Hidden [h.s]

TWENTY-FIVE (EDITED)

"Want to go do something?" Harry asks me.

I look at him skeptically. "Like what?"

"Like play poker."

I shake my head. "I don't gamble."

Harry snorts. "Of course not."

Something in his tone makes me angry. "You know what," I say, standing. "Let's go play poker. And I'm going to kick your ass so hard you'll be crying back to Cheshire."

Harry's smile widens and he stands with me. "Not if I beat you," He says, raising an eyebrow.

I smile back at him. "Best of luck," I say.

Harry stares at me another moment before turning and leading me to his car. I feel like I've ridden in this so many times at this point, I can't say I mind now. I mean, when we first met, I would have never thought I'd be voluntarily going to play poker with Harry. Maybe I'm doing this to spite Aaron, but either way, I don't care.

"Where is this place?" I ask Harry.

He half smiles. "The closest thing to Portland's got to a casino."

I furrow my brow. "Aren't we underdressed, then?

Harry looks at me from the corner of his eye. "No, we're fine."

He soon pulls into the lot of a building that's close to the river. The building is all black, with tinted glass doors. A tall man stands out front, his arms crossed over his chest.

"There's a bouncer?" I ask Harry as we walk up.

Harry shrugs as we approach the man.

"Styles," The man greets Harry. "Good to see you."

"You too, mate," Harry replies. "Busy tonight?"

"Nah, it's a Monday. Only three or four tonight."

"Cool. See you around."

The man nods to Harry and we walk inside.

"Three or four what?" I ask Harry.

"Fights," Harry replies.

I swallow trepidation that has begun to spark inside of me. Why did I agree to this? I know what types of people Harry is involved with. Hell, I was attacked by two of them.

Inside, lights are dim and it looks like a legitimate casino. A bar is in the middle, and cigarette smoke fills the air. I feel like I've been transported to Vegas, with all the glamor this place holds.

Harry leads me to a poker table in the far corner. I recognize Liam, the guy I met when I first moved in, sitting at the table. He smiles at me in recognition.

A few other people sit around the table. A girl with long, black hair and olive skin smiles at me as well as a boy with fiery red hair. My heart almost stops when I recognize one of my attackers, Niall.

"Hey," Liam greets us. "Nice to see you, Rose."

Harry sits at the table next to the boy with red hair and motions for me to do the same. I feel incredibly out of place in my black skirt and grey sweater, when I look at the other girl she wears a pretty red dress with a plunging neckline.

"This is Leigh-Anne, Ed, and Niall," Harry says. I chew on my lip as I look at Niall.

He notices my expression and smirks. "Don't worry, I'm off tonight," Niall says.

This statement doesn't make me feel too much better but I nod anyway.

"Nice to meet you, Rose," The girl, Leigh-Anne says.

"You too," I say.

"Alright, enough shit, let's play poker," Ed says.

Harry cracks his knuckles. "Anyone got a smoke?"

Liam nods and brings a pack out of his pocket. Harry takes one and looks at me.

I haven't smoked since high school. I wouldn't mind it, but I decide against it. I shake my head and I know he's trying to hide a smile.

"I don't want to play poker," Leigh-Anne whines. "Can't we play 21 instead?"

"Leigh," Ed sighs.

"We always play poker," She says. "Always."

"I'm fine with 21," Niall says.

"Fine," Ed grumbles. Harry brings the cigarette to his lips and blows out a puff of smoke. Ed shuffles the deck and gives everyone two cards.

"Everyone knows how to play, right?" Liam asks, looking at me.

I nod. I used to play 21 with my father and sister on Saturday nights.

"Wait, everyone's got to contribute," Niall says. He looks at Harry and I.

Harry reaches into his pocket and slaps a fifty on the table, the cigarette caught between his lips.

"That's from the both of us," He says.

Niall shrugs and adds it to an already piled high stack of money.

I pick my cards up from the table, studying them. I have a relatively good hand, amounting to about fifteen. I just need a six...

"I'll go first," Leigh says.

"All right," Ed says. "Draw or pass?"

Leigh bites her lip. "Draw."

Ed hands her a card and she curses. "Pass," She mumbles.

Ed smirks and looks at Niall on his other side.

"Draw," He says, Ed gives him a card and he draws twice more after that.

Now it's my turn.

"Draw," I say.

Ed hands me a card and I internally do a victory dance. It's a six.

"Pass," I tell him and he moves to Harry.

"Draw," Harry says, his voice raspy from the smoke. He holds the cigarette between his fingers as he examines his cards. He looks so exquisite, dangling the cigarette between his fingers, wisps of smoke escaping his pink lips. "Pass," he says to Ed after.

After everyone has had their turn, we all lay our cards down. Leigh has twenty six, Ed has nineteen, Niall and Liam both have twenty, and Harry and I have twenty one.

"Looks like it's a tie," Harry says, his voice slow and deep. His eyes seem to drink me in as he leans lazily on the table.

I half smile. "Looks like it."

"Flip a coin," Leigh suggests.

I'm about to open my mouth to reply when my phone buzzes in my pocket.

It's Aaron.

"I should take this," I tell them. I slide out of my chair and walk through the area and out to the parking lot.