𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐒𝐄 ✯ 𝐒𝐀𝐋𝐓𝐁𝐔𝐑𝐍 𝐅𝐀𝐍𝐅𝐈𝐂

𝟢𝟫．𝖸𝖤𝖠𝖧，𝖨 𝖳𝖮𝖫𝖣 𝖸𝖮𝖴 𝖧𝖤 𝖶𝖠𝖲𝖭'𝖳 𝖠 𝖬𝖨𝖭𝖦𝖤𝖱

𝖢𝖧𝖠𝖯𝖳𝖤𝖱 𝖭𝖨𝖭𝖤
❝  𝗒𝖾𝖺𝗁，𝗂 𝗍𝗈𝗅𝖽 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗁𝖾 𝗐𝖺𝗌𝗇'𝗍 𝖺 𝗆𝗂𝗇𝗀𝖾𝗋  ❞

I'D ARRIVED AT SALTBURN BEFORE OLLIE, regardless of the fact that I'd travelled home to collect the information on the curse, as requested by my grandmother. I'd read through the pages on the way to Saltburn — for something that was a sacrificial ritual, it did not seem all that bad. As peculiar as that sounds, it really didn't seem like it was that difficult. A bit disturbing, though, but it's a sacrifice so that's expected.

After being pleasantly greeted by the ever-terrifying Duncan — who I genuinely think is actually a fan of mine, as I seem to be one of the few people he smiles at — by the door, I made my way through the house, moving toward Felix's room that he and I would share. Usually, I'd be in the room connected to Felix's with a shared bathroom, but seeing as Ollie was staying the Summer too, Felix proposed he and I share a room so Ollie could be close to us. I didn't object — why would I?

His parents don't know about us yet, as far as I'm aware, not because they'd mind, just because he wished to tell them in person. I'd been friends with Felix since we were little, and his parents — his mother, specifically — had been begging us to get together for years. I've always loved Elspeth.

As I reached his room, the door was already open. He was sprawled across his bed, a book in hand — one I'd recommended to him a few months back. He'd finally started to read it, I couldn't help but smile as he flipped the pages, completely oblivious to the fact I was at his door.

"Hey," I spoke, my head leaned against the doorframe. I couldn't help the smile that grew across my face as he looked up at me, his eyes lighting up as he did so.

He grinned at me; nearly leaping up from his bed, moving towards me quickly. He picked me up from my space by the door and embraced me, hugging me in the way he always does. He pressed his lips to mine, as he pressed my back into the wall, kissing me deeply.

"Hi," he grinned at me, as he finally pulled away, still keeping my back pressed against the wall. "I've missed you so much."

"You saw me yesterday," I let out a small snicker, before pressing my lips to his again — I'd missed him too.

"Yeah, and I've missed you," he smiled, forehead touching my own. "Didn't you miss me?"

"Yeah, yeah, I missed you too," I rolled my eyes as he put me back on the floor — I wish he hadn't, I'd love to be in his arms forever. "When we gonna tell Elspeth?"

"Whenever you're available to read through her hundred pages worth of wedding articles she's started collecting since we started primary school," Felix snorted, shaking his head, as he moved to sit back on his bed.

My smile dropped instantly, as I joined Felix on his bed. I couldn't give her that. I couldn't read through those wedding articles with her, couldn't plan a wedding with her, couldn't become her daughter-in-law like she's always wanted because if I did marry her son, it could kill him.

Felix's face dropped seconds after mine did. "Fuck, Hope, I'm so sorry," he looked down at his lap, his eyebrows furrowed, showing his anger with himself for not thinking before he spoke. "I didn't mean it like-"