Harry nodded, sucking in huge gulps of air before staggering away.
I fumbled to turn on the tap, and a deep shudder ran through me when the water hit the open wound.Goddammit.That stung. I was so bloody stupid. I knew better. I should have had my mind on the job. The gossip was bullshit—it was only ever half the truth—but Lola and Hollyoak might be a reality I needed to get used to.Fast.
“Got the first-aid k—” Harry dry-retched again. His eyes locked on the deep, red gash in my hand. “Wait, is that…? The white bit…?”
His eyelids fluttered.
It only took one step to reach him. I managed to slump him over my shoulder just before he passed out. The first-aid kit crashed to the floor, its lid cracking open, and everything inside tumbled across the concrete. Harry was out cold.
With his skinny body flopped against me like a rag doll, I crouched down, sifted through the mess to find the gauze swab I needed, ripped open the packet, and got it on the cut. Dark red bloomed instantly. Not good. I fumbled another packet open.
Harry’s back jolted. He pushed off me but fell to his butt on the floor. “What happened?” He blinked.
“You’re not good with blood,” I said. “Take a few deep breaths. The feeling will pass in a minute or two.”
“How are you okay with that?” Harry nodded at my hand. “The…blood and the…the…seeing the”—he clamped his hand over his mouth as his shoulders heaved in another retch—“the bone bit?”
I shrugged. “Just used to it, I guess.”
“Usedto it?” Harry squeaked. “This is just like your ninja self-defence moves on the mountain. Or that time you hauled the Collins’ kid out of the river when he nearly drowned. Are you gonna tell me where you learned all that crap?”
“In another life.”
Harry’s eyes narrowed. “Were you some kind of secret special-ops commando or something?”
“Nah, that’s army shit.”
“You going to admit the truth if I keep guessing?”
I shook my head.
“Alright. Keep your secrets. But I’m onto you, old man.” He shook his head. “Usedto it.”
I shuffled through the mess on the floor and finally spotted a bandage. “I do need someone to look at this pretty quickly, though.” I kept my voice calm and low—nothing to panic about. “Think you can drive?”
“You want me to take you to the clinic?”
“Yeah.” I flicked him a glance as I wrapped the bandage around my hand. “I don’t think I can drive like this.”
“I can’t drive you to the clinic.”
“Kid, you’re fine. It’s only five minutes—”
“No. Not the clinic.”
“You scared of doctors too?”
“No.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s, you know… Brooke works there.”
“And?” My eyebrow rose. “Look, kid, if something happened between you and the blonde, just sit in the car while the doctor patches me up.” I threw him my keys. “But you’re driving.”
Harry sat silent for most of the drive into town. Restless, never sitting still, his fingers drummed the steering wheel. When we stopped at the last turn coming into town, his gaze flicked to me.
“It’s not like that.” Harry’s voice was strained. “With Brooke, I mean. She’s gorgeous, but I’d never, you know… It’s not like that with her.”
I was on a roll for sticking my foot in it with the people I cared about. “I’m sorry. Heat of the moment. If I assumed the wrong thing—”
“Nah, it’s all good. But Brooke…and me…” He shook his head and blew out a slow breath. “Forget it.”
