House of Roses and Glass

Day 17: "You wound me"

Hey, guys! So sorry for the late update, I'm just starting college and things have been kind of hectic. Also on that note, my updating schedule will probably change to being every two weeks instead of twice a week as I get used to school and homework. So, the next update will hopefully be the week after next on Tuesday, but I'll try and update earlier.

To those of you also starting school or anything new along with me, you got this and I wish you luck! Everyone else, keep working hard and taking care of yourself!

The song is called Telescope by Cage the Elephant. I hope you enjoy the chapter! 

"So why couldn't Amren come again?" I ask, raising an eyebrow as Rhys and I walk into the library.

"Feyre, darling, I already told you; she said she had to do something." Rhys walks to the front of the library to the front desk where there's a man dressed all in black, almost like he's wearing his own shadow. "Hey Bryaxis, do you happen to have anything about the Book of Breathings?"

The man -- Bryaxis -- gives Rhys a look that would make anyone else wet themselves, though I make out the shiver Rhys gives as a chill runs down his spine. How did this man become a librarian?

"What you're looking for should be in the rare items section. Second to last row on the right." His eyes meet mine for a second as he speaks, the blackness of them startling me before he goes back to reading his book.

"Thanks," Rhys says before we walk toward where Bryaxis pointed. "Ok, was it just me or is that dude terrifying?"

"Oh, it's definitely not just you." I nod. "And also Amren saying she has stuff going on is not a good excuse."

He smiles at me. "You're still on that? Besides, isn't Amren your roommate? You should know where she went better than I do."

Shrugging, I say, "We don't talk very much. I don't think she likes me very much."

Rhys's focus is on the bookshelves as we pass them, making sure we turn in the correct place. "She doesn't like anyone very much, but, trust me, she likes you more than most." I cock a brow and he chuckles before saying, "Ah, here we are. After you Feyre, darling."

I roll my eyes and enter the small corridor between the library shelves. "What are we looking for again?"

"A card of some sort that either has the words 'Book of Breathings' on it or 'Find the Object' and is purple and black like our cards."

"Great." The books in front of us are all different colors and sizes, making this task look more and more like finding a needle in a haystack. "Let's get started."

We start going through the books, picking up each one to make sure there's nothing in it.

"Hey, Feyre, darling."

"What?"

"Kiss me if I'm wrong, but do dinosaurs still exist?" He turns to me, a giant smile on his face.

I shake my head, picking up the next book. "You'll have to do better than that."

His eyes narrow slightly, but his smile stays in place. "What about... if I could rearrange the alphabet, I'd put 'U' and 'I' together."

"I've heard that one before," I say with a chuckle.

"Hey, I got a laugh." He winks at me and runs his hand through his hair, and I swear it's the hottest thing I've ever seen.

Turning away, I pick up another book, shaking it a bit before putting it back on the shelf. Everything is quiet except for the shuffling of books and the faint conversations throughout the library. "Feyre, darling."

Oh for crying out loud. "What?"

"Did the sun come out?" He pauses for what he must think is dramatic effect. "Or did you just smile?"

My mood is becoming sour with each pick-up line he says and I give him a scowl. "Have you gone through any books?"

"Yes, actually." He still stands at the start of the aisle while I'm more toward the middle, glaring at him. "Ok, fine. I'm working. I'm working." He picks up a book and shakes it, making a purple and black piece of paper fall out. "Found it," he says, picking it up.

I shake my head. "I don't know if I can trust you with this now."

"Feyre, darling, you wound me."

"And you're annoying." He shows me the card. "This looks like my cypher. Come on." We sit down and he takes out a pencil and hands it to me. "R. W I think. A. This must be a T and the last letter is an E."

"That doesn't spell anything," Rhys says, making me nod. "They must fit into my cypher, though. Let's see." He grabs his card and lays them next to each other, taking the pencil. "W-A-T-E-R. Water."

We look at each other with frowns on our faces and ask, "What does that mean?"

. . .

"Morrigan Alethea Hughes." Andromache storms down the hallway, causing the few students inside on a Sunday to turn and stare.

Shit.

"Andi," I soothe with a smile. Hopefully my smiling face will make her forget whatever she's mad about.

"Don't 'Andi' me," she snaps, grabbing my wrist and dragging me into an empty classroom. "You broke up with Eris and didn't tell me?"

I bite my lip. Oh, so that's what she's mad about.

"Well?" She puts her hands on her hips.

"I meant to tell you, but every time I thought about it, I got scared." I look at the ground, playing with my fingers. The tiles sure are much more interesting than her eyes right now.

Her anger dissolves in a flash, and she takes my hands in smaller ones. "Why are you afraid to tell me?" Her voice is gentle and her hands are warm around mine.

Movement draws my eyes away from where our hands connect and to the window on the door. To the students walking past.

I pull my hands away, stuffing one into my pocket and using the other to move a strand of hair out of my face. "I...I'm scared of what will become of us now that I'm single."

Her forehead creases. "What do you mean?" A faint smile plays on her lips. "We can do whatever we want now, and the more important thing is that you are out of that abusive relationship."

Meeting her warm brown eyes makes me want to plead for her forgiveness for all the things I've done wrong. Those eyes make my stomach flutter and my mouth go dry. Those eyes make me want to break all of the rules.

I look away and take a few steps backwards. "I can't do this." The words spill out of my mouth before I can stop them. Before I can think and rephrase them.

"What?" Her face falls, the warmth in her eyes dimming until they look like cold husks.

"I--" I run a hand through my hair "--I'm not ready."

She gives me a small smile, one full of sadness and acceptance. She nods. "I know." Her eyes meet mine again. Brown meeting brown, pain meeting pain. "And when you're ready, I'll be here. But, I can't keep being your secret anymore." Tears line her eyes, an almost imperceptible gleam of water. "I can't handle not being able to hold you anymore."

She moves to the door, and I reach out my hand for her, grazing her jacket. "Wait, Andi," I call out, but the door closes behind her with a soft click.