Broken Glass [h.s.]

seven

Dove

I walk past him and go down the stairs, leaving him there without another word. The guards are eating and making small talk, but I frankly don't feel hungry at all. I reach the far end corner and I sit against the wall, closing my eyes and resorting to spending the night there.

When I woke up I notice I'm sitting in the dim light coming from the little window at the upper floor. I sigh as I hear the sound of steps coming down the stairs.

Somehow, we made it through the night without having any major argument that, considering the situation, would've created more damage than we would've been able to set right. Maybe, just maybe, I decided to sleep at the ground floor instead of the first one, where the air was a bit warmer, to avoid exactly that.

"Is there something left to eat?" A deep, raspy voice says, and I look at the bottom the stairs, where the sound is coming from.

Styles is sitting on the steps, tiredly rubbing the sleep off his eyes, his dark hair as messy as ever.

"I don't know Mr Styles, is there?" I reply sarcastically, almost spitting the way he wants me to call him out of my teeth.

He pushes his hair back, sighing. "How many times do I have to tell you I'm not responsible for my father's actions?"

"If you want to be called as him, then you should be as well" I say standing up and leaving my backpack and cloak on the floor, the gun forgotten between the folds. I take a hair tie out of my trousers and I put my black hair up in a bun, some strands falling out.

"You're prettier with your hair down" I hear him say from behind me.

"I didn't ask for your opinion" I reply, turning around just to glare at him.

"Alright then" he says, "Keep up that little act of yours, if that's what you want to do."

"Thanks for your concession, Mr Styles. I figure it's the first time someone isn't ready to lick your ass at any given time." I take an apple out of one of the backpacks and throw it at him. "Eat and shut up."

He catches it with one hand and stands up, making his way towards me. "Why do you hate me so much?" He asks me.

"Oh darling" I say sweetly, "I don't hate you. I'd just rather not having you breathe next to me."

He walks closer to me and I take a step back, hitting the door behind me. Recognising his win, he smirks and takes another step closer.

"What if I held my breath?" He whispers before leaning down and grazing my lips with his.

The touch is so unexpected that my own breath dies between my lips, paralysing me. Not finding any resistance, he presses his mouth against mine, opening his slightly to allow his tongue to wet my lower lip.

I catch myself and push him away. "Never, I said never, do that again."

He smirks. "You can say whatever you want, but I know you enjoyed it."

"You wish" I spit turning around and pretending to do something on my backpack, hoping that he won't come around to bother me. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I'm screwed.

I hear someone coming down the stairs, but I completely ignore them, not being in the mood.

"Been up for long?" I hear Max ask to someone - hopefully Styles.

"Just a few minutes. Where is Aaron? We are ready to go."

"I'll go check wether he's ready or not. What about you, Miss Dove?"

I open my eyes as I hear my name being called. "What?"

"I asked, are you ready?" Max repeat.

"Oh yeah! Sure. Yes I am" I reply standing up and putting my cloak in place.

"You'll have to excuse Miss Winters, she has a lot of... things to think about today" Styles says out loud.

I turn around just to glare at him, and he gives me a sardonic smile.

Not too long after Aaron is getting ready as well. I go to unlock the door and go outside. A timid sun is shining above the rooftops, its light so frail that it seems silvery. The air surrounding me is just as cold.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Styles says walking out beside me.

"I reckon I told you to stay away from me" I reply.

"No, you haven't. You must've just thought it. And anyway, whether you told me or not doesn't make any difference, because frankly, I have no intention of doing so."

"What's up with you and going against everyone?"

"Guess it's just a side effect of being myself" he replies before going in again.

I glance around, the city is starting to wake up. At the other side of the street, a man is opening his fruit shop, humming quietly to himself. My breath hitches in my throat when I realise that I know him. Of course. It isn't a surprise, since that he lives just in front of my parents' warehouse. The point is, if I know him, he probably knows me as well.

I turn swiftly to the door behind me again, pulling up the hood of my cloak, not really caring that it could be too noticeable. I just need to get away from here without being recognised.

The two guards exit the warehouse followed by Styles, and I close the door.

"We're a bit off the road now, aren't we?" Max asks.

"We are, follow me though, we'll go back to where we were yesterday before the dark surprised us" I reply pointing at the general direction with my thumb, just wanting to go away. How didn't I realise that going back into my neighbourhood was a bad idea yesterday, since everyone was able to recognise me?

"Lead the way, Miss Dove" Max says, and I comply.

"Don't pull up your hoods" I advise them, "I'm just doing it not to be recognised."

I squeeze through the passage, and pull down my hood as soon as I'm on the other side.

"Where should we go?" I ask as soon as Aaron pulls out the map.

"Gonna be a boring day, Winters. We aren't entering any dangerous ground" he says, pointing at what is supposed to be the road we should take.

"We're going downtown though, that should be fun. Especially because it's market day today" I reply, and he gives me a weird look. "What, have you never been downtown?"

"We're soldiers, Miss Dove. We're usually sent on the borders of the Payne's or Moons' territory, not in the middle of the neutral area" Max says, joining the conversation.

"So you've never been downtown" I repeat, "Shocking. What about you, Mr Styles?"

"Wrong question, love. Where have I not been, that's what you should be asking."

"Yeah, I do understand that troublemakers have no geographical bounds."

He raises an eyebrow. "Troublemakers? Are you being serious right now?"

"I don't know, just ask it to the people living in Canon Street" I fire back, and he rolls his eyes.

"Whatever."

"Alright, stop bantering and let's go, we have to reach downtown before night comes. I thought I would've done my job on this trip, I didn't sign up for parenting two supposedly responsible adults" Aaron says closing the map and starting to walk down the street.

I follow him hoping to get away from Styles but, when I feel the corner of my cloak being pulled lightly, I know it won't be that easy.