Broken Glass [h.s.]

ten

Dove

I wake up in the middle of the night, and I can't go back to sleep. I lie down on the bed, not moving, looking at the moon from the open window, the only sound being the soft snoring coming from that spot on the floor where Styles is sleeping and the slight talking coming from the streets.

Why did he kiss me? I've tried to ignore it, but I don't think I can anymore. I don't like him, this I know for sure. I could never like his cocky attitude, the way he always seems to set me off, the total absence of remorse and regret in his actions, no matter how terrible they are. No, he isn't the kind of man I could ever be attracted to, regardless of how breathtakingly beautiful his features are or how the green of his damn eyes shines throughout the day. More like greyish, actually. They kind of seem to reflect the sky when he's outside. I wonder of what colour they'd look under a deep blue sky. Would they look ocean coloured as well, or would the shade of the sky enhance the green hue in them?

The snoring next to me stops, and my thoughts do as well. I turn to the other side, a slight feeling of annoyance pervading me as I realise the pointlessness of my internal questioning. Screw his stupid, green eyes. It doesn't matter how green they are, if the person they belong to is a prick. I shut my blue eyes, deciding that it's just better to sleep.

• •   •

I wake up again when the rays of light of the pale sun coming from the window fall on me. When I open my eyes, I'm met by the sight of Styles leaning against the wall opposite to the bed, looking at me, his cloak already covering his shoulders.

"What?" I groggily ask him sitting up and rubbing my eyes, my mind too sleepy to actually process that I'm letting him see me in my most defenceless state, with my hair sticking up in all directions and my almost sleepless night weighing down on me.

"Welcome to the world once again" he says sarcastically, "Been calling you for at least ten minutes. Kinda thought you died somewhen during the night."

I glare at him. "How is it even possible that sleeping makes you even more annoying?"

"Maybe it's just that sleeping makes you even more frustrated" he shoots back, "Now, rise and shine, love. We're all waiting for you."

I groan and fall down on the mattress again as Styles, much to my surprise, exits the room to give me some privacy. As soon as he closes the door I stand up and put my trousers back on, realising how lucky I have been. What if he had pulled away my blanket to wake me up? Yeah, definitely lucky. I retrieve something to tie my hair with and put my cloak back in place over my shoulders, and the hood over my head, checking the room to see if we're about to forget anything before exiting.

I shut the door behind myself and lock it with the key Styles left over the fireplace before walking fast down the stairs where the two hooded figures were waiting for me.

"What's the plan for today?" I whisper to them when I reach them.

Max shakes his head lightly. "Not here. Do you know a place where we can talk freely?"

Aaron comes back putting the hood back over his head. "The rooms are paid for, we can leave now. Come on, I don't want to stay in the same place for too long."

We get out of the inn and, as soon as we take a turn into a smaller street, we take off our hoods, since we would be too noticeable with them on.

We continue down that road until all the buildings around us are abandoned ones and there are no more lights around. We are in the part of the city between the city centre and the Payne territory, a line of some meters that has been abandoned by the population due to the small wars often occurring in the place.

"We can talk here" I say stopping in my tracks.

"Perfect" Max replies.

"So, what's the plan?" I ask again, glancing around to make sure we really are as alone as we seem to be.

"I suppose you know we should've entered the Moons territory today, but that we're too far away to get there now" he starts, and I nod. "And I also suppose you know that the official plan was to get there tomorrow, since we won't be able to get there today."

"I know" I reply, starting to get a little exasperated.

"Well, we decided we'll get there tonight."

The silence falls between us in the second the revelation was made.

"We decided, who decided?" I say glacially.

Max sighs. "Mr Styles and I."

"Which Mr Styles?" I reply, glaring at the one right next to me.

"You know which one, Miss Winters" Max murmurs as a reply.

Aaron coughs to get my attention. "Before the wrath is unleashed, I'd like to point out that I do not agree with this decision and that I think we'll potentially all end up dead."

"Are you crazy?" I hiss at Styles, who's staring at me with a slight smile on his face. "I knew you weren't that smart, but this one beats everything."

"Why are you that upset, love? Weren't you the one that wanted to murder me herself?" He asked me ironically. "I decide what to do. I won't spend a day longer in this place."

"What, is the smell of peasants too strong for you?" I spit at him, "Let's go, then. If we walk fast enough, we should be there by this evening. And Styles, what about you do us all a favour and shut up? Please, and thank you."

After my words, Max opens a map. "Miss Winters, do you happen to know the fastest and easiest way to get there?"

I glare at him. "Unlike you, I don't have a death wish. I've never been there, not even close."

"Oh really? That is unexpected. I thought you were afraid of nothing?" Styles says snickering, side glancing at me. His eyes look almost silvery under the bright grey shade of the sky. Not that it matters, of course.

"Why Styles, have you been there much?" I reply, sure of his negative answer. Nobody in their right mind would ever go there, and especially not someone like Styles. From the hunter, he'd become the prey.

"Been there twice, actually" he replies, leaving me shocked. "If you really knew something about the world you live in, you'd know that the Moons have sided with my father many times. It isn't that much of a surprise now, is it?"

"Well" I say, "if they sided with him, then I don't see why you should be that damn proud of having been there. In fact, they've never brought you any harm while you were there, have they?" My reply wipes the smile off his face.

"Alright, I figured the fastest way to get there" Max says all of sudden closing the map he opened while we were bickering, "Come on."

I sigh, and follow them. As we get closer and closer, step by step, to the Moon territory, one thought creeps up in my mind, setting a cold feeling in my chest. We're all gonna die.

Thank you so much for the 10k! This is just amazing. x