concealed - h.styles // completed

Chapter Twenty-Six

a/n double update friday! whoop! (please read the author's note at the end of this chapter!)

:~:~:

Alex's POV

"You're adopted?" I asked in awe, though not in the good way.

"Fostered," he chuckled. "It's a different concept."

"So those people took you in and cared for you?"

"Until I was adopted, which never happened," he sighed in disappointment.

We were sitting on the concrete front steps, watching the sunset from beyond us. A breeze was kicking in as we made little talk. I eventually decided to ask him that question of if he was adopted because I figured it was the right time for him to open up to me. Especially since we were sitting in front of his past.

"You were never adopted?" I whispered.

Harry bit his lip but shook his head. Something was in his eyes. Was it... regret? I knew it wasn't all to the story. I knew there was more. Something evil and more fucked up than anything.

Holy crap, I just freaking cursed again. Damn you, Harry!

"W-why?"

"I-I..." he stuttered, but a tear slipped out of his eye. "I... I don't want to talk about it."

I urged him, even though I knew it was wrong, trying to pressure him to tell me. But I felt that if he didn't, the guilt of whatever he was hiding would eat him alive.

"Yes, we will, Harry. Please. You can trust me. I'm thousands of miles from Pillakey where I was born, raised, and grew up in. I went to that strange neighborhood with an 'aunt' that's never called me since I came here then got fucking shot in the leg by some dude who's out to get someone. Then I, also, almost died in the hospital by some crazy lady..." I took a short breath then continued. "Then I came here to Las fucking Vegas with a boy I barely knew, but I am trying to learn more, so we can be friends. I want to be your friend, Harry, even though you fucked up a million times more than anyone I've ever met. I still am around you, hanging on with no motivation, and yet you can't even tell me anything about you. You even broke into my house and wanted to talk. I refused, and-"

Harry leaned in and pressed his lips against mine for just a second then pulled away. He smiled at me then whispered, "Shut up please? So I can talk?"

I bit my lip and replayed the kiss over and over in my head.

"Hello? Alex?" he smirked. "Are you still in shock? You know I do have that effect on girls." Then Harry winked.

My cheeks grew red, but I didn't say anything.

My heart was racing in my chest.

A million things ran in my mind, but one thought in particular stood out the most.

Holy crap.

Harry was a criminal.

He stole my fucking first kiss.

:~:~:

Michael's POV

"Hm, how about a bet?" Calum said, cheerfully clapping his hands.

"What kind of bet?" Liam asked softly. Strange. He was being so reserved since that Alex girl saw us. "Something that involves...?"

"A girl," Zayn piped in. He had that devious smirk. He looked around the group then rubbed his hands together, like he was a mad scientist that just invented some new kind of food. I would love to go for that. Speaking of food, I haven't eaten since four hours ago. Ughhh. I've never went this long without at least a fucking snack.

Luke sighed. "Zayn. No."

"You haven't even heard my plan yet!" he whined. I swore. Everyone turned to me.

Harry's stare in particular made me extremely uncomfortable.

"What do you want, Michael? Care to contribute?" Calum asked with a large smile. Why was that fucking kid always smiling? It was making me angry.

I rolled my eyes then turned to Zayn, who had his signature half smile plastered on his face. "What about a girl? What girl? Are you going to go kidnap some fucking innocent one off the street?"

He scoffed. "Hell, no. I'm not that evil, you know, mate."

"Don't call me 'mate'," I growled. "You are anything but a friend. Spit whatever the fuck you want to do with a girl."

He licked his lips then began. "Well, you see..." Zayn examined everyone's faces. Especially Liam's and Harry's. "Paul Huggins..." He laughed to himself a little. "He offered us each a hundred thousand dollars if we could find this girl."

Everyone's eyes widened, including mine.

"Now," he continued. "He gave me and Louis over there her name. He said if we got her to him at the Texas headquarters, he would give us the money and something else."

Calum butted in. "What else does that man need?"

Harry joined in with a pissed growl. "He's not a man. He's a fucking coward that sends innocent but greedy men to do his dirty work. He's a fucking piece of shit, that's what."

I rose an eyebrow. "I guess we're his puppets."

He rolled his dark green eyes. "Shut the fuck up, Michael. We should've kicked you out of this group. You never join our meetings at HQ or other shitty stuff."

"I know too much to be kicked out."

"Killed then," Zayn smirked. My eyes narrowed on him. That dipshit did not just threaten me.

"Can't kill me," I challenged.

"Really now? Because with a pull of this trigger," Zayn started, pulling out a handgun, "you could be dead right here, right now."

Calum groaned. "Shut up, Zayn. We're trying to relax, not start another fight."

Calum fucking Hood. The peacemaker.

"Continue then," Louis said.

Zayn smiled. "The girl that Paul is looking for is none other than the lovely Alex Parks."

:~:~:

"The girl that Harry's protecting is Alex Parks?" Josh asked me for the umpteeth time.

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, Josh."

"But Harry's still not innocent," Josh argued like he had a valid reason, which he did not.

"No, he's completely innocent as far as I know," I shrugged. "That robbery was used under his name because he lost another one of the boys' bets."

Josh groaned into his hands. "Fuck. I've been chasing the wrong one."

"Well, Harry did shoot a man back there, didn't he?"

"Yeah, but I examined the body as I passed by it, and it certainly looked like a Paul clone."

"A Paul clone? So his older twin brother, Bill?" I smirked. I found it quite entertaining at how I was more intelligent than the man running Perception.

"Yes."

I laughed to myself. "Oh, Josh. You may be older but definitely not wiser."

:~:~:

a/n i am trying to answer some questions from the beginning so that i can wrap this story up to a good ending. i think a few more chapters, maybe ten shorter ones? peace out y'all x

- A n n i e x x

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