Legendary // H.S

32.

'Time recedes

With a fatal drop

Dust fury

On the mountain top'

*

Harry

'I just don't see why I have to spend my time protecting a girl that I don't know,' Babz declares, leaning back on the chair in the far corner while the rest of us gather around the desk.

Zayn turns to face her, a look of exasperation on his face. 'Babe, you were just inviting her to have sex the other week.'

Memories of watching the three of them flood back into my mind, distracting me for a few moments. The way Atlas leaned into their bodies as they ravished at her innocence as the technicoloured strobe lights bounced around them. Although, I've come to learn she's not all that innocent after all. She just hasn't had a chance to explore it yet.

I'd been given a quick glimpse of it last night. When we drove back to my house, I never anticipated it to end in sex. I didn't even intend on telling her how fucked up I've become since knowing her. Yet, after another round of arguing I couldn't keep it down. It was bubbling away inside me threatening to spill over with the heat that had risen between us. Then it did. It splashed everywhere and made a mess. We are the mess.

It's dangerous, allowing ourselves to let go like this. With Hugo and Santine on our backs, their minions keeping a close eye on us, I know it won't end well. I promised to protect Atlas but I'm doing the very thing that might sabotage her. Despite my efforts, though, I can't stay away. I meant what I said when I told her I can't stop thinking about her. In truth, when I first started scouting the area around her shop I didn't think much of her, but it was that day she danced with the diamonds that solidified everything. That was the day I became powerless.

Since then, her smile, her eyes, her lips, her body, every single detail about her has been ingrained in my mind. It invades my thoughts at the most inappropriate of times, makes me lose rationality and control. Which is stupid.

I have a duty to everyone involved in this operation. I personally pledged to make their lives easier and keep them out of harm's way if they agreed to work with me. That is an oath. Something that cannot be broken without consequences. The people I recruit all had nothing to lose but now they have everything. I gave them a chance when no one else would, and now they're thriving and living lives they had previously been denied. They are at risk, too. If I allow myself to get wrapped up in another woman like I did Santine, it will destroy everything.

However, it physically pains me when I can't touch Atlas. When she's near and I'm forced to not look at her or even be kind to her. Don't get me wrong, I'm not the friendliest of people, I've worked hard to build up the rough exterior I have, but being harsh to her isn't something I enjoy because of this constant need to make sure she's alright. I don't know what this means or why it's happening, but the longer I try to deny it the worse it gets. She sucks the life out of me and breathes it right back in when her lips touch mine.

Right now, it's purely physical, which is as far as I'll go. The last time I allowed myself to open up to a woman I got burned. While Atlas is nothing like Santine, I'm not the type of person to forgive and forget. Trust is a fickle thing; it needs to be earned.

I sound like a hypocrite. I forced her to trust me. What type of person does that make me?

Babz has reached Zayn's side now, wrapping her arms around the back of his neck while she looks up at him. She doesn't need to stand on her tip toes like usual, the heels on her boots provide enough height to meet him. 'We don't know most of the people we invite into our bed, that's not a valid argument. But nice try,' she adds, booping his nose as she pulls away with a wicked smile on her face.