Reckless {HS}

twenty-one

Delilah's Pov

I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at the spot on the wall where the sunlight hit just right. The light felt so warm and inviting, but my insides were twisted up, cold, uncertain. My mind kept circling back to one thing—him. Harry.

I shouldn't be thinking about him, not like this. He was dangerous, involved in things I had no business getting caught up in. Yet, no matter how hard I tried to push him out of my head, he kept slipping back in. Those green eyes, the way he looked at me, the way his hand felt wrapped around my wrist last night—it all stayed with me, stuck like a song I couldn't stop humming.

It was maddening.

Part of me knew I needed to stay away, to run as far and as fast as I could. I'd seen enough to know that wherever Harry went, trouble followed. But there was another part of me, a reckless part, that felt drawn to him. I hated it. I hated that I felt anything at all for him. I should've been smarter than this, stronger. And yet, the pull was there, tugging at me, daring me to get closer.

A sharp knock at my door jolted me from my thoughts. My heart jumped in my chest as I glanced toward it, half-expecting to see him standing there. My body tensed, anticipation prickling along my skin. But when I opened the door, it wasn't Harry—it was my best friend, Sophie.

She breezed inside without waiting for an invitation, her eyes immediately narrowing as she took me in. "What's going on, Delilah?"

I blinked, trying to mask the storm brewing inside me with a forced smile. "Nothing. I'm fine."

"Yeah, right," she said, closing the door behind her and crossing her arms. "You're a terrible liar, you know that? You look like you haven't slept in days."

I shrugged, trying to brush it off. "I've just had a lot on my mind lately. School, work... you know how it is."

She gave me that look—the one she always gave when she knew I wasn't being straight with her. But instead of pushing, she just sighed and plopped down on the couch. "Okay, fine. I won't pry. But you know I'm here if you want to talk, right?"

I nodded, feeling a pang of guilt for keeping things from her. She didn't know what I was tangled up in—how could I even explain it without sounding completely insane? Yeah, so I've been thinking about this guy I barely know who also happens to be a criminal. Oh, and I've been following the pattern of his heists like some obsessed detective. Sounds real healthy, doesn't it?

She patted the seat next to her, and I reluctantly joined her. For a few minutes, we sat in silence. I could feel her eyes on me, waiting for me to open up, but I couldn't. Not yet.

"So," she said after a while, clearly deciding to change the subject. "There's this thing tonight—a gallery opening downtown. You should come with me. Get out of the house, clear your head."

I hesitated, biting my lip. The last thing I felt like doing was going out and pretending everything was fine. But maybe she was right. Maybe getting out for a bit, being around normal people, could help shake me out of this fog. Distract me from thoughts of Harry.

"I don't know," I started, but she was already shaking her head.

"Don't even think about saying no. You've been cooped up in here for days. You need a break. It'll be fun. You can even dress up—think of it as a mini escape from... whatever this is." She waved her hand around, motioning to the room, but I knew she was talking about more than just the space I was sitting in.

I stared at her for a long moment, weighing my options. My instinct was to turn her down, but the truth was, I didn't trust myself alone right now. Not when every thought was consumed by him. Not when I felt like I was spiraling down a path I couldn't control.

"Okay," I finally said, sighing in defeat. "I'll go."

She grinned, clearly pleased with herself. "Good. I'll pick you up at seven."

As she started to leave, I forced myself to smile back, but my mind was already back in that place I didn't want to be—thinking about Harry, about his world, and about the undeniable fact that, despite knowing I should stay far away, I kept getting lured back in.