DIRTY BULLETS

chapter thirty eight

TRIGGER WARNING - mention of sexual assault 

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HARRY AND I stumbled through the double doors of the hotel room, breathless laughs spluttering from our lips.

Looking to him, I couldn't help the smile that stretched across my face as I took in his appearance.

"You look like a drowned rat."

Pulling his beanie from his head, it didn't help the way his hair stuck up haphazard and soaked while some strands were flattened to his head. He looked like he was auditioning for a Sum41 tribute band with it dishevelled like that. His clothes were completely drenched, trails of water dripping down his face as his skin glistened like oil from the rain.

"'s cute that you think you look any better." He retorted and I grinned at him because I knew he was right. I could feel my own clothes sticking to my skin as a shiver batted through me from being so damp. I honestly think we were both as soaked as if we had just jumped in the lake by the castle.

After getting caught in the storm, the pair of us decided to just race back to the hotel, kicking muck as we ran that now stained our jeans and shoes.

At one point I had accidentally stepped in a pile of mud that caused me to slip, my unfortunate footing making me fall onto my ass but not before attempting to grab a hold of something to keep my balance. Except that something had been Harry's forearm and he hadn't exactly been expecting the extra weight, so my grasp had caused him to stumble himself and I ended up dragging him to the ground with me. Our whole lower halves were bathed in mud and it probably looked like we had a terrible faecal accident.

"God, I need a shower." I breathed out, smile still stitched to my lips as though I couldn't get rid of it if I tried. I had unexpectedly smiled so much today that it was more than I probably had for the past several weeks combined and I could feel my cheeks begin to ache at the strain.

"Well, hate to break it to you, but I'm going first." Harry replied, a playful glint to his eye before his hands grasped the bottom of his shirt and he started peeling it from his torso as though to finalise and settle his comment.

My eyes widened at the sight, not expecting him to just start stripping off like that, though I couldn't help letting my gaze slipping briefly along his toned stomach, the skin of his body glistening and damp as the water from the shirt had obviously soaked through. His bicep was still bandaged from his wound, though it seemed like he would need a fresh one after his shower.

Chucking the t-shirt to the ground beside him, his attention returned to me, smirk playing on his mouth as he noticed my widened eyes.

"Your turn." He cheekily grinned to me, and I felt my heart pick up a little at those two words. A wash of intoxication started to shadow over me, that same intoxication from the castle where I was losing myself. I wasn't sure if it was at what he suggested, or the way his eyes had fallen darker again as they stayed lazily trained on me, stupid smirk on his face as though he knew something I didn't.

"Absolutely not." I tried to laugh off, though the sound was cut short when he decided to take a step toward me.

And then another.

I gulped as he seemed to prowl towards me tauntingly like a predator toward their prey and I couldn't help but let my feet gingerly walk backwards as he urged me to back up.

His darkened irises were hungry, as though he was wanting to continue whatever the hell happened between us back at the castle ruins and it caused a panic within me.

A panic within me because I could feel the same hunger that glimmered in his eyes begin to erupt within me, and I was worried logically of what that could lead to. I couldn't let myself act on anything. I refused to.