- SYNDICATE • h.s (ON HOLD)

THIRTEEN

The only sound that was heard was the soft pants of air escaping both their lips. The silence became much too loud for Harry after a minute and before he could say or do anything. Analia was already reaching for the keys and ignited the engine. It didn't even take her a minute to leave the driveway and get on the road.

---

HARRY didn't dare bother Analia while she was driving, after all his own life was in her hands. She was holding the steering wheel of course. Harry felt clueless and didn't really know what to do. It's not like they ever taught him in the academy how to comfort someone like Analia. He actually had no idea what was even going on in her head at this point. The trees passing by his side in the window slightly calmed him yet there was still a silently raging girl beside him.

"What do you want me to do?" Harry whispered almost as if he was scared to startle the beast about to attack. Analia heard his voice yet no words registered inside her head which kept the question floating in the air. What did she want him to do? She wanted him to stop pulling her in so easily. She wanted him to stop being so god damn attractive. She wanted him to just leave her alone so that she wouldn't have to deal with another heartache. She just wanted to be left alone in every way.

The abrupt break of the car caused Harry's body to move forward and his left arm automatically placed itself in front of Analia without hesitation. She looked at him with an apparent frown on her face and groaned before turning off the ignition. Analia exited the car without hesitation. The sound of crunching was caused by her boots with every step she made towards the front of the car. Harry stayed in the car for a few moments feeling distraught before looking up at where she was situated which was leaning against the bonnet.

The flickering sound of a lighter caught his attention as he walked towards Analia, noticing that she had a cigarette in her mouth and her hand around a flame. She offered him a stick which he refused politely and once again they were surrounded by silence.

"I think you were right." Analia vocalized in a soft tone, almost as if she was afraid to speak. She took in a deep inhale from her cig before puffing the smoke out into the air. They both watched as the smoke dispersed around them and sighed.

"About what?" Harry hummed before kicking a rock with the edge of his shoe. His eyes were focused on the floor until he felt her shift against the car. Analia let out a puff of smoke once again before situating herself on top of the bonnet and sat down on it.

"About leaving each other alone... I mean that's what you wanted right?"

"I never said that" Harry replied almost immediately catching Analia's attention. A small snort of laughter came from her lips at his reply with a shake of her head.

"What?" He questioned with his eyebrows raised and his arms crossed against his chest. The action causing his biceps to look a lot larger than they usually did. This apparently caught Analia's attention. Her blue eyes drifted towards the golden cross that laid peacefully on his chest. Her hands moved beyond her control as they shifted towards the item. Analia clutched onto the cross. Her soft hands grazing against his chest causing goosebumps to form on his neck and his breathing to shallow.

"Do you believe in God?" She questioned softly like she was scared that someone might hear her words. Harry looked down at the golden object in her hands and then looked up at her face and into her blue eyes. He gazed all over her face and cupped her cheek which caused her blue eyes to look into his. He noticed how her pupils dilated as she looked up back at him and for some reason that caused a smile to appear on his face. A small one but still a smile. His thumb unintentionally grazed across her face before falling down at his side.