Reckless {HS}

six

Harry's Pov

I shouldn't have left the note.

I stared out the window of my flat, watching the city slowly come to life as the sun crept over the buildings. The air was still, the kind of quiet that only exists early in the morning, before everyone gets moving. It should've been calming, but all I could think about was her.

Delilah.

I didn't know why I'd done it. The note had been impulsive, and I wasn't one for impulse. I had rules. I kept things clean, clear, and professional. But last night, when she was stumbling around the club like a deer in headlights, something had shifted. I knew I shouldn't have gotten involved. I should've walked away, just blended into the shadows like I always do.

But those eyes—the way she looked at me when she bumped into me, all wide and confused—reminded me of the first time I saw her at the bank. It was like she was seeing through me, right past the mask, right past the walls I've kept up my entire life. She didn't recognize me, not fully. But there was a flicker of something in her gaze. Something that made me nervous.

She's dangerous in a way I can't explain.

I leaned back in the chair, running a hand through my hair as last night replayed in my mind. The noise, the crowd, her laugh—too loud, too free. She'd clearly been drinking, barely able to keep her balance. I could've left her to figure it out herself, could've let her fall flat on her face. Would've been easier that way.

But no.

I had to be the one to catch her, didn't I? Couldn't help myself. It was too easy, too natural to reach out and grab her arm, steadying her before she collapsed. And then she looked up at me, her lips parted like she was about to say something—like she knew me. But she didn't. Not yet, at least. She was just drunk and confused. Her words were slurred, barely making sense, something about seeing me before.

She wouldn't let it go.

And that's when I knew. She was going to be trouble. The kind that sticks. So I did what I thought would get her off my back. I played it cool, brushed her off, and left the damn note in her jacket.

You should be more careful next time.

What was I thinking? That it would scare her? Keep her from digging deeper? I wasn't sure. Maybe a part of me wanted her to remember me, to connect the dots. To see if she could handle the truth of what really happened at that bank. That I wasn't just some random guy, but someone she needed to stay away from.

I didn't sign my name, though. Just -H. A coward's move, really. But I didn't need her knowing more than she should—not yet. She'd figure it out eventually. She was smart, that much was clear, even when she was blackout drunk.

I stood up from the chair, restless now. Walking through my flat didn't help much, but it gave me something to do with my hands. The whole thing was stupid. I knew better than this. Keeping her safe meant keeping my distance, not leaving her cryptic notes that would only drag her deeper into my world.

This was my father's doing, anyway—everything that tied me to this life. The heists, the crimes, the careful planning. He built this, and I followed, like the obedient son I was. I never strayed. Never took my eyes off the job. Except for now.

Now there was her. And she was like a thread unraveling everything I'd worked to keep in control.

The job was clean. The robbery a year ago had gone off without a hitch, and we left no witnesses who could tie us to it. But somehow, she stuck. A girl with wide, frightened eyes caught in the chaos. And no matter how much time passed, I couldn't stop thinking about her. Maybe that's why I watched her last night, slipping through the crowd unnoticed, just to make sure she was okay.

Maybe that's why I left the note.

But now she'd be wondering who I was. Who H was. And that was dangerous. Too dangerous for her to be playing detective. If she started digging, she'd find more than she bargained for. I couldn't let her figure out the truth, not when she was already in too deep without even knowing it.

I grabbed my jacket, shrugging it on as I stepped out into the crisp morning air. The city felt different now, colder, more unpredictable. I shoved my hands into my pockets and started walking, my thoughts circling back to Delilah. What would she do when she found the note? Would she even remember our encounter from the night before, or was she too far gone by the end of the night?

It didn't matter. She'd remember me eventually. And when she did, she'd either run far away or get pulled in deeper. There wouldn't be any middle ground with someone like her.

I just had to hope she chose the first option.