Skylar and Ellian have initially built their friendship on band-aids and kisses. How foolish were they to believe that was enough to hold what they had, when ultimately-it really was not.
Four years passed and Skylar returns, forcing both to face th...
The sight before us has us both gasping out in wonder. The term winter resort does not do what we see justice. From what I am seeing, I can gather that the place Rae booked for us is more than just a mere winter resort. It looked like something out of a fairytale. Nestled between the mountains is a village—one cradled in a blanket of white. The lights coming from the lodges that line the road casts a soft glow, creating a cozy atmosphere. From a far, I can see a skating rink, a river, and a cluster of hot baths. In the middle of it all was a massive Christmas tree. Strings of lights from the lodges roofs attach to it, acting as the centerpiece of the entire thing.
"This is unreal," I say. We are not even there yet and I can only imagine the sight up close.
"Do you mind if we park by the road?"
I nod, eager to see more of it. After parking, I get out to walk towards the edge of the cliff, trying to get a better view of the landscape. It is enough to ebb away the dread and turmoil I am feeling, giving me a clearer mind. But it is not enough to abate the anger I feel.
I heave a sigh, thinking about how I reacted at the airport. Surely, I have grown to react more maturely about it? I mean, I thought I would, but seeing Elli after our four years of silence had felt like the world was crumbling beneath my feet. And it enrages me how he acts so unfazed about it, as though nothing had happened between us, as though the past years had not affected him as much as it did me. To him, it seems like everything is as what it was before. To him, nothing has changed. If that's how he sees it, then fine. I will do the same. Enough years have pass to show him I've moved on from our ruined friendship. I'll show him.
A gust of chilly wind pass. Even for just a moment, I allow myself to rid myself of these emotions. I lift my arms, as though embracing the breeze that is to come. I smile, close my eyes, and let out a deep breath. After some time, I feel the presence of someone behind me. Looking over my shoulder, I see Ellie with a camera pointed towards me.
Seeing him and his camera fills me with nostalgia.
"Hey, it's rude to take a picture of a woman without her knowing," I say, crossing my arms.
He let the camera hang down his neck and merely rolls his eyes. "You know, it wasn't for any malicious intent. It's what candid shots are for."
"Geez, okay then. If you wanted to capture the amazing view," I said, pointing to myself, "you could've just asked politely." He stares at me, then shakes his head. "Nah, your poses are terrible. That would've just ruined the pho—oomph."
His hair, which I know takes him so long to fix, is now covered in flakes of white. His eyes narrow as he watches me clean the snow off my hands. I give him a smile and skitter away.
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It took some time for us to arrive at our destination, but we are here now. And what we saw from afar is incomparable to what we are looking at now. Elli parks his car, hauls our luggage (which he denied help for, by the way) and together we walk towards the main building.
Just as we were about to enter, Elli stops and faces me. "I forgot," he says and brings out a gift bag. "Rae asked me to give this to you before we check in."
I furrow my brows as I take the gift from him. I reach in to pull out a box with a note attached to it. It reads:
My beloved Skylar,
I hope you like your gift. I put so much effort into it so do me a favor and wear it now to show your gratitude.
Love you
-R
I roll my eyes at the note. Classic of Rae to demand for such things. After putting the note back, I finally open the box. I gasp. In the box is a beautiful jewelry set. A pair of earrings, a ring, and a necklace. There are all so delicate in their simple, rose-gold, winter-inspired design. I can't help but let out a small squeal in delight. I hand the box back to Elli, for him to hold, as I first put on the earrings, then the ring, which would only fit on my ring finger, and just as I was about to put the necklace on (or attempt to, at least), Elli beat me to it. "Here," he said, taking the necklace from me and giving me the box. Coming behind me, he gathers my hair to put it up. "Hold this up for me."
I stand there, still in shock, as I blindly follow what he asks, holding my hair up. I try not to notice the way I feel his fingers brush the back of my neck, or how close he is that I can feel his body heat radiating off him. I also try not to notice how quick my heart is pounding. I hope he does not hear how loud it beats from where he stands behind me.
"There you go," he whispers, hot breath fanning the back of my ear.
It took me a moment to break out of my trance. I clear my throat and face him. He is too close. I staggere away to put some distance between us. And here I thought I couldn't be any more flustered. "I could've done that on my own, you know."
He says nothing and goes back to retrieve our bags that he left by the door. He looks over his shoulder. "I thought it was a polite thing to do."
And as he enters the building, I see a small smirk on his lips. The cheeky rat. I'm gonna put the necklace around his neck and strangle him with it.
And with that, I stomp after him. Cursing him, cursing my best friend for making me go through this.
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Author's Note
I'm sorry it took this long for an update. You see, I'm just a premed student with too much confidence in my ability to manage my time. When in reality, I suck at time management and becaus of that my life is in shambled rn lol.
Anyways, I hope you like this chapter. Let me know what you think about this chapter.
It would mean a lot if you were to comment, vote and share this as to help put this story out there. Thank you.
