concealed - h.styles // completed

Chapter Twenty-Four

:~:~:

Alex's POV

He stopped running after we lost the men behind us. Harry set me down as he panted. We were sitting behind a dark alley in this foreign part of Vegas.

"Are you okay, Ha-" I started, but he held a hand up. His large hand was red and sweaty. Why was it huge? I looked down at his feet. They were huge too.

The more I studied Harry, the more attractive he was. Even though he was sweaty and flushed, he was a handsome, young man.

"Are you done checking me out, Alex?" he smirked. He ran one of his giant hands through his messy brown curls. "Take-"

"-a picture. It'll last longer," I finished.

"Oh, so you've heard of that pick up line?" Harry chuckled.

"You aren't that original, Harry," I said smiling.

"I was too," he said loudly in a child-like voice. "You're being a big meanie."

"You're so immature," i groaned but couldn't help laughing. I wondered if we were crazy, laughing at a time like this. We barely made it out alive. I owed Harry my life. He did save me... twice.

"Sorry, Alex, that I got you into this mess," Harry said suddenly. I was taken back a little but didn't say anything, letting him continue explaining. "Yes, I tried to protect you, but, instead, you're deeper in this shit. Damn it."

"No, it's-"

"It's not okay, Alex!" he snapped. "You almost died!"

"But I didn't," I reassured, even though my heart was still racing a hundred miles an hour. I then had a sudden urge of confidence wash over me. "I'm still alive. I owe you so much. You saved me twice. Not once, but twice, Harry. Don't keep blaming yourself for everything that has happened. It's also my fault for staying after you warned me and sh-stuff. I am so thankful."

"You're thankful?" he said in a disgusted manner. "You are one weird girl."

"Thanks. I guess I am weird, considering I'm still here with you after you shot a man dead in front of me." I regretted saying that because Harry's face hardened, and his cold eyes glared and narrowed on me.

"Look, Alex," he growled, standing up and pushing me against the wall. The blood from my face drained, and I felt hot. "Don't fucking bring that up again. It was a damn accident that you can't get over."

I tried to bit my tongue, but a mutter slipped out.

"What did you just say?"

"I said, 'It was a stupid accident that took a man's life'!" I yelled. My hands gripped his shirt, and I tried to push him off of me.

"You little-" he began to yell, but I cut him off with a quiet remark.

"I trusted you."

His grasp on my shoulders softened. "What?"

"I trusted you, you ass!" I cried. The tears I tried to hold back came flooding out. I then gasped. I did it. I cursed.

He must have noticed because his mouth parted, letting out a small, "Alex".

But I couldn't hold it back anymore. "I did. You told me to trust you, and I did! Then you got supposedly drunk and killed a man! What the hell, Harry? You lost that trust from me!"

Harry let me go. He bit his lip then sighed. "I didn't kill him for no reason."

My eyes widened. "What?"

:~:~:

Harry's POV

I pretended to be drunk as I stumbled the card dealer, but I knew him. He was Bill Huggins, not that shitty name of Bill Howard on his name tag. He was Paul's twin brother. I wondered why Josh didn't just kill this man himself. Why the hell was he going after me? I only robbed a bank. That was the only major crime that I've committed.

Bill glanced over at me but paused. He sucked in his breath and turned away, ignoring my actions.

"Look, Bill. I'm going to warn you now. Call Paul and tell him to fuck off," I growled lowly. I didn't want the rich gamblers around us to hear. Most of them were most likely intoxicated but still.

"No can do, Styles," he whispered back but nodded as he said that. I looked up, just to see a bartender making his way to us.

"Who the fuck is he?" I snapped.

"You're going to die, Styles," Bill hissed. "Rot in hell."

"You bastard!" I yelled with my fist colliding in to his jaw.

"Hey!" the scrawny bartender yelled at me. "You, sir!"

Then everything flew by me in a blur, resulting with my gun that was missing one bullet in my hand and a blood-curling, "Fuck you!" leaving my mouth.

I whirled around after hearing Alex's loud gasp. Tears rolled down her now pale cheeks.

"Alex!"

"So... the man you killed was related to the man that shot me," Alex sighed after the long recall. I was surprised that I remembered that stuff. I did jump out of a fucking building and land on a truck with the bags softening my blow.

"Yes."

"You weren't drunk... so why'd you lie?" she said with a trace of hurt in her voice.

"To keep you safe, but I couldn't lose you again," I explained. And it was true. I didn't want Alex to try to escape me. I was a fucking hypocrite. I kept telling her that she was in danger staying by my side, but I didn't want her to leave me. I liked her company. She made me feel happy.

She nodded. I didn't hesitate to wrap my arms around her.

She winced under my touch. "Harry. You still have..."

Oh. I released her and glanced down at my sleeves and jeans that had tiny shards of glass poking me. I didn't feel it anymore. The pain turned to a numb feeling.

"Come here, Harry," she whispered. I came closer to Alex. She pushed me gently to sit on a wooden box by the wall.

She reached inside of her hair and pulled out a sharp bobby pin.

"What-" I started to complain, but she hushed me.

Alex worked slowly and gently. Shard by shard, it was out of my clothes. The blood was dried against my skin.

But I didn't worry about that.

I was worried at how I could protect such a young and beautiful girl like Alex from the real dangers of this world.

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