H O N E Y [Felix Catton]

•F O U R•

It feels good to be back home.

To be more specific, it's like a second home. Saltburn has and always will be welcome to me, considering I had been going there every summer for over a decade now. Even with the death of my mum, Elspeth had some sort of sense to let me stay at Saltburn during summer break. I don't think I'm ready to stay at home by myself. It feels too empty without my mother.

I'm sitting on the sofa in the libary with Felix's mother and Farleigh, along with a orange-haired woman called Pamela. I wasn't acquainted with her, but I could appreciate her oddly eccentric style.

"They probably don't have rehabs in Liverpool" Elspeth sighs in false sympathy, and I shrug, taking a drag from my cigarette.

"I dont know, addiction rate at the moment is kind of shocking." I state factually.

"No, gosh no. I can't imagine they do." Pamela chirps, completely ignoring my previous words. Typical.

My legs are draped across one of Felix's shoulders, who is sitting on the floor, and he places a warm hand on my skin. I try my hardest not to go pink.

"Where is Liverpool?" Pamela asks stupidly. I hold back a scoff.

"North." Me and Felix's father say.

"It's called Prescot." Elspeth adds, tutting disapprovingly.

They go on this hateful tangent for another free minutes, and I completely zone out. My only focus being the large hand still moving up and down my leg tenderly. As much as I appreciated it that Elspeth had let me stay here, she was quite a shallow woman. She was more focused on how everything looked, having no care in what someone else was feeling. But it seems like everyone just shrunk underneath her gaze. Like Pamela, sitting next to me, who had been ridiculed by Elspeth more them once today.

The door creaks open, and a nervous looking Oliver (dressed like he was going for an interview, which it might as well have been. He needs Elspeth's approval, after all.) Steps inside the room, causing everyone's to fall into silence.

"And here he is now! We were just talking about you." Farleigh says snarkily, and from my spot I give him a quick glare. He's only just arrived, the poor boy. He can deal without Farleigh's dramatics for atleast a minute.

Elspeth rushes up to him, holding a hand to his face and cooing at him as if he were a child. The sight causes my face to scrunch up, taking a long inhale of the cig in my hand.

"Oh, what beautiful eyes, how wonderful!" She praises. Like I said, only cared about looks.

"I told you he wasn't a minger." Felix butts in and Elspeth waves him off.

"Yes but darling your kind to everyone, you can't be trusted."

Me and felix giggle, and it's then Oliver locks eyes with me, before they slowly move down to my legs that rested on Felix's shoulder.

I can't really describe the look he gave me after, but it was enough to make my rise my legs and put them in a criss-cross position.

"Oliver, I have a complete and utter horror for ugliness. Ever since I was young, I don't know why."

Right about now I was great full I wasn't all that bad looking. I'd be stuck at home by myself otherwise if what she's saying is true. Which it most defintly Is.

"Because your a terrible person?" Felix suggests.

I giggle, trying to cover my mouth in respect of elsbeth. Felix looks up to me and grins knowingly.

_

I'm getting ready in my room, styling my hair into a high top puff, two curls framing the side of my face. I do my edges expertly, making sure I'm up to perfection. Dinner time was always taken really seriously at Saltburn, I couldn't tell you why. I wasn't used to this room. I usually had the one across from Felix, but it's clear that room was reserved for Oliver. It didn't make any sense, how I had been going here all my life but I'm the one who has to switch rooms with someone who's never even been here before.

I see my door open from the mirror on the vanity, and I whip my head around only to spot a smirking Venitia.

"Heya." I give a half smile, looking back into the mirror as I apply my mascara.

"So, Oliver Quick." She states, lazily walking over to my side and leaning against the wall.

"What about him?" I ask, already irritated by the mention of his name.

She raises her hands in defence, letting out a low whistle.

"Okay, so I'm guessing we're not a fan of him."

"No... no, it's not that." I mutter, looking through my makeup bag for my eyeliner. "It's just- I don't know. Haven't you noticed he's kind of been like..." I trail off, not sure how to put it.

"Up Felix's arse?" She says with a knowing smile.

"Exactly. And I know its wrong of me, I mean, Felix can be friends with whoever he wants. But I just don't know how to feel about this Oliver boy."

She sighs, tilting her head up to look at the chandelier.

"Well, your not to blame for feeling like that. Your his best-est friend."

"Yeah, but It would be wrong of me to say who he can be friends with and who he can't. It's not who I am." I sigh, pressing my hand against my forehead, giving up on looking for my eyeliner completely.

"Don't get so wound up about it. It's summer break, focus on getting pissed or something." She huffs out a groan, stretching out her arms before leaving my room.

I loved Ventia, but she wasn't one to rant to.

I look over at the Silk dress hanging on my wardrobe. Curtesy of Elspeth, who had insisted I buy some more dresses for dinner.

I mean seriously, dresses... for dinner.

Okay, maybe it wasn't such a bad idea.

The dress is black with lace trim on the hem, floating around my ankles. It fits round my figure, but isn't so tight it's impossible to breath in. My skin contrasts the dress, and for once in a very long time, I feel very pretty. How Elspeth got my sizing right, however, Is beyond me.

-

I finally find myself at the dining table, sitting down next to Felix breathlessly. My hand instantly reaches for a bottle of wine, but before I can grab it, a footman is already grabbing it and pouring it for me. I mutter a 'thank you' before taking a sip of the tart liquid.

"You look really nice, cecilia." I hear Felix whisper beside me. I smile at him behind my glass, taking another swig. Now I was thankful for Elspeth more then ever.

Its then I notice Pamela on the other side of the table, rambling to Oliver, who looks more disturbed then anything.

"What's she on about?" I say to felix, nudging his arm with my elbow.

"Something about her Russian husband."

We both give eachother a look and start to laugh, although very quietly. I tune in just to hear Elspeth start talking.

"... you know were delighted to have you for however long it is you mean to stay."

You can tell just by looking at her that her words are anything but genuine, and I lean back in my seat, exchanging a look between me and Farleigh.

"Forever?" Farleigh says, his forehead creasing at the idea.

"Oh no, I think I might have found somewhere, actually." Pamela replies in her hushed tone, blinking quickly.

"Thank god, my mum might blow her top off if she stays any longer." Felix mutters in my ear and I giggle.

Just as I'm taking a sip of my wine, I look up to see Oliver. Staring at me with that same look he had when I was resting on Felix. I look away quickly, swallowing my wine, while also trying to swallow the nerves that had rushed to me as Oliver continued to stare.

"May I excuse myself to go to the bathroom?" I say politely, and the table quietens as I look over at Elspeth.

"Of course, darling. Don't be long now,  your dinner will get cold."

I nod quickly before rushing out the room, a cold sweat coming over me.

I have no idea why this stranger was having this affect on me. But the idea of him staying here for any longer truly, truly disturbed me.