Reckless {HS}

two

Harry's Pov

The bank was just as quiet as I'd expected. Almost too quiet. No guards in sight, just a few customers and a couple of tellers behind the counter, going about their business like nothing could touch them. Typical. Most people walked through life like they were untouchable, completely unaware of how easily everything could come crashing down.

I didn't mind. That made my job easier.

We moved fast, storming the front like we'd rehearsed a thousand times. This wasn't our first heist. Far from it. Niall was already laughing under his breath like he always did, loving the rush, while Louis kept him in line. Liam stood near the door, his eyes darting over the room like he was calculating every possible outcome. And me? I kept my focus on the plan, on the steps we'd drilled into our heads until they were second nature. Get in, get the money, get out.

The gun felt heavy in my hand, but I was used to that. The weight, the control it gave me, had stopped feeling unnatural years ago. I fired a shot into the ceiling—pure intimidation, just to let them know we were serious. People screamed, dropped to the floor, just like they always did. Panic was predictable, and predictability was useful.

"Nobody moves!" I barked, my voice carrying through the room. Most people froze where they were, too scared to do anything else. That was the way I liked it—controlled, quiet chaos.

But then I saw her.

She was crouched by the counter, trying to make herself small, her arms wrapped tight around her knees. Unlike the others, who were wide-eyed and shaking, she wasn't screaming. She wasn't even crying. She was staring, right at me, her eyes wide with something I couldn't quite place—fear, yes, but something else too. Something sharper.

It took me a second to figure out what it was. She wasn't scared of the gun. She was scared of me.

That was interesting.

I had seen a lot of faces in my time doing this, but hers? It stuck with me. Maybe it was the way her dark hair fell across her shoulders, or the look in her eyes, like she was trying to stay calm but didn't quite know how. She wasn't like the others. She wasn't screaming or begging. She was watching.

I kept my face neutral, but something about her made me pause. Just for a second.

"Make sure no one tries anything stupid," I said, not even looking at the others. I kept my voice low, calm. It always worked. People listened when I spoke like that, as if they knew I didn't need to yell to get my point across.

Her eyes locked on mine, and something shifted. Most people looked away when I caught them staring. She didn't. She held my gaze, even though I could see her chest rising and falling too fast, like she was trying to control her breathing. I couldn't tell if she was brave or just in shock, but either way, it intrigued me.

I moved past her, forcing myself to focus on the job. Niall was already loading up the bags, Louis keeping a tight watch. It was business as usual, except I couldn't shake the feeling that someone was still watching me.

I glanced back.

There she was, still in the same spot, knees pulled to her chest like she was trying to disappear. But her eyes were fixed on me, wide and unblinking. There was something different about her—something that set her apart from the rest of the terrified faces scattered across the floor.

"This is too easy," Niall said, laughing under his breath as he stuffed more cash into a bag.

"Focus, Niall," Louis snapped, not even looking up from what he was doing.

"Maybe next time we should rob a police station," Niall joked, his grin broad beneath the bandana.

I barely heard them. My attention kept drifting back to her. Why couldn't I stop looking at her? It wasn't just that she was pretty. I'd seen plenty of pretty girls in my life, girls who would have thrown themselves at me in any other setting. But this one was different. She didn't look at me like she was impressed or intrigued. She looked at me like I was dangerous.

And she was right.

"Enough," I said sharply, not bothering to hide my impatience. We were almost done, and I didn't like distractions. But as I walked past her again, I couldn't help it. I glanced down at her one last time, her eyes still locked on mine. This time, I saw something flicker behind her gaze—recognition, maybe? Or just curiosity? I couldn't tell.

But what I did know was that I'd remember her face. She wouldn't fade into the blur of strangers I'd forgotten over the years. No, this girl—this girl I wouldn't forget.

And something told me that this wouldn't be the last time I saw her.