( FAYE )

this morning, he arrived- the unexpected guest, the unwelcome presence that haunts my thoughts.

sadies ex-boyfriend, felix.

he's extremely treasured by sadies parents. the way their smiles beam at the sight of him is evidence.

he shares the festive moments, bearing gifts and gestures that seem to win them over even more than he already has.

in their eyes, he's the one who should be holding her hand, not me.

"he just showed up"

did he? or did you invite him?

i inquired about his sudden holiday appearance, and just when he started forming a sentence, something along the lines of "oh, mrs sink invited-" his leg was kicked beneath the table.

they invited him, but they won't admit it.

they don't like me, they just pretend. their false smiles and feigned kindness betray their true desire. they want sadie back with him.

i wish i could talk to sades about this, but it's not her fault. she believes their lies just as i did, completely unaware of the truth.

until something happens, i can only confide in these pages, where my inked words are the only witnesses to my silent feelings.

- ★ -

"hey, you okay?"

a gentle voice peeks through the doorframe, prompting me to shift my gaze from the window with a silent nod.

she takes a seat on the bed, which is facing the meagre couch i'm sat in.

"they look so happy" i divert her gaze towards a family strolling through the snow-filled streets.

she agrees with a hum before joining me in observing the people in the streets, pondering what it would be like to switch places with them.

the tension in the room is palpable.

neither sadie or i speak, allowing the silence to communicate our thoughts.

until, i release a sigh.

"i think your parents don't like me"

the pair of blue eyes narrow at my words, her lips releasing a soft chuckle. "what do you mean? they love you"

i clench my jaw, glancing at her. "they don't"

i decide not to hold back, allowing my honesty to be a double-edged sword.

"they secretly plan on us breaking up so that you can be with hot guy felix, that's why they invited him here"

sadies brows rise up in amusement as she scoffs. "faye, did you take drugs? what are you even talking about"

upon noticing my lack of laughter, she sighs.

"they didn't invite him, and they don't have any evil mastermind plan to break us up"

"they did invite him" my tone is stern. "i asked what made him show up, he clearly started saying that your mom invited him before she kicked his leg"

sadies once reassuring eyes flare with a new emotion, one that's not so comforting.

"okay well, maybe they just invited him for the holidays. it doesn't mean they're conspiring against us"

i shake my head, the weight of my observations pressing down. "it's more than that"

the redhead furrows her brows, prompting me to explain.

"i've seen the way they treat him, the warmth they show him. it's completely different from how they speak to me, it's so forced when it's towards me"

sadies tone grows defensive.

"you're overreacting. we've only been here for a day and you're already making crazy ass theories about how my parents wanna break us up?" she snickers.

"it's just your insecurity talking, faye"

that sentence hits me like a truck.

"i'm overreacting? you're in denial, sadie. i can't have your parents prefer your high school fling over me"

a minute of silence is broken off by sadies icy tone.

"maybe you should consider if this relationship is worth it"

- ★ -

"everyone ready?"

sadies mom suggested that we head to a nearby restaurant for dinner, crossing the snowy streets during the evening.

all of us are bundled up with multiple layers of clothing- from shirts to sweaters, jackets, coats. it's the only way to handle the biting cold.

stepping outside when the world is blanketed in snow feels like stepping into a real-life snow globe.

i can feel the cold nipping at my nose and cheeks as we walk out the door, entering a landscape that's painted in a pristine white.

with each stride of my legs, my breath escapes in frosty plumes, creating clouds that dissipate into the atmosphere.

even when wrapped in all these layers, i'm unable to escape the persistent sensation of being trapped in a glacial embrace.

"the weather is so nice"

felix's remark causes me to throw a glare in his direction, feeling sadies eyes being laid on me.

she and i haven't exchanged a word since our argument. i can barely recall the reason behind it or how it even began, all i know is that it was ridiculous.

each step i take in the fluffy snow leaves a satisfying imprint. the muffled silence of conversation around me is only broken by the soft, soothing sound of tiny snowflakes gently landing on the ground.

sadies eyes remain plastered on me as we walk. i don't turn towards her once, although i want to, more than anything.

we're like distant stars in the cold night sky, our connection flickering faintly but not entirely extinguished.

could she have really meant her words?

i take a deep breath, the cold air filling my lungs and leaving behind a crisp freshness.

i know that our relationship isn't fit to last forever, especially since she and rory...

out of nowhere, the redhead walks beside me, taking my hand in hers.

as we walk together, our boots crunching softly in the fresh snow, i lace my fingers within hers. the gesture provides as an unspoken apology.

although, there's nothing i really need to apologise for.

the small cabin restaurant nestles in the heart of the neighbourhood. sadies parents seem to be fairly familiar with this place.

as soon as we step in, winter becomes a distant memory, being replaced with the warmth of heaters and the aroma of simmering stews and roasts.

the interior provides a rustic look. the dim-lit space is filled with the soothing crackling of a fireplace, its flickering flames casting dancing shadows on the wooden beams above.

"this is my favourite place to be" sadies dad praises, setting his coat up on the stand.

we situate ourselves in a row of quaint wooden tables, adorned with plaid tablecloths and flickering candles.

sadie decides to take a seat next to me, leaving space for one more beside her.

felix hesitantly takes the spot, leaving sadie to scooch a little further away from him, closing any mere gap left between the two of us.

i subconsciously tap my feet along to the jazz playing in the background, which admittedly add to the warmth of the atmosphere.

the redhead joins me with both of us being far from the original beat. we resort to laughter, earning confused glances from the family.

the waiter, in his snug red-checkered shirt, strays towards our cornered table with a grin.

as sadies dad places the order for everyone, felix taps my shoulder from afar.

"what?"

"there's a graveyard near the house"

i raise a brow at him. "and?"

sadie, who was listening into the conversation, turns towards me with a small gasp. "we can go ghost hunting!"

"and why would we do that?"

"because" felix starts. "it's fun"

i don't respond, prompting him to speak again.

"plus, i've only spoken to you once since i came here. i think we should get to know eachother"

the veracity in his tone leads me to sigh, before agreeing to the request. "fine"

sat in a seat next to the window, i watch as snowflakes tumble from the evening sky, framing the winter landscape.

sadie and i remain in our lack of conversation, her eyes glued to her phone while felix fidgets with the silver utensils on the table.

"isn't it beautiful?" sadies mom remarks, noticing my gaze fixed on the snow-laden trees outside.

i face her with a nod and a forced smile. "yeah"

"the things i'd do to go snowboarding right now" sadies brother states.

felix suddenly turns towards me, initiating a conversation. "have you ever gone snowboarding, faye?"

"uhm no, not really" i shrug.

"you should, sometime" he suggets.

the more we talk, the more i like felix. our conversation about sports lasts too long, considering i'm not even that interested in it.

i babble about my journal, while he shares his interest in photography.

"do you do it for a living?"

"well, kinda. it's not my main career choice. i just like capturing the moments" he smiles.

sadie chimes in. "oh yeah, i remember you bringing a camera everywhere we went"

he emits a sheepish chuckle. "yeah, i still do that. it's at your parents house right now"

sadies parents add to the newfound comfort in this situation, sharing sadies childhood stories.

"oh, faye, you won't believe this" sadies dad starts. "when sadie was about five, we took her to a petting zoo due to her non-stop begging. she loved the goats, so she decided it would be a good idea to give one of them a kiss"

i turn to sadie with a grin, noticing her groan.

"did she get headbutted?"

sadies dad nods quickly, earning a soft laugh from me.

her mom chimes in. "speaking of kisses, sadie, do you remember the time you planted a little kiss on that stray puppys nose when you were seven? you said you wanted to make him feel loved"

sounds of aww emerge from the table, causing sadie to shake her head with a chuckle.

"so, you were always like this?" i giggle.

"yeah" she proudly nods. "always knew animals are way better than people"

sadies dad recounts her love for nature, and the time she decided to dig up a patch of their backyard to create a forest for the fairies.

whilst her parents continue embarrassing her, the redheads fingers graze against my thigh under the table, catching me off guard.

her hand strays too close towards my inner thigh, prompting me to slap it away in a panic. she suppresses a laugh, covering her mouth.

- ★ -

as the night settles in and the moon casts eerie shadows across the graveyard, the three of us embark on our useless ghost-hunting adventure.

i shift my flashlight towards sadies face, shooting the ray directly at her eyes. she covers her face with a groan.

"let's bust some ghosts" i cheer.

felix grins. "who you gonna call? gho-"

"no" sadie shakes her head with a monotone voice.

felix, clutching onto his phone which doubles as a ghost tracking app, looks around nervously. "guys i hear something"

"really?" sadie questions, her brows furrowing for a moment before she gasps. "wait, i do too!"

with a grin, she glances around and then playfully shouts "boo!" in front of his face, causing the blonde to let out a startled shriek.

as we venture deeper through the snowy graveyard, our flashlights reveal rows of tombstones.

at some point, we come across an old, ornate gravestone adorned with intricate carvings. i bend down to examine it closely, running my fingers over the words etched into the stone.

"woah, look at this"

sadie grins at my genuine fascination. "yeah, each one of these tell their own story"

they join me, our flashlights casting a glow on the carving. it depicts a ship sailing into the horizon, with a moon above it. below the ship, there's a name, accompanied by the date of his birth and his passing.

we move on, with me leading the way. we come across an area with older, worn gravestones, some of them dating back centuries. the weight of history fills the air.

we decide to head back home as our initial ghost hunting intentions dissolve into melancholy.

the tombstones seem to remind us how valuable time is. each one of these tells a story of a person, who was once just like us.

★ authors note ,,

death 🔥