Frozen Fire - Volume One: Fragments

12: Melting Point

Whilst Sylvie had grown familiar with a myriad of emotions, regret seemed to be the one that haunted her the most. It would haunt her at night, forcing her eyes open lest they twist her dreams into nightmarish visions and wake her in a cold sweat. She regretted a lot – her last words to Blossom, the way she and Elizabeth had fallen out, everything that happened with her...

Sylvie finally stopped pacing through the corridor, letting out the air that felt all too heavy in her lungs. The words she'd said to Amber were just more regrets piled on top of all of that. Sylvie couldn't help but sneer at herself. Just what would Blossom think of you now...

"You good?" The girl let out another sigh, refocusing on the person behind her. If they were trying to hide the fact they were tailing her, they did a horrendous job. Sylvie faced the blue-haired girl. "Sup?" Jess grinned.

It's not that Sylvie wasn't familiar with Jessica Reef – she knew she was an old friend of Blossom's (and Eve's current best friend) and also happened to be the girlfriend of Amber's sister. No, it was rather that the pair had rarely ever spoken. The last time Sylvie could recall was during Blossom's funeral, the older girl attempting to give some comfort to Sylvie.

Sylvie met Jess's eyes. She didn't know the girl all too well, Jess being tangentially related to Sylvie at best. Sylvie let her eyes narrow. "Are you here to talk about the things I said to Amber?" To that, Jess gave a shrug.

"Don't know what you said, to be honest," The girl's nonchalant attitude caused questions to float to the forefront of Sylvie's mind. Jess likely couldn't decipher confusion from Sylvie's usual vacant and cold expression, but the girl clarified regardless. "Amber didn't mention it. I followed you for... other reasons." The latter part of the sentence descended into a quiet murmur, and Sylvie picked up on the subtext.

The eldest Bishop daughter couldn't help the sigh that escaped her lips as she turned and leant her back against the brick wall, slowly sliding down until she could tuck her knees into her chest, curling up. Jess's gaze softened. "It's that time again..." Jess muttered, "I don't think it'll ever get easier."

Sylvie realised Jess talked, a lot. It reminded her back to Blossom's funeral, the older girl descending into rambles as she spoke to Sylvie. Looking back, Sylvie wasn't entirely convinced that she'd even spoken a word to the older girl back then.

All Sylvie found herself doing was nodding. "But," Jess started, "I don't think isolating yourself will make it any easier. Might be doing the opposite, actually." Sylvie glanced up, shooting a faint glare, lacking the usual ice her eyes normally held.

"Why do you care?" She found herself asking, Jess simply staring back with those yellow eyes.

"Because, I don't like seeing the girl Blossom considered a second sister hurting herself like this," Sylvie tried not to show how deep the words cut, how it reminded her of how Blossom would always remember to surprise Sylvie mere minutes before her birthday, how it would always be her, Blossom and Madi in the manor when her parents were out, how Blossom was there helping Sylvie move in with Sophie and Jade. Sylvie kept her head low, no longer meeting Jess's eyes.

"...I know you and I don't know each other that well, but..." Sylvie heard the quiet sigh, and in the silence of the desolate corridor, also heard Jess run a hand through her hair. "Don't push Amber out. The girl cares more about you than you could ever realise, and no one should go through something like this alone." She heard faint footsteps, and the way Jess's next words sounded quieter, she could tell the girl was walking away.

"If you need anyone, Eve and I wouldn't mind talking about it." With that, Sylvie listened to the echoes of the footsteps as they grew quieter. Sylvie wasn't sure how long she sat there, motionless with Jess's words replaying in her head.