flower. h.s ✔️

three.

"Stop it."

I jumped as Styles spoke and I moved my eyes away from him quickly. His eyes are closed, how did he even know?

I glanced at Brian who was reading a file and not paying any attention to me before I returned my eyes to Styles across the aisle. It was a small plane but the three of us and the air hostess were as far apart as possible.

"I know you're staring." Styles snapped, his eyes opening and I met his green eyes immediately, my face flushing as I looked away from him.

"Do yeh' have a fucking hearing problem? I said stop."

"Styles." Brian spoke up, a warning in his voice and I watched Styles roll his eyes before he raised an eyebrow at me.

"Sorry." I mumbled.

Silence covered the three of us once more and I focused on the darkness out of my window. I didn't mean to be annoying I just had a lot of questions. And a lot of confusion. And I wasn't really getting any answers.

I supposed I should be used to it by now but I wasn't and I didn't like it. I didn't like the fact I was basically parentless, I didn't like the fact I hadn't seen my brother in two, almost three years and I didn't like the fact I'm now apparently going to be living with some guy that works for my Father.

I knew it sounded childish and I was being a brat just like my Father had said but I couldn't help it, I mean I probably could but really it was his fault.

I smiled at Brian as he stood and pointed towards the toilet and I let my gaze slide across Styles before I returned them to the window. I shifted in my seat and rearranged the blanket across my lap before I looked over again.

I guess it was now or never, but then again maybe I should until Brian came back in. I feel like he'd be able to stop Styles from murdering me with his bare hands.

"What's your first name?"

I bit the bullet and spoke, silence following my question for a couple of minutes and I started to wonder if he was awake or if he was just ignoring me. Was it worth me repeating myself?

"Why does it matter?"

I blinked as it registered in my brain that he'd actually answered me. I watched as his eyes blinked open and turned on me and I swallowed, shrugging stupidly. Why did it matter to me?

"Uh, I think its uh rude to not know, I guess." I stumbled over my words as he slowly blinked at me and I swallowed thickly.

"You guess?" He drawled as if it was an inconvenience to talk to me as I shrugged slightly.

"I would like to know, I don't really like calling you by your last name or by him or that guy. It's rude and if we're going to be together twenty four seven then at least we can be polite."

I swallowed as he rolled his eyes before closing them again and I felt my chest deflate at his response, maybe I could talk to my Father and ask him to swap my "minder".

"Sorry for asking." I apologised before riffling through my bag to find my headphones and plugged them into my phone.

I should have known that he wouldn't care, I knew the kind of men that worked for Jack Carmichael and the kind of man he was. I wasn't a little nine year old girl anymore, I wasn't naive and I wasn't stupid.

Politeness didn't mean anything to any of these people and I shouldn't have tried to be friendly.

+

"Move it."

I jerked awake as my headphones were pulled from my ears and my arm shook, my eyes landing on Styles who was standing next to the table with his arms crossed and glare directed at me.

I nodded jerkily as I stuffed all my stuff into my bag before I stood and followed Styles off the plane. I could barely see anything but that made sense considering according to my phone it was gone eleven o'clock.

I went to grab my suitcase only for Brian to beat me to it and gave me the look I was all too familiar with.

"Thank you." I spoke quietly to him as we crossed the tarmac and I frowned as my eyes landed on the two cars.

I turned to look at Brian in a panic only to have him already looking at me with a sad look on his face.

I yelped as the passenger door hit me in the hip and I turned in shock to see Styles already sitting in the drivers seat staring at me with pursed lips.

"I'll see you at home Poppy." Brian tried to placate me before he got into his own car and I slid into the passenger seat next to Styles.

The clock on the dashboard ticked over to 11:38pm and I sighed, it was at least an hour back into the city which meant I wasn't going to get home until gone midnight.

An hour in silence with someone who clearly did not like me. Wonderful.

I checked my phone only to find it void of any contact and I sighed, it wasn't like I expecting anything but I guess it would have been nice.

I mean it wasn't like it had been exactly like this since the moment I'd stepped out of my uni building in May and all throughout the summer in France. Oh wait, yes it was.

I pocketed my phone once more and propped my head up against the window, the cold glass making me shiver as I closed my eyes. Maybe if I got lucky I'd fall asleep and then Styles would just leave me in the car all night.

"Harry."

I frowned at the voice, blinking several times I turned towards Styles whose eyes were firmly fixed on the windscreen in front of us.

"Huh?"

"M'names Harry."

I blinked several times as Styles, wait no, Harry glanced at me before looking away the immediate moment our eyes met.

"Nice to meet you Harry." I smiled, watching as he rolled his eyes but I won so he could roll his eyes all he wanted, I still got what I wanted.

"Wha's' the deal with you n Lewis?" Harry asked as we stopped at a red light and I looked at him confused.

"What do you mean?" I asked, chewing my lip and sank slightly in my seat as he threw me a pointed look.

"Whats up with all the looks you two give each other. You fuckin' him?" Harry drawled and I gaped at him.

"What? No!" I protested immediately, watching a smirk stretch onto his lips as I tried to get a grip on what the hell was happening. "I've known him my entire life. We're friends."

The car was silent once more and I went back to resting my head on the window as Harry definitely drove ten above the speed limit.

"We're not gunna be friends." Harry stated randomly, a few minutes later and I sighed.

And here I was thinking, we were going to get on like a house on fire. Maybe I'd just set my house on fire with him inside.

So much for winning.