Ignition [h.s]

19

ELISE ROSEWOOD

I have always played by the rules.

Ever since I was a kid, I avoided conflict and did my best to stay out of other people's business. The trouble never seemed worth it to me. The all-consuming guilt of getting caught in the act of something you weren't meant to be doing was never worth the few seconds of exhilaration.

I feel differently about this now. Harry has made me feel differently about a lot of things—namely that being fearless is a virtue, not a vice—and where I should probably feel guilty over the duffel bag filled with stolen money resting on my laps, I actually feel liberated.

We drove for some time after the bank heist, high on laughter and the disbelief at what we had just pulled off. Robbing a bank carries more risk, more weight than a gas station. There's a higher likelihood of being caught.

And yet, here we are, unscathed and parking in the cruise ship dock with duffels and duffels of stolen cash. Harry parks the car near the dock and we climb out, distributing the duffels between us evenly so that we all have hold of one. I haven't dared to ask if I passed the 'test' I was supposedly taking, but by the way the guys are smiling at me and patting my shoulders, I'd guess I've done pretty well.

If that was some sort of group initiation, then I'm sure I just got in.

I feel a feather light touch by my hand, and when I glance downwards, Harry's fingers are sort of lingering besides mine. Like he wants to reach out and touch me, but something is stopping him. His brows are pinched inwards and he's clearly overthinking it. With an easy smile, I link my fingers between his, show him it really isn't a big deal if he wants to be affectionate. His eyes snap up to mine and he mirrors a soft smile.

"Hey, you two. Let's bounce." Niall pushes us forwards and we fall into line with the others, but our palms stay pressed together.

Louis gives us each our boarding ticket onto the ship, though as Harry takes the lead, a hand hits his chest and keeps him from walking any further. There's a small barricade of security guards dressed in fluorescent jackets and black caps, shaking their heads at us. They gesture our group off to the side, so that everyone else behind us can continue to board.

"What the hell, man? We have boarding tickets." Harry says in aggravation, flopping his ticket in the face of a broad-shouldered security guard. His face is hidden under the shadow of his cap, but there's a clear frown on his tanned face.

"Bags are not permitted on the ship." He says in a robotic voice, though he has an exotic accent.

"Why the fuck not? It's luggage!" Harry bursts. I squeeze his hand, urging him to tone it down. If he keeps swearing at the security, we're never getting on this damn ship.

"Luggage? Let's see it then," The security guard raises a hand and beckons his fingers at Harry for the duffel bag. Challenging him, almost. Harry stiffens and the security guard revels in the win, smiling grimly with a set of wonky teeth. Harry's hand, the one that isn't gripping mine, begins to shake with anger. He wants to punch him. I kind of do, too.

"Why are you being impossible?" Harry exhales slowly, "Everyone else has suitcases," He gestures to the long line of passengers trailing suitcases and backpacks alike.

"After working here for five years, you think we don't know what you people are doing?" The security guard cuts the chase, shaking his head. Somewhere behind me, I hear Niall groan. Louis inches past me and tries to bargain with the security guard on a more level head than Harry. Liam is smoking, completely uninterested and Zayn has disappeared, but I think he said he was going to find Jess somewhere.