Accepted. [discontinued]

Chapter Fifteen.

RE: CHAPTER FIFTEEN.

"Silence is golden."

The phrase does not make the slightest sense to me even though I recall the definition Google had provided me with word by word. It is often better to say nothing than to talk, so silence is golden. I ponder the fourteen words without a clue of what any of it means. The more I think about it, the more bogus it seems to get.

I simply cannot fathom how anything as lethal as such can be given the honor of something as valuable as gold. Maybe the creator of the phrase had considered silence to be a treasure. He must have experienced some wonderful things to chain a thought as such. He certainely would not have dared to put the three bizzare words side by side if his encounters were to differ even in the slightest.

As I sit fidgeting in the backseat of Anne's car, I envy the creator of the phrase and how he must have evaded the other side of silence that I, unfortunately, experience. While whoever the speaker of the words 'silence is golden' must have found the quiet to be a valuable treasure, Harry makes it completely impossible for me to fathom the concept.

The familiar sword of tension hangs over mine and Harry's head and for some reason the blade seems to be much sharper than it had been the last time I had sat in this car. The pressure of all the words Harry does not speak press against me from all the sides with an overwhelming force. While the air that surrounds me feels like thick glue, my tightening chest contains nothing but vacancy for the unknown gratification I yearn for. 

Breathing in a long stream of air, I let my gaze wander away from the back of Harry's head. I stare out of the car's window wishing I were the rain that falls from the gloomy sky. The day is dim enough that my own reflection is clearly visible on the usually transparent glass. A hand of mine raises involuntarily and places itself against the cool surface; Niall's plain red band winds around my wrist but I let my eyes note the features of my own virtual image.

My outrageous hair is what catches my searching eyes first but I do not linger on the all-too-familiar strands of my unkempt mess. Instead, my eyes seek the colour that had been blossoming my cheeks an hour or so ago. They search for the blush Niall is to blame for but do not spot them. My chapped lips part in astonishment at the disappearance of what I had thought was permenant. I lean towards my reflection as if a closer inspection would cause the non-existent to appear once again.

The line of my eyebrows draws together in frustration as I observe my cheeks that lack the excess blood. I wonder the reason for it and to my dismay a very plausible one strikes my mind.

I avert my gaze in the direction of Harry's dark curls once more and relax my frowning brows. I let both of my arms wrap around myself as my tongue reflexively licks my dry lips wet. I chew the insides of my cheeks while contemplating to do something I had decided to not do even before entering the car. But my control lapses eventually and my nervous eyes flicker over to the review mirror in hope to catch a glimpse of his features.

To my absolute disbelievement, Harry's eyes are fixed on the review mirror as well and the reflection of his emerald green orbs astonishes me. In the midst of the emptiness in my chest, something cheers with glee at the mesmerizing sight. But then, my heart begins to beat eratically and blood speeds through my veins in a rush making me feel dazed.

Harry and I break the strange eye contact at possibly the same moment, both of us shifting uncomfortably in our seats. While Harry tightens his grip on the steering wheel, I drop my gaze and fiddle with the seat belt, pretending to check if it is secure. My heart continues to thump terrifyingly and my cheeks heat up without much control.

And then, out of nowhere, music cuts through the heavy silence and I look up with surprise. After sitting still through the quiet for so long, the sound of the song is irritatingly loud to my ears. I frown without intention while Harry lets out a low groan. A hand of his reaches for something on the dashboard. Only when he presses the slim metal object to his ear is when I come to realize that it is his phone.