♕Harley Anderson♕

It was a stupid idea coming here- I'll admit that much- but I couldn't not come. Sure, I knew Cameron told me not to come and sure, I could see why by the people who were here, but that didn't change the fact that I felt like I needed to support him. Hr was racing for a hundred grand and the reputation of the track- how could I not come?

And along with that, he told me I should hate him and despite that seeming plausible, I could never bring myself to do it because even though he could be an absolute dick sometimes and made me want to punch him now and then, I can see that there's more to Cameron than just his brooding character and blank faces.

I saw that when he had breakfast with Mia and I. He was a different person and I would even be crazy enough to say he let his walls down for me. And I genuinely enjoyed his company that day. He wasn't so stoic and emotionless and he was surprisingly good with Mia.

Perhaps I also came simply because he told me not to and I wanted to prove a point but I knew deep down, that wasn't the reason. It was because I cared enough about him to show up and although that rattles my brain, I can't deny it.

But the question that still burned in the back of my mind was why he thought I should hate him... why he even thought I would do that.

I'm woken up from my reverie of thoughts when someone bumps into me and I pull my jacket around me tighter as I look around for his familiar Mustang. I didn't tell Audrey and Caleb what this race is really about but I did let them know it was a rather big one which was how I got them to drag me here- not that it took much persuasion. I wanted to make sure I got to see the full race which is why I'm currently looking around for the Mustang while Caleb and Audrey try and find a decent parking spot amongst all the chaos.

I understand why Cameron told me not to come though- I could see it. The kinds of people who were strolling around today were much different to those that were here most evenings. These people were covered in ink and piercings with shaven heads and leather-everything. They look at me like I'm a lamb lost in wolf territory and as much as it unsettles me, I don't find myself turning away.

Instead, I'm suddenly lurched to the side which makes me squeal in surprise and I spin around on impact in an attempt to punch my attacker.

"What the hell are you doing here?" A voice hisses lowly and I'm relieved to see that it's Cameron gripping my arm and not some other person. My shoulders slump in relief although my heart speeds up because I wasn't planning on bumping into Cameron before his race. I was only going to make a point to see him after so he couldn't force me to go home. "I thought I told you not to come." He exhales, his annoyance clear by his scowl. I shrug his hand off of me.

"And I thought you knew I wasn't going to listen."

And it was true. I thought he would realise that I was stubborn and rebellious when I wanted to be.

He lets out an aggravated sigh. "Damn it Harley. When are you going to learn to listen for Pete's sake?"

I frown at him. "I'm fine. What's the big deal?"

"What's the big deal?" He asks incredulously, his russet brown eyes staring at me in frustration. "The big deal is that I told you not to come because I care about whether or not you get hurt and you still did that exact thing- you came- when I specifically asked you not to."

I stare up at him and slowly let guilt fill my being. He cares? I don't know when was the last time I've had someone who genuinely cares besides my mother. However, how do I even know that what he's saying is true? He could be bullshitting me like everyone else has ever done.

"Why would you care?" I ask softly, my eyebrows drawn together and my eyes staring at him. His features soften ever so slightly and he's about to answer when a voice cuts him off.

"Well, well, well... look who we have here." A voice says and I turn around to see a scarily ugly man step forward. With tattoos covering every inch of his skin and only stopping beneath his ears while his lip rings glint in the light, it still does little to cover his wrinkled tan skin.

Cameron pulls me behind him, in an almost protective way, and I watch the man smile maliciously at Cameron.

"Cameron- the best racer of this track." He says, his voice gravely from drinking too much.

"Scorpion." Cameron nods his head. "Where is your racer?"

So this is the leader of the fellow criminals.

"Why, aren't you in a rush to get to business."

"My only business is to race, nothing more."

I admire Cameron's confidence as he talks to the scary man and almost knock myself for cowering into myself behind Cameron. There is a crowd around us now, watching the tense encounter.

Scorpion chuckles before he gazes passed Cameron's shoulder at me. He then looks back at Cameron with an amused smile.

"Who's the pretty lady you hiding behind ya'?" He asks and I feel my heart rate speed up.

"Just a friend." Cameron responds coolly and I feel slight disappointment at the ordinary title given to me. However, I don't know what other title I even deserve.

The man nods- a laugh coming out from deep in his belly- but before he can say anything, Emery steps between the crowd.

"What's going on here?" He asks, gazing between the two men.

"Nothing, Emery. I'm just catching up with an old friend." Scorpion replies. Emery nods his head, smiling politely at Scorpion.

"Where is your racer, Scorpion?" He asks, cutting to the chase and the man smiles proudly, an evil glint in his eye.

"Bulldog!" He shouts over his shoulder before the crowd parts for a tall man, with just as many tattoos on his chocolate skin as his boss, to step through. I stare at Bulldog. "Ready to begin the race?"

Emery nods. "Most definitely."
He then turns to the people surrounding us. "This race will be between Bulldog and Cameron!" He exclaims, earning a cheer from the squad. "Winner takes a hundred grand!"

The crowd lets out an even louder scream and I can feel the excitement in the air. Scorpion smiles at Cameron. "Get ready to be stripped of your title."

However, Cameron is not able to say anything when sirens are suddenly heard and the sound of cars skidding to a halt. And then gunshots go out.

My first reaction is to duck but Cameron beats me to it when he he pulls me to his side and makes us crouch down.

"Fuck." He hisses under his breath and my eyes widen as everyone scatters and if I wasn't scared shitless, I would say it's amazing how fast everyone acts. People run to their cars and climb in, taking off in seconds while more gunshots go off. However, my heart is beating too loud and my body is too frozen in fear to notice where Cameron drags me as I blindly oblige.

"Get in." He instructs and it's then that I notice the door to his Mustang is open. I climb in breathlessly and he rounds the car before climbing in himself. He switches the car on and steps on the gas, dodging people who run around, expertly as he gets onto the road. I look in the review mirror as we drive away from the chaos and when the lights are all just specks in the distance, I turn to face the front with a shaky sigh while I feel relieved. That is until I notice our direction.

"Why are we going in the opposite direction than what we should be?" I ask, glancing at Cameron who is shockingly calm.

"We can't go home. The cops will be swamping the roads to try catch us."

I look back at the road. "So where the hell are we supposed to go?" I shout.

"I know a hotel in the town over. We can stay there."

"And you're have money for that?" I ask incredulously.

"I always have backup."

I scoff as I look back at him. "This is ridic- oh my fucking goodness! Why are you bleeding?" I exclaim as I watch the red stain on the side of his torso grow.

He glances at me briefly and I can see his aggravation. "I'm fine."

"No! You are not fucking fine! You're bleeding!"

"I'm not going to die." He deadpans and I feel heaviness weigh down on me as I watch his blood spill over.

"Are you shot?"

"The bullet didn't lodge itself." He replies and I kiss my teeth.

"So what? Are you just going to drive while you bleed? We need to get you to a damn hospital!"

He clenches his jaw. "It's not the first time, okay? I'm fine. I don't need a hospital- they'll ask questions that I can't answer." He snaps and I shut my mouth before leaning back in the seat. I try and ignore the fact that he's bleeding out beside me although it's a little difficult because I genuinely feel my heart tug from seeing him in pain.

****

"What?" I repeat.

"In the boot there is a couple hundreds which should be enough to get us a room. Grab it from the back and go get us one."

I lick my lips and nod. "Oh, um, okay."

I do as he says and go to the back of the car and open the back to see a big black bag, a first aid kit and another smaller black bag. I assume the smaller one has the money and when I open it to see stacks of it, I almost gawk. I pull out a stack and shut the back before walking to the reception of the rusty hotel building where I stop in front of a lady who looks like she'd rather be dead than here.

"Hi." I greet, pushing a smile onto my face while I slip my trembling hands into my pockets. She doesn't smile back at me and stares expectantly. I sigh. "Uh, can I please get a t-two bed room."

She turns around to where numerous keys are hanging and picks one off the wall.

"Three hundred." She says, sticking out her hand. I gape at her. Three hundred dollars for a night at this rusty place? I shake my head as I pass her the amount and she gives me the key to room thirty-four. I take it from her hastily before I jog back to Cameron and open the door to see sweat beading down his forehead.

"Did you get it?" He asks breathlessly and I nod.

"Yeah."

He opens his car door and climbs out, his one hand placed over his wound. He walks over to the back of his car painfully and opens the boot before pulling out the other black bag and slipping the first aid into it. I rush over to him.

"Let me carry the bag." I say, making a move to remove it from his shoulder but he shrugs me off.

"I'm fine."

"Goodness sake, Cameron. I don't care if you're fine, let me carry the damn bag." I snap and he stares at me for a second too long before handing it to me. He makes a move to step forward before he stumbles and I push on his chest to help balance him. I look up at his face and feel his breath fan against my cheek while we stare at one another. I look down, feeling slightly flustered.

"Please be careful. I can't carry you if you need help." I warn and he nods before standing up straighter and walking to the entrance of the creepy building.

When we're finally in front of the door to our room, I fumble with the keys to open to the door. However, I eventually manage and I amble in. The first thing that greets me is the ugly shades of brown, red and blue that are the colour of the very old furniture. The old TV even has dust coating it- making me wonder when last this place was cleaned- and I almost gag from the stuffy smell.

"I thought you asked for a room with two beds?" Cameron asks from besides me and my eyes snap to that before widening when I catch sight of one double bed. Screw that lady.

"I did."

Silence passes afterwards until Cameron lets out a groan. I turn around, dropping the bag on the floor before turning to Cameron. He walks in and heads for the bathroom straight away, sinking onto the floor in the process. By now, his white shirt is completely red and I hold back the tears that threaten to leak out.

"What- what am I supposed to do?" I stutter to him, watching his face contort in pain.

"Get the first aid box out of the bag."

I do what he says and drop to my knees in front of him while opening the box.

"Pass the scissors." He says breathlessly and I pass it to him with shaky hands and I'm one hundred percent sure he knows how nervous I am when he meets my eye for just a second. He cuts a piece of his shirt off, reveling the wound on the side of his torso that oozes blood.

"Oh my gosh." I whisper in shock.

"Pass me the septic wipes, please." He asks and I do as he requests. He opens up the packet before pressing one to his wound and he doubles over in pain, gritting his teeth in the process. "Mierda." He hisses lowly and I wonder what it means considering I don't hear him talk his mother tongue very often. He lifts the wipe off of his wound and throws it to the side, leaning his head against the wall and closing his eyes. I watch him silently, wishing that we could get this over and done with. I just want to hug him close and let him know it's okay.

He opens his eyes again. "I need the needle and wool."

I eye him gingerly. "Please don't tell me that you're planning on stitching yourself up." I say, shaking my head. His glossy eyes watch me.

"I know how to do it."

He positions himself in such a way that he can lean over to his wound and I put the thread through the needle and pass it to him before he squeezes his skin together and pushes the needle through. His Adams apple bops up and down and his hands shake as they try to  move.

Before I can register what I'm doing, I'm wrapping a hand over his to stop him from sewing his wound shut and he looks up at me.

I gulp. "Let me do it." I say and he frowns.

"Do you even know how to do this?" He asks disbelievingly and I kiss my teeth.

"You're not the only one who knows how to stitch a wound closed."

We stare at each other for longer than necessary before he averts his gaze and lets me control the needle. I gingerly touch his bare and wounded skin, stitching it closed with as much accuracy as I can muster with my shaking hands. Being like this, having to stitch a wound closed while blood is everywhere brings me back memories that I don't wish to remember. I remember all the times I stitched my own wounds close. If I had gone to the hospital every time I had been hurt, someone would've surely realised something was wrong.

"Should I even ask why you know how to handle a situation like this so calmly?" I ask Cameron while he shuts his eyes and his lips twitch up into an amused smile.

"This has always being a part of my life." He breathes out and I frown, wanting to ask him how that's true. When I reach the end of his wound that is finally stitched up and my hands are covered in his blood, I sit back while he opens his eyes. He glances down at my work before looking back at me.

"You did it well." He comments, more to himself than me.

I don't respond.

I get up and rinse my hands in the basin, the water turning pink because of the blood that washes off. I crouch back down again to pack up the first aid kit and Cameron watches me.

"Are you okay, Harley?" He asks so softly, so gently, that I can't help but pause my actions before looking up at him.

"You're asking me? You're the one who was shot." I almost laugh from the absurdity.

"Doesn't mean you're okay." He counters and I look back up at him.

"You're unbelievable Cameron."

He doesn't answer me and I'm grateful for that. However, when I look back at him I let out a sigh and I chew on my lip.

"I'll give you some time to clean up. I think I should call Audrey and Caleb." I say and he nods before I leave the bathroom, closing the door behind me.

When I'm finally alone, I lean my head against the door with a sigh as a million and one emotions wash over me.

•••
Don't forget to drop a vote and comment on what you thought of this chapter! :)
I'm sorry for updating a day late guys... the festive season has thoroughly distracted me. I mean ITS ALREADY CHRISTMAS!? Wtf. 2018 was so fast omg.
Anywayyy how did you find this chapter? This chapter (and the next) were probably one of my favorites because of the way Cameron and Harley interact with each other and how we sort of get even more insight in their backgrounds.
What did you guys think of Harley going to the track when Cam told her not to? And then helping him after he gets shot? And what about the fact that they now have to share a room for a night? Let me know! I love hearing what you guys have to say :)

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