Rebel Rising: A Dystopian Romance

“That's not true. They just don't like that I'm stronger than their boyfriends. These girls are tough like me," Alicia sounded like she was smiling.

"No one is tough like you. Look, let's just trust that they'll want to help us or at least stay out here with us, more than they’ll want to try their luck back at the city. I don't think that's too much of a stretch of the imagination," he said and I could hear him yawning as he finished.

"How have you been sleeping?" Alicia asked him suspiciously.

"Like the dead. Speaking of which, it's late." His tone was low with warning and Alicia sighed.

"I'm sorry, I'm playing mom again. You know I just worry about you," she said gently.

“And I worry about you too, stop apologising. I'm fine, I promise."

“Okay, are you going to bed?"

“In a minute."

"I'll see you in the morning then." I heard Alicia climbing off of the sofa and ducked into the kitchen as stealthily as I could manage, hoping that she wasn't thirsty too. Thankfully, I heard her moving up the stairs a moment later.

I hastily got my glass of water which I drained in one before I filled another and slipped back out into the corridor. I paused for a moment by the door to the living area and saw the back of Coal's head still poking above the sofa.

I crept on by and put a foot on the first step of the wooden staircase, meaning to head up, but his voice stopped me.

“What are you up to?" Coal called out.

I paused, hoping that he might just have been talking to Kaloo.

“Maya?" he called out again.

I moved back to the doorway grinning sheepishly.

“I was thirsty." I brandished my water as evidence.

“You look... different." His eyes studied my face and I dropped my gaze under his scrutiny.

“I think what you mean is, I look clean."

He watched me for a few more moments before looking away.

He'd had a shower too, his hair was wet and he'd had a shave though dark stubble still lined his jaw. I bit my lip, wondering if I should make an excuse to leave.

"Are you tired?" Coal asked, reclining back onto the sofa and beckoning me into the room. I almost felt like I was in trouble and I dragged my bare feet across the soft carpet as I moved around to face him.

"I'm not sure. I'm physically exhausted but I'm so hyped up I'm not convinced I could sleep." I hovered by the arm of the sofa, not sure what to do with myself.

I glanced about the room, there were pieces of heavy wooden furniture lined with books and a large table to eat around. The walls were painted a dark green but the room was big enough to hold the colour. I noted the fact that there was no TV and wondered what they did for entertainment.

“I'm not feeling too tired myself yet, do you want company?" He gave me a disarming smile and I chewed on my bottom lip as I considered his invitation. I had no idea what I would say to him and was half tempted to refuse but there was something truly captivating about him which just wouldn’t let me turn away.

"Sure." I sank onto the far end of the couch but glanced back up at the stairs guiltily as I did so.

“If you'd rather be with Taylor-"

I shook my head. "There isn't much point, I just don't like leaving him up there alone, he might wake up and be confused without me there. But he hasn't shown any signs of waking up yet so..."

“I'm sure he'll wake up soon. We'll get him that help in the morning." Coal shifted in his seat, glancing at me and then away again. "Do you want a real drink?" he asked as he retrieved a large glass bottle filled with a dark brown liquid from the floor.

"What is it?" I asked, not recognising it.

“Whiskey," he said, getting up and pulling two round tumblers out of a cupboard on the far wall.