TO LIE WITH MIDNIGHT ROSES

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   RENESSA

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The crackling fireplace provided a welcome warmth in contrast to the biting chill outside as I huddled close to it.

The wind howled through the trees, their skeletal branches rattling like ancient bones in the dark. Inside, the cabin felt like a fragile sanctuary, its cozy atmosphere a stark contrast to the relentless cold beyond the walls and it felt even emptier without Xavier. He had left in such a hurry last night, pulling away from me, breaking the kiss and within a breath he was gone.

The book in my hands was meant to distract me, but my mind kept wandering, unable to settle. Reliving the events of last night, then back to when he had me on top of the table in Jaxon's study, over and over my mind got lost in the visuals of our bodies entangled and it left a dull achiness between my thighs and a pang of hurt within my chest.

I trace the worn edges of the leather cover absentmindedly, then once over the place on my neck where Xavier's fangs had once been...my thoughts drifting now to the shadows beyond the windows.

Each gust of wind seemed to carry whispers, secrets that played on my nerves, and the dark outside felt like it was conspiring against the warmth within.

Goosebumps rose along my arms and a nauseating feeling pulled at my stomach, peering out the window, I watched as the snow fell gently against the ground but nothing formed within the darkness and somehow the absence of anything felt worrisome.

I catch a glimpse of my reflection in the window, the pointed tips of my ears, unmistakable and foreign, marked me as one of the Fae.

My hair, a tangled mess of wild waves that seemed to have a mind of its own, framed my face in a chaotic halo. It felt like a constant reminder of my past life, of who I was before everything changed.

A decision stirred within me—a desire for change, for a fresh start. I couldn't erase my pointed ears or my dark and troubled past, but I could take control of my appearance. With newfound determination, I pull away from the window and find my way into the kitchen, shuffling through the draws when I find them.

Quickly, I reach for the scissors hidden among the pointless cutlery and utensils thrown within drawers, their blades catching the yellow glow of the small oil lamp I had set on the counter earlier this evening as I hold them up towards my hair.

Gathering my courage, I began to snip away at the unruly locks, the sound of each cut a liberation from the past. Strands of hair fell around me like whispered promises of transformation. I sculpted and shaped, carving out a new identity for myself, one that felt more true to who I was becoming.

With the last snip, I find myself hurrying towards the bathroom, lamp in hand as I stand before the mirror. Sucking in a sharp breath I take in my new reflection, feeling the soft ends of my hair just above my shoulders. A small laugh escapes me, another, and then another.

Suddenly, hot tears and muffled cries as I lean over the counter, a feeling of acceptance finally takes over. Each tear that falls leaves behind traces of my past, haunting echoes of what once was. My soft cries fill the empty cabin with the only source of sound when to my surprise, I hear the creek of a floorboard.

My heart fluttered with each unexpected noise, I carry the lamp carefully as I exit the bathroom and peer down the hallway. I couldn't tear my gaze away from the front door, willing Xavier to appear.