alleyway [h.s]

chapter 9

*gun description in this chapter*
please remember that I am not a gun expert, so my apologies if some things I wrote are wrong or not real

RUBY'S POV

I was a bit nervous for today. We've been driving for about 5 minutes, Harry already on his second cigarette. I've been toying with the hem of my shirt, knee bouncing up and down.

Harry noticed, and reached his hand gently on my knee. I automatically feel warm. I know I shouldn't, but I do.

"Nervous, are we?" He asks, looking in my direction for a second before looking back to the road in-front of him, hand still on my knee.

"I little bit, yeah. I never even laid a finger on a gun before."

"Everything will be fine, I'll be right there helping you. I was 10 when I first shot a gun and I had no clue how"

My eyes widen as I look over at him, "10?, oh my god Harry, that's-"

"Don't worry about it" I can tell it's not something he really wants to talk deeply about, and I respect that. "I'm just saying that you'll be fine. I'll be showing and telling you what to do. You won't be alone trying to figure it out"

He was just a child. I know, I don't know the full story, probably never will, but he was a 10 year old, shooting a gun at god knows who and for what. Did he kill someone? For his own protection maybe?

"Your what? 20? I'm sure your Mature enough to not mess around and listen for once? I will have to touch you to help"

"23. I'm 23. And yeah, I won't mess around when I have a deadly weapon. How old are you?" Now that i think about it? I know absolutely nothing about Harry. Only where he lives, that he's a gang member and a dick.

"25" he murmurs slowly

I found myself curious to know more about him, and maybe get my mind off the fact that I'm about to shoot a gun, and ask "when's your birthday?"

He gives me a strange look, as to why I'm asking him this but he answers, "February 1st"

"Woah, really?" I say surprised

"Uh- yeah?"

"Mine is February 5th"

He side eyes me with a small smirk, that I could've missed if I looked a second later.

"Do your parents live here?" I find myself not wanting to end this conversation.

Harry stiffened, pulling his hand away from my leg. Did I push too much? I didn't mean to.

"I- Im sorry. You don't have to answer that" I feel bad for even bringing it up.

"No, it's fine I guess. My parents are dead."

Oh. That took a dark turn.

"Oh my god, I'm sorry, Harry." I give him an apologetic look, even if he's not looking at me.

"It's alright, they weren't the best parents and I didn't have a choice-" He stops talking. Like he's said too much and closes his eyes for a split second, cursing to himself.

"Didn't have a choice?" Curiosity in my tone.

"Um yeah, there was a reason that a held a gun for the first time when I was 10"

Oh god. Did he-? No. Can't be. But what else?

"You-" I whispered the next part, "shot them?"

It was probably a dumb question to ask, I don't know what brought me to ask but I did. I might regret it later.