𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐧 & 𝐛𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬 [ 𝐉𝐚𝐜𝐨𝐛 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 ]

3

THE  rain tapped rhythmically against the windows of the cozy Swan home. I sat on the living room couch, my chin resting in my hand as I stared out at the gloomy weather, watching as the rain slid down the glass in rhythmic beats. It had been a tough week, filled with uncertainties and worries that seemed to have no end. I sighed, feeling the weight of it all pressing down on me.

Jessa grinned as she measured out flour for the chocolate chip cookies they were making in the kitchen. "Alright, ladies, let's whip up some of my famous cookies. Guaranteed to chase away any gloomy day blues." she hummed a little "and if your ass isn't in this kitchen you're not getting any."

That had all of us hauling ourselves up from our spots and cramming into the kitchen to help the girl.

Cassandra pointed at herself dramatically. "I call dibs on taste-testing duty."

I chuckled, feeling a glimmer of warmth returning to me. "As long as you save some for the rest of us."

Our laughter, and chatter mingled with the sound of raindrops outside. Jessa mixed the ingredients giving up the measuring cups and opting to eye everything. None of us questioned her, not once, her confident movements alone were a testament to her baking skills. "You know, there's something therapeutic about baking," Jessa mused as she formed cookie dough balls.

Danielle draped herself over a chair, her eyes shining with mischief. "Or maybe it's just the promise of delicious treats at the end."

As the cookies baked in the oven, we spread out in the living room, surrounded by blankets and pillows. We settled in with a collection of classic movies, the sound of laughter and dialogue filling the room. I felt the tension in my shoulders start to ease as I lost myself in the storyline, the outside world momentarily forgotten.

As the movie came to a close, Danielle clapped her hands together. "Alright, Who's up for some facemasks?"

Cassandra raised an eyebrow. "Are we talking about facemasks and cucumbers on our eyes?"Jessa nodded, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Exactly. It's self-care time, ladies."

We migrated to the small bathroom upstairs, armed with an array of facemasks and skincare products that Danielle had supplied from her personal collection. As we applied the masks, we couldn't help but dissolve into giggles.

I peered at my reflection, my brow furrowing. "Uh, is this supposed to burn?"

Danielle burst into laughter. "Maybe that's just a sign that it's working its magic."

Cassandra shook her head, a smile tugging at her lips. "Or maybe you grabbed the spicy salsa of facemasks."

I laughed, a grin taking over my face. For the first time in days, I felt a sense of lightness, that washed away the worries that had been clinging to me.

After the facemasks had been washed off and the cookies were done baking, we reconvened in the living room. The warm, gooey cookies were gone before they had even begun to cool."Yeah, I'm going to need Emily's recipe because these are heaven-sent." Danielle nodded, wiping the chocolate from her fingers.

Jessa laughed, shaking her head. "I'm taking it to the grave."

I took a deep breath, my gaze fixed on the screen but my thoughts elsewhere. The words had been on the tip of my tongue, a secret I had held onto for far too long. Finally, I spoke, my voice quiet but steady. "I feel like I'm drowning"

Jessa glanced at me, frowning softly "What do you mean?"

 "It's Embry. He's been... distant lately. We used to be so close, and now it's like he's avoiding me. I don't know what happened.", my fingers twisted a strand of hair as I gazed at them "I feel like I'm drowning and the person who would usually save me has just.. vanished."

"Have you tried talking to him at all?" Cassandras hand on my shoulder was gentle as she gave my shoulder a squeeze. "I know its hard, someone you love shutting down like that."

I sighed, my eyes welling up with emotion. "I've tried, but he just shuts me out. It's like he's a completely different person."

Danielle nodded in understanding. "Maybe there's something going on with him that he's not ready to share? Mike was like that last year, but now he won't leave me alone."

Cassandra nodded "Life is ass, people are ass. Sometimes, life throws us curveballs that we can't predict."

"What do you mean?"

She hesitated for a moment, wringing her hands together before continuing, her voice tinged with vulnerability. "Well, you guys know how Bella's been acting strange lately, right? It's been really hard on me. I mean, she's my sister, and I just want to help her, but it's like she's slipping away." she shook her head softly "and it's hard it's really fucking hard always having this pressure on me to do good, to make sure she's doing good.

"You're doing your best, Cassandra. It's not easy taking care of someone, especially when they're going through something you can't fully understand." I frowned, my eyes softening as I took in my friend, I couldn't comprehend how I had missed just how much Cassandra had been struggling.

"That really means more than you'll ever really know."

I looked around at my friends, a sense of unity and understanding settling over us. "You know, it's nice to have people who get it. We're all dealing with our own struggles."

"You're right, Lennon. We're in this together." With a deep breath, Jessa cleared her throat, her gaze shifting to the floor. "Speaking of struggles, I've been thinking a lot about Leah lately. Seeing Sam and Emily together... I can't help but feel guilty for being happy when Leah is hurting."

"That's not your fault, Jess. You're not Sam, and you're not Emily. They made that choice, not you. You can always reach out and be there for Leah – she's your cousin too." Danielle frowned.

Everyone knew the story of Sam and Emily, the betrayal, the heartbreak, and all of the mess in between had been recounted to us by Jessa herself after a particularly bad argument with Emily. We were all grateful that Jessa was here and a part of our lives, but we knew deep down that if life could have stayed the same as it was before Emily met Sam, she would've been happy for it to stay that way.

Jessa nodded softly as she leaned her head on Cassandra's shoulder.

Danielle shifted in her seat, her gaze fixed on her cup of cocoa. "I guess I should share too. I've been struggling with school lately. It's like no matter how hard I try, I can't seem to keep up." she huffs "Even Mike is doing better than I am an he's absolutely clueless."

And just like that our group was filled with laughter, Danielle was lying, trying to make us feel better because she hadn't really ever struggled with anything. She grinned, slinging an arm around my shoulders "I mean c'mon he's been hit in the head so many times I'm shocked he remembers anything."

As the rain continued to pour down outside, we settled in, wrapping ourselves in blankets and sharing stories long into the night. We hadn't truly settled to go to sleep until Charlie had come down, reminding us that he had work in the morning.

Jessa's voice broke through the quiet of the room. "You know, rainy days like these are meant for moments like this – good company, comfort food, and a whole lot of laughter."

Cassandra leaned back against the couch, a serene smile gracing her lips. "Absolutely. It's like a reminder that even in the gloomiest of times, there's always a little bit of sunshine to be found."