This is a double update- Chapter 2 was updated before this so please make sure you read them in the correct order :)

♛Cameron Dawson♛

Last night was no different than every other time she's decided to go out with Audrey and get drunk. In fact, the only difference was that Audrey took Harley to her apartment to try and hide the fact that she was completely hammered from me. Too bad I was visiting her boyfriend.

I grip the wrench in my hand tighter as the anger at that thought pulses through me and I let out a grunt as I fiddle with the engine of my Camaro.

Harley was so wasted last night that I, at one point, thought she was actually high and that almost drove me over the edge. Fortunately she wasn't and knowing that she would never do it simply because she knows how I'd feel about it provides a little bit of comfort. Although, deep in my heart, I wish that she would stop hurting herself like this. If it's not one thing it's the other and it terrifies me to think that she's spiraling and I can't seem to help her.

Shit, I wish she would let me help her. It physically pains me to see someone I love with all my heart do this to themselves. She deserves more. So much more.

"I hope that you're planning on taking a shower before we go." I hear Harley's voice ring out and I look up from the hood of the car to see her watching me from the doorframe of the garage. I reach for a rag and wipe my hands on it before she comes closer.

"And if I don't?" I challenge and she smiles cockily before crossing her arms over her chest.

"You are not allowed to touch me." Is her remark and I raise an eyebrow.

"Oh really?"

"Mmh- hmm." She hums, staring up at me cheekily and I grin before suddenly reaching for her. She squeals loudly as I toss her over my shoulder and she laughs as she hits her hands against my back. "Put me down!" She demands and I laugh.

"Not happening."

When I reach the bedroom, I toss her onto the bed before crawling on top of her and tickling her. She lets out loud laughter, tears beginning to stream out of her eyes as she wheezes and when she's finally huffing for breath I stop, only for her to glare up at me while she tries to catch her breath.

"Dick move." She mutters and I grin, placing a hand down on either side of her head and leaning into her face. She stops huffing then and I smirk before brushing my lips against hers. An exhale leaves Harley's mouth and I press a kiss on the corner of her mouth before peppering them along her jaw and down her neck. Before I can register it, her hands are in my hair, pulling me closer to her as she arches her back to give me better access to her glorious neck. I trail a finger along her collarbone before biting down on her soft-spot and when I feel Harley moan and reach for my shirt, I pull back with a smirk and hop off.

She sits up immediately, a scowl on her face. "Where are you going?"

"To shower." I remark in amusement.

"Are you kidding me? Now is the time you decide to do that?" She hisses incredulously, still breathless and flustered, and I smirk at her from the bathroom door frame.

"You did say I couldn't touch you unless I cleaned off and well, I kind of get it now since you're sort of coated in car oil." I gesture to her cheek and she rolls her eyes as she wipes it away. "In fact, I would suggest a shower. With me. I'll help you scrub that off real good."

Harley gulps and I see the temptation on her face before she shakes her head. "I'm not giving you that luxury."

I wink at her. "We'll see about that next time."

The last thing I see before I shut the door is Harley scowling. But only because she knows I'm right.

****

"Please tell me you aren't laying any bets tonight." I say to Harley as we pull up to the track and she shakes her head.

"I think I'll be betting on Mason tonight."

I let out a sigh of relief as she says that and she playfully slaps my shoulder before climbing out. I follow after her and when I catch Mason smoking on a cigarette while leaning against his car, I head over to him.

"Yo Cam, What's up?" He asks in greeting, slapping my shoulder in the process. He then turns to Harley and smiles brightly. "Hey Harley."

"Hey Mason. You race well tonight, okay? I'm laying my bet on you."

My friend grins arrogantly. "Do you even need to ask?"

Harley let's out a chuckle before turning to me and saying: "I'm heading to your garage, okay?" I nod, pressing my lips to hers quickly before handing her the keys and watching her saunter off, hips swaying slightly.

Mason then turns back to me before taking another inhale. "How's she doing?"

Besides Mason just being a loyal and reliable friend, the one thing I really like about him is his concern for Harley. Knowing what she did and how it can affect a person, Mason always asks about her. And I appreciate the fact that I can always rely on him to protect her if need be.

I sigh, leaning back on his car beside him with one ankle crossed over the other.

I think of how she's coping and shake my head.

"Honestly, I'm worried about her." I confess with a frown and Mason kills his cigarette.

"What? She still out partying and getting drunk?"

I let out a snort. "I took her home wasted last night."

Mason gives my shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "If there's anyone who can bring her back, it's you, man. I mean, she loves you."

I want to shake my head and say that I'm not able to bring her back because I haven't succeeded this far so how am I supposed to succeed in the time to come? The only person who can do that is herself and so far she hasn't succeeded either.

I think one of the greatest pains a person can ever go through is watching someone they love greatly completely tear themselves apart and no matter how hard they try, they just can't help that person. I've watched Harley drink herself into oblivion, dance until she passes out from exhaustion, cry until she's unconscious on the bathroom floor with blood dripping onto the space beside her...

I don't know when was the last time I saw Harley write simply for enjoyment and not just class, or get back behind the wheel and race like she so desperately wants to, or actually weep at the fact that she murdered someone. Because that's what she needs. She needs to weep- to grieve and mourn and let go of the guilt. Harley needs to find peace within herself.

And I just hope that I can help her realise that.

"Come on, we should go lay our bets." Mason says and I nod, following him to the betting room.

"Evening Cameron." Clark smiles when I reach the table and I hand him the documents to my car.

"Hey Clark." I return the greeting as he goes through the documents to make sure everything is in order. After telling me that I'm the third race up and who my opponent is and Mason, too, has laid his bet, we leave the room. However, after another man calls him, I'm left alone as Mason wades his way through the crowd to the guy. I continue to the garage and greet Bob- the security guard- before entering to see Harley bent over a Mustang, her torso completely unseeable because of it.

I've always thought Harley is attractive, shit I think she's stunning, but there's just something about seeing her behind the wheel with a look of determination on her face, her focus on the road, and then seeing her bent over and working on the engine of a car or, even, just talking about cars with confidence and accuracy that I find so damn entertaining.

It's enough to give any guy a major hard-on.

I snake my hands around her waist as I approach her, so that she jumps from a fright before chuckling.

"You like what you see in there?" I ask and she hums.

"You have no idea. Sometimes I think I should have taken engineering too." She muses before closing the hood of the car.

I shake my head. Sure she would do well in it but Literature is her calling. I've seen some of the things she has written and it's remarkable and absolutely incredible, to say the least. Harley definitely hasn't made a mistake.

"No, you belong in literature."

She smiles at me over her shoulder, turning around to lean against the car.

"So, what are you betting tonight?"

I lean my hands on the car, trapping her beneath me.

"Car. I'm in the mood for something new."

"Mmh, cocky."

"How so?"

"You think you're going to win." She responds, looking up at me and I smirk.

"Aren't I?"

"Well it depends what you classify as 'winning'."

I lean closer, eyes trailing to her lips. "Mmh, I think I've already won." Her pink lips turn up into a smile and I meet hers with mine, allowing myself to get lost in their softness. She wraps her arms around me, holding me close and I reel in the feeling of it before I pull back and pull her in for a hug. She melts into my chest, snuggling closer to me and she lets out a sigh of content as I rest my cheek on her head.

"I didn't mean to get so drunk last night." I hear her mumble softly and I nod, knowing that it's her own way of apologizing.

"I know." I respond. "I know."

****

Mason lets out a low whistle from behind me and I run my hand along the tyre of the McLaren in front of me before standing up and dusting my hands off.

"That car is sweet as fuck." Mason comments and I nod, appreciating the silver beauty in front of me that seems to be glinting under the light of the stars.

"You mind driving my car home so I can take this one?" I ask Harley.

"A ride in an Aston Martin? How can she decline?" Mason answers for her and I shake my head with a chuckle at my friend's astonishment of my cars.

"Yeah, what Mason said." She responds and I toss her the keys before bidding my goodbyes to Mason. Since Harley is still hesitant to drive and is still quite fearful of the dark, I drive home slowly with her following me.

Once both of the cars are parked in the garage, I climb out while pulling my leather jacket off. Before I can react fast enough, Harley is jumping on me, legs winding around my waist and lips connecting against mine. My arms soon find themselves around her waist as she kisses me feverishly and when she pulls back to look down and smile at me, I raise an eyebrow.

"What was that for?" I enquire curiously and she smiles, running a hand through my hair.

"Because you won and I'm super proud of you." She says and I chuckle before placing her down on the floor.

"Gracías amado." I press a kiss to her forehead and she smiles softly. I pull away then, opening the hood of the car I've just won.
"I'm just going to check the engine. I'll be inside in a second."

Harley nods, before entering the door and flicking the light on. I run a finger across the engine and when I look it, there is no dirt present and I let out a sigh of relief. I love winning cars that are in a good condition- it makes improving them easier for me.

A glass shattering is heard and I immediately stand up straighter, eyes narrowing before I hear Harley call my name. I don't wait a second later before entering the kitchen.

And the sight that greets me is completely unexpected.

In front of a frozen Harley is a blonde girl clothed in leather, her long legs kicked up on the table in front of her and a brown-skinned man standing against the wall. But the thing that really makes me step in front of Harley to protect her is the gun laying next to the girl's feet and the knife she twists in her hands.

She turns to me then, a smile making its way onto her face.

"Welcome home."

•••
The story is really about to pick up now!
What are your theories about the intruders? I'd love to hear them... also, I hope you're enjoying the story (it's going to start getting a lot more hectic from here) :)

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