Tangerine

Chapter 54

Soundtrack: City and Colour - We Found Each Other in the Dark

Dedication: clara (@writtenwithink) i love seeing how you're progressing through tangerine with all of your votes and comments in order, it lets me relive so many of the old chapters and makes me feel all warm inside, thanks for reading x

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Harry and Naomi remain in the living room as I run over to my suitcase. I toss out a number of items until I finally find my hairbrush, efficiently running the brush through my hair before ditching it on my bed and leaving my hotel room with Harry by my side.

He arrived at my door all cute and handsome and shit and my attraction to him is only growing with every second that passes. With how things are going, I strongly doubt that my head-over-heels crush will fade at all today.

We walk into the lift together, joined by a rather large security guard. Usually, we would use the staff lifts in hotels to get around unseen. This time, we're only using the public lifts because we don't care if we get caught. In fact, we want to get caught. At least a little bit.

"What is it?" Harry gazes down at me, sensing how intensely I'm looking at him.

"It's nothing," I smooth out my black lace dress, flexing my feet in my tall, gold platforms.

"It can't just be nothing," Harry calmly slips his hands into his front pockets, mindlessly chewing on his inner cheek.

"It's just a feeling," I tell him honestly, "nothing more."

"A feeling is an idea with roots," he says to me, making me feel more on fire than I've felt all day.

His eyes darken as we step out of the lift.

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"I'm a little shaky," I whisper to Harry just before we step out of our tinted Escalade.

Harry takes my hand in his, running his thumb over mine, "Just go at it as if there is no fucking way you can fail."

And with that, he leads me out into the sunny New York afternoon.

Our driver holds the back door open for us. The two of us slip on our sunglasses and begin walking along the paved sidewalk, lined with a number of eager photographers. I'm incredibly giddy and entirely nervous but simply being next to Harry makes me feel safe. No matter what happens today, I know I'll be okay because Harry is here and I trust him to keep me protected, as he always does.

It's weird. The two of us usually couldn't even be seen together in public. But now we are able ‒ in fact, encouraged ‒ to show each other off for the world to see, and it's such a strange change. It's lovely. It's freeing. And it puts a smile on my face, just being able to wander around with Harry in public like this.

As odd as it all may be.

Security stays close behind as Harry introduces me to some of his favourite places in New York City. This city is like his second home, along with London and Los Angeles. He comes here whenever he has the chance and he's proud to show it off like a painter would his work of art.

"The Maid of the Mist is always fun. I've gone once with the lads and once with my family," Harry smirks as we walk along an endless stretch of extravagant store fronts. "My mum hated it 'cause her socks got wet."

I smile at the boy. Harry always talks about his mum like this. She means so much to him, having been the main parental figure in his life for so many years, and she's just a fantastic person overall. I chuckle calmly at Harry's quip, not wanting to draw any more attention to us than there already is. We've been asked to stop for a number of pictures and autographs already and more heads are turning the further we walk along the busy street.