Dark Green

Chapter 33

POV Quinn.

I take one deep breath in front of my bedroom mirror. I look at my own reflection with tired eyes. As usual in recent weeks, I have not rested enough to not look tired. I smooth the skirt I decided to wear today with a disapproval look. I'm not sure not to wear my jeans instead of this skirt but I want to go a little more formal than usual. I get a little closer to make sure that the light makeup I applied on my face is not too much.

When I walk away, I sigh one last time and grab the bag resting on my bed. I'm relieved and nervous at the same time. The only person in my house right now is my mother since my father has gone to work and my brother has gone to London with his girlfriend to put on passports and documentation required for their trip.

While I walk down the stairs, I mentally prepare myself for the half and hour ride in the car with Harry. I plan not to say a single word even though I want to ask him about the girl he was with yesterday. I asked him to stay away and he has respected but not the way I expected him to do it.

"You look beautiful, honey " my mother praises when I get to the last step.

I smile and go to her. The woman is drying her wet hands with a towel. Her tired eyes warn me that she is not having a good week. It's been a long time since we had a conversation, I'm not at home that much since I started college and Harry came into my life.

"Are you okay, mom?" I ask helplessly.

Both of us walk to the kitchen. I sit on a stool while she stirs the pot in which the food for the rest of my family is.

"I'm just tired, it was a long night"

I furrow my brow confused.

"Why?"

She sighs and leaves a wooden spoon over the bowl.

"Your father is acting weird lately. He seems much more cold and distant with me and is not concluded at work"

When my mother turns, she keeps his eyes fixed on the marble floor. The cloth is now hanging over one shoulder and arms are crossed in front of her chest.

"What if he has a mistress, Quinn?" the words coming from his lips tremble.

I cannot believe my mother thinks something like that. I'm not so attached to my father as Ryan is although my parent thinks so but I am sure he would never cheat on my mom. They have always been so much in love and have never shown signs of discussion or problems. I'm sure it's my mum's imagination.

"Don't worry mom, he may be stressed with the Christmas trip and all the work he has in the station" my phone rings in the bag. "Don't think about it"

The woman looks up while I search the device and she gives me a warm smile that I don't hesitate to return. My mind keeps spinning thinking of what will happen on this day so... particular, but also my mother needs me and I will help her as much as I can.

A stark and cold message tells me that Harry is waiting on the outside . My heart is racing and adrenaline by tension and the desire to see him run through every vein in my body.

"I have to go"

I get up from the stool and approach the concerned woman. I surround her shoulders and she holds my waist in a warm, family hug.

"Have fun on your date" she says touching my hair softly.

I roll my eyes and walk away from her.

"It's not a date"

The woman giggles slightly when I disappear from the room. This is not a date, it's a nightmare. I take the coat that is in the closet of the hall and button it as fast as I can. I make sure that I have everything I need in my bag and leave thinking about how I am going to survive this.

The grass in the front yard is slightly wet and frozen by the morning dew. The steam escaping from my lips as I walk hunched up the black car parked in front of my house. I open the door without looking at the guy who sits there and step up to put me right in the passenger seat.

I buckle up after closing the door and I hasten to pass the worst half hour of my life.

...

The first forty-five minutes drive haven't been as bad as I thought. The tension between us is thick but, without talking, it was easier. Everything you hear in the car is the sound of the radio and cars that run on the outside of the road. I have not looked away from the door window except a couple of times that I have been unable to resist the temptation to look at the boy. He looks perfect, as usual. He is wearing a blue and black sweater that fits him perfectly and his hair is tied up with a scarf mimicking a bandana. It is the first time I've seen him with this type of look and it is perfect. My heart skipped a beat when I looked at him for the first time. I should consider what Zac said about my feelings for him and all that stuff but I'll park it in my mind at the moment.

I remain fixed in the green mountains between which the road goes through. I take one deep breath and support my warm cheek against the window glass. I mutter the words of the song I've already heard so many times when I think I see something shining on the carpet of my seat. I frown when I lean forward to catch the shiny object. The poison running through my veins when a pending bright subject moves in between my fingers. It must belong to the girl that was with him yesterday and if she has lost it, that means they weren't just talking. I bite my lower lip trying to hold the tears inside my eyes when I close the fist with the object on the inside. The air becomes more and more tense I can hardly breathe. Rage and anger make all the air in my lungs not to arrive. I need to leave this small space before exploding.

"Stop the car " I say in a whisper.

"What?" He says for the first time since I've got into the vehicle.

I clench my fists. My heart is about to jump out of my chest.

"Stop the car!" I shout at the verge of collapse.

"Are you insane? I can't stop now, we're on the highway" he tries to reason.

I feel his hand on my knee looking for bring me some comfort. That's the last straw that breaks the glass of my mental sanity. With a stroke, I remove it from my knee and dare to stick my eyes on his.

"Don't you dare to touch me" I threaten.

He keeps frowning and I can see the confusion in his eyes.

"What's your problem?"

I open the window looking to renew the charged air in the interior of the vehicle. An unexpected and sinister laugh escapes my lips.

"Me? You're the one who takes sluts into the car!"

I'm overreacting when I should stay silent but I cannot keep my mouth shut.

"What are you talking about?"

I open the fist in which is enclosed the earring and hold it between my fingers. Harry alternate looks between the road and the hanging object.

"Your little bitch lost an earring last night"

I'm not even thinking about the words coming out of my mouth. I've never been so angry in my life. Anger burns my veins from the inside and I feel my body explode. The astonished Harry's face does not make things better. I thought he would have the decency to admit it at least and not have me fooled like an idiot.

"I don't follow you"

I roll my eyes and shot down the slope again. This is too much.

"You're the worst"

I bite my tongue to avoid saying stronger words that I will regret saying them right after.

"Anyway, how do you know I've been with a girl?" He questions.

I turn my eyes to him again.

"So you admit it?"

His hands close tightly around the steering wheel. He is also coming to the edge of his nerves because of me and a small part of me wishes that he gets as angry as I am.

"How do you know it?"

I look away in the car and fix my gaze on the outside.

"I met Dan and Zayn at a coffee shop yesterday" I explain.

Why am I giving him explanations? It is him who has the blame for everything, the one who has messed it up though I should not care the least.

"What the hell were you doing with them?" he questions.

His tone is harder than a few minutes ago but he does not scare me one bit.

"This is not about me"

He is the one who has done it wrong, not me. It's not my fault that Dan, Kim and Zayn were at the same cafe where I was but fucking a girl one day after we cut any relationship it's his fault.

"For fuck's sake, Quinn. I've told you a million times not to come near them but as usual, you are doing what pleases you"

I turn to look at him again. I cannot believe he is reproaching me all this now. My nails are driven into the soles of my hands and all my efforts to keep the poison on my tongue are in vain.

"You're the one who has been fucking around while I try to do something with my life that doesn't involve you!"

I should not have said that. I regret the words that came out of my lips at the second I say them. I stop looking at his mesmerizing eyes to fix them somewhere in the car that don't make me look at him.

"Why should you care if I fuck girls or not?" he asks.

Houses and buildings begin to appear behind the car windows. I cannot wait to get there or Harry and I will end up killing each other.

I think the answer for a few seconds to answer the quetion he just made. I am completely blank, I don't know what else to say.

"So you're admitting that you slept with her" I support the head on my hand and struggle trying to hold the tears "Fuck you, Harry"

"She already did yesterday and another one will tomorrow, don't worry"

I feel a cold and sharpening knive digging into my chest. I bite my lips and tongue to avoid continuing the conversation. I close my eyes tight so the tears do not come . All the rage and anger have become pain has after his last words. I know too well that he is doing it to protect himself and to hurt me. But that doesn't make him less guilty about what you just said, it has been hurt and was a low blow.

When I open my eyes, I find that we are in a small town. Not many people walk through the streets and is not as big as the place in which we live at the moment. Little drops of rain begin to fall on the glasses when Harry activates the wipers. I try to focus on what I see on the outside to not grieve the painful words Harry just said.

After a few twists and changes of address, a street full of small houses appears in front of us. Harry leaves the car in the street of one of them and leaves the car, closing the door with a loud and resounding thud. I catch a breath before jumping to the outside. I haven't been wrong in anything I've done or said in the last few minutes we were discussing but those words could have been saved.