from Harry this time around, but if his previous behaviour was any indicator, me parading into breakfast with a hickey on display certainly wouldn't have put a smile on his face. Not that I was exactly to blame for it. Even if anybody was to see it, and I was to say that it didn't come from Harry, I was sure it wouldn't be a good look for the first proper night of my new job, regardless.

I'd received a text from Elin, letting me know that the plan was to head down for breakfast, and so that was what I did. I grabbed a larger tote bag and shoved my things into it for the day, including the camera I wanted to use that evening. This was the best one I had - the newer one I'd purchased only a few weeks prior. I knew this one would be perfect for taking pictures of the show tonight, but I would still need to do some test shots at the arena later on.