Reckless {HS}

twenty

Harry's Pov

I couldn't sleep. I'd tried, but my mind refused to settle. Lying on the floor next to my bed, I stared at the ceiling, my thoughts looping back to one thing—her. Delilah.

Her presence filled every inch of the room, despite the fact that she was sound asleep on my bed just a few feet away. I'd tried to convince myself she was just another part of the job, another variable to manage. But I knew that was a lie. She wasn't just another girl caught up in a mess I couldn't let her be a part of. She was something else, something that made my chest tighten with frustration and a dangerous pull of emotion I couldn't ignore.

I turned my head slightly, watching the way she slept. Her breathing was soft and steady, her face relaxed in the dim light filtering in from the window. The sight did something strange to me—a mixture of peace and conflict. She had no idea what she'd gotten herself into, no idea who I really was or how close she'd come to being a casualty in all of this. And yet, despite knowing all of that, she was here.

Quietly, I got up from the floor, not wanting to wake her. The sun hadn't even fully risen yet, but I couldn't stay there anymore. Too much was swirling around in my head. As I moved, I glanced at her once more, a strange sense of protectiveness settling in my chest.

Before I left, I made sure to set out the glass of water, a couple of painkillers, and some clean clothes. I knew she'd be hungover when she woke up, and even though she didn't know where she was, I didn't want her to feel completely out of control. I pulled out a t-shirt and sweats that I thought might be comfortable for her—my t-shirt, something that, for some reason, I hoped would bring her a small sense of security. She'd need that after last night.

As I walked out of the bedroom, I found Niall lounging on the couch in the living room, flipping through his phone. His eyes flicked up to meet mine, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

How did he even get in?

"Is she here?" he asked, his voice dripping with that rude, nonchalant tone he always used when he didn't approve of something.

I narrowed my eyes, not bothering to answer immediately as I grabbed a cup of coffee. "What's it to you?"

He shrugged, his attention back on his phone. "I just didn't expect you to bring your new toy home with you, mate. Thought you were more professional than that."

I gritted my teeth, the anger building slowly in my chest. I didn't need his judgment right now. "She's not a toy. And you don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, I know exactly what I'm talking about," Niall shot back, his tone more biting now. "She's a distraction. And we don't have time for distractions with everything that's going down tomorrow."

I took a slow breath, trying to keep my cool. He wasn't wrong about the heist. Tomorrow was important—too important for me to be thinking about Delilah. But damn it, I couldn't help it. She was a problem, one I hadn't planned for, but I wasn't ready to walk away from.

"We'll pull it off, like we always do," I said, but even I could hear the tension in my voice. Niall wasn't buying it.

"You've been distracted, Harry," Niall pressed, leaning forward now. "Your head's not in the game. Your dad's been on our backs about this one, and if we mess up... You think he'll just let you off the hook? You know how he is."

I clenched my jaw. He didn't need to remind me. My dad didn't tolerate failure. The stakes had never been higher, and yet here I was, thinking about a girl who should have been the last thing on my mind.

"I said I've got it handled," I snapped, trying to convince both Niall and myself at the same time. "Tomorrow will go off without a hitch. Just... focus on your part, alright?"

Niall gave me a skeptical look, but before he could push any further, we both heard the sound of a door slamming from the back of the house.

Our conversation came to an abrupt halt, and I tensed, my heart lurching in my chest. I knew exactly what that sound meant. Without another word to Niall, I turned and headed back toward my bedroom, dread pooling in my stomach. I had a sinking feeling that I already knew what I would find.

I pushed the door open and found the bed empty. The glass of water was still half-full, the clothes I'd set out for her were gone. My eyes scanned the room, looking for any sign of her, but she wasn't here. She was gone.

A curse slipped from my lips as the reality of the situation sank in. She'd heard us. She must have. And now, she was gone, probably scared out of her mind and running as far away from this place as she could. From me.

My heart pounded, anger and frustration swirling inside me. I didn't know whether I was more upset that she'd overheard our conversation or that she'd left without a word. Either way, it felt like everything was falling apart.

Niall's voice cut through the silence behind me. "Told you she was a distraction."