𝗠𝗘𝗔𝗡𝗧 𝗧𝗢 𝗕𝗘 // 𝗖.𝗙

𝖯 𝖱 𝖮 𝖬 𝖨 𝖲 𝖤 𝖣

"I WANT to stay here, with you forever." Conrad whispers, his breath warm against Sylvias ear, followed by the softest of kisses just beneath it.

A shiver traces its way down Sylvia's spine as his lips grazed her neck, a delicate dance of fire and ice. The sand she held slips through her fingers, unnoticed, as she turns to face him.

Tilting her head back, she gazes up at him, her heart swelling at the sight of his smile—a wide, radiant expression that seemed to perfectly adorn his face.

"Forever with you is all I want." She breathes, the words a promise and a prayer.

"I love you, you know that?" Conrad murmurs, shifting her until she straddles his waist, the closeness a tangible expression of their bond.

Sylvia wraps her legs around him, her hands framing his face, drawing him closer. "I love you more."

She whispers, a challenge and a surrender all in one.

"Impossible." Conrad breathes against her lips before pulling her into a kiss—soft, gentle, a meeting of souls.

In that moment, time seemed to stand still, the world outside fading away.

Perfect didn't even begin to describe it; it was a moment, a memory, Sylvia knew she would carry within her forever.

She wanted to hold onto him, to keep him, to have him always.

But life, as it often does, had other plans.

Forever wasn't theirs to keep.

She and Conrad didn't last, Susannah was gone, and nothing would ever be the same.

The weight of what was lost settled around her heart, a constant reminder of the fragility of their perfect moment.

∞︎︎∞︎︎∞︎︎∞︎︎∞︎︎∞︎︎∞︎︎∞︎︎

"Syl. Come out, please." Beau's voice was a gentle plea, each light knock on her door echoing with a concern that burrowed deep into Sylvia's heart.

From inside her room, Sylvia remains silent, her only response a further descent into the depths of her bed.

Curling on her side, she stares, unblinking, at the photograph on her nightstand—Conrad, Steven, herself, and Jeremiah, frozen in a moment of shared joy.

Their smiles were wide, genuine, a stark contrast to the hollow ache that now resided within her.

She had become a ghost in her own life, haunting the confines of her room for what felt like an eternity.

Each day, Beau would return from school to find her in the same pose, trapped in a loop of longing and regret, her eyes fixed on the ghosts of what once was.

"I was thinking we should go hang out around town before I have to head back to school." Beau suggests, his voice laced with a hope that seemed to falter with each passing day.

He sighs, leaning his head against the door, and knocked again, softer this time. "Please, Syl. I want to see my best friend again before I go."

A whisper, barely audible, drifts from within the room. "It's open."

Beau exhales, relief and trepidation warring within him as he turns the knob and pushed the door open. He found her sitting up now, but her gaze remained fixed on the photograph.

Walking over, he gently took her hands, pulling her to her feet, forcing her to meet his eyes.

"Go shower and get dressed, okay?" Beau instructs, his voice firm but tender.