KILL YOUR DARLINGS ✸ Saltburn

𝒊𝒙. jealousy, jealousy

𖤐 𝑪𝑯𝑨𝑷𝑻𝑬𝑹 𝑵𝑰𝑵𝑬:
╰┈➤ jealousy, jealousy ༉‧₊˚.

THE FOLLOWING MORNING, MEREDITH had been awoken with sunlight peering through the sheer yellow curtains draped over her windows.

It was beautiful, honestly. Meredith Archibald looked entirely ethereal—almost as if she was straight out of a painting—the sunlight beamed off of her, radiating her and causing her soft skin to glow. She'd just woken up and she was glowing.

She turned herself over gently, her body weight propped up with only her one elbow as she reached to read the time on her alarm clock.

It'd nearly been noon, and though Meredith hadn't been sleep-deprived, she just hadn't slept in an actual bed since last summer, which made up for her over-consuming hours of sleep.

The Oxford dorm room beds are awful and feel like you're sleeping on a stiff box, but here in Saltburn, she was truly getting a luxury.

She rubbed her eyes gently before sitting up and tossing the covers off of her.

She could tell today was going to be a good day—any day in Saltburn was.

MEREDITH CHANGED OUT OF her pastel yellow silk pajamas but hadn't yet taken her braids out.

She'd been wearing a white lace floral-patterned camisole tucked into a lavender mini-skirt and a pearl necklace draped over her collarbone.

Her room was only a couple further down than Felix's, so her direction to the rest of the house was still the same, and she knew this house like the back of her hand.

While on her way to one of the few living areas, where the most commotion—conversation—was coming from, she was met with Oliver at the turn of her corner.

He'd been standing right outside the door with a striped polo shirt on and honestly, with how flustered he'd gotten for being caught by Meredith was quite adorable.

She beamed at the sight of her friend, going immediately to embrace him in a hug. "When did you get here?"

"A couple hours ago." He said quietly, watching her face light up as she pulled away from him.

She nodded, giving a light laugh. "I'd have said hi sooner but I just woke up."

He waved her off, but quickly shoved it in his pocket, mentally cursing himself for the awkward motion. "It's fine."

Meredith completed putting her second earring on and smiled up at the boy with a reading half-grin. "Eavesdropping, hmm?"

His face reddened. "Er—no—"

Meredith giggled before putting her two fingers together and motioning it across her lips, as if a zipper. "Your secret's safe with me, Ollie."

He mustered up the courage to at least give another awkward smile, but neither of them could say anything else because the door between them had opened and Felix was on the other side, smiling down at the two.

"Oh, good, you're finally awake!" He cheered, reaching over and pulling her toward him. He caged her inside his strong arms and despite her muffled giggles and squirms to be released, pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

Once the girl was free from his grasp, Felix reached over and ruffled Oliver's hair before Elspeth quickly went to greet him.

It was no secret that Oliver had a thing for Meredith—who wouldn't?—however, Oliver shouldn't.

Oliver's now best mate is not only Meredith's ex-boyfriend, but now the two have a seemingly obvious on-and-off thing going on.

Elspeth went on to place her hands on either side of Oliver's arms as she looked at him with deepened amazement.

Meredith was watching the scene unfold when Felix whispered something in her ear from beside her on the couch, earning a muffled laugh and a swatting off hands from the girl, and a bewildered, saddened, envious gaze from Oliver.