Reckless {HS}

thirty-three

Delilah's Pov

The tension between Harry and me was impossible to ignore. He barely spoke to me, and when he did, it was clipped, cold, and distant. One day he was... not warm, but open enough for me to feel like I could reach him. And now? Now he was all walls.

I didn't get it. I had no idea what had changed between last night and this morning, but I was angry. Not the kind of anger that exploded outward, but the kind that simmered beneath the surface, quietly building up inside me. He acted like I was the one who'd done something wrong, but I didn't even know what had set him off.

Fine, if he wanted to be like that, I wasn't going to beg for his attention. I had bigger things to worry about anyway.

After sitting in my room for a while, stewing in my frustration, I decided to head out. I needed a distraction, something to take my mind off whatever was going on with Harry.

The sound of quiet conversation floated down the hallway as I walked into the living room, where Niall was lounging on the couch, flipping through channels on the TV. He looked up when he saw me enter, offering a friendly nod but clearly not expecting me to sit down next to him.

I plopped down beside him, the cushions shifting under my weight. For a second, he froze, clearly unsure of what to say.

"Mind if I join you?" I asked, though I didn't wait for an answer.

"Uh... no, not at all," he replied, awkwardly tossing the remote onto the table in front of him. "Just watching... whatever this is." He gestured to the screen, but I wasn't really paying attention.

The silence between us stretched out for a few beats, but it wasn't uncomfortable—not like it had been with Harry. I could feel Niall's eyes flick over to me every now and then, like he didn't know what to expect. Finally, I sighed.

"Do you ever get tired of all this?" I asked quietly.

Niall blinked, turning his full attention to me. "What do you mean?"

"This," I said, gesturing vaguely around the room. "The heists, the running, the hiding. The danger of it all. Doesn't it ever get to you?"

He didn't answer right away, his brow furrowed in thought. "It's not exactly what I thought I'd be doing with my life," he admitted, a small smirk playing on his lips, "but it's what I've got now. I don't really think about what could've been."

I nodded, understanding. "I guess that's all you can do."

We sat in silence for a moment longer before I felt the words bubbling up inside me, ones I hadn't planned on sharing but couldn't keep in anymore.

"I don't have much left," I said, my voice quiet but clear. "No real family. No home to go back to."

Niall shifted slightly beside me, not saying anything, but I could tell he was listening.

"It's just... it's weird, you know? How fast life can change. One minute you think you know exactly where you're going, and the next, you're—" I stopped myself, suddenly feeling self-conscious. I didn't even know why I was opening up to him, to someone I barely knew, but maybe that's why. There was no history, no expectations.

Niall gave me a sidelong glance, his expression softening. "I get it," he said quietly. "Things don't always go the way you planned. Hell, I didn't plan any of this either. I just... ended up here."

I looked at him, surprised by the sincerity in his voice. He seemed so laid-back all the time, like nothing ever really got to him. But I guess we all have our struggles.

"Yeah?" I asked. "How did you end up here?"

He chuckled, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Long story. Not the most interesting one, though. Let's just say I didn't exactly have the best options, so I made do with what I could."

There was something in the way he said it that told me he didn't want to get too deep into his past, and I respected that. I wasn't looking for details—just... connection, I guess.

"You're not alone, though," he added, glancing over at me. "I know it might feel like it sometimes, but you're not."

I gave him a small smile. "Thanks."

It wasn't much, but it was something. And for a moment, I felt just a little less alone.

Niall, sensing the heaviness of the conversation, stood up and stretched. "Alright, enough of this deep, emotional stuff. How about we find something halfway decent on TV?"

I nodded, grateful for the change in mood. As he flipped through the channels again, I leaned back into the couch, feeling a little lighter. I still didn't know what was going on with Harry, but at least I wasn't completely alone in this.

Maybe I'd figure it out eventually.