The Last Of 𝓗𝓮𝓻 ིᖭ༏ᖫྀ 𝐸𝓁𝓁𝒾𝑒 𝒲𝒾𝓁𝓁𝒾𝒶𝓂𝓈

TURNING POINT

MONTH: END OF DECEMBER: SEASON: WINTER

✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧

THE air in Jackson felt crisp as if the world were holding its breath in anticipation of the New Year. The town's festival had become a rare, fleeting moment of peace, a small beacon of joy that the people clung to, a reason to forget the constant threat of the world outside. The streets were decorated with strings of flickering lights, the chatter of kids and adults echoing in the cold night. It almost felt normal, as though the clock had reset for a night.

Jocelyn stood in Ellie's bathroom. The small shed smelled faintly of wood, dust, and the faintest trace of pine, something she missed. She had been spending less time there since Eugene slipped the truth about Jocelyn and Ellie's "friendship." Joel's question had thrown Ellie off balance, and for the past month, they both decided to take some time apart, settling back into something normal.

Joss was initially reluctant, but Maria and Tommy were thrilled to welcome her back home full-time. And as it turned out, they managed to live under the same roof without Jocelyn feeling the urge to snap at her "mother" over every minor thing. They kept their conversations vague, steering clear of anything that might lead them back to the past, living in a bubble full of lies.

But Jocelyn wasn't the only one avoiding topics.

Ellie sat on the couch, watching her girlfriend closely as she laced up her converse, her gaze steady and focused. Jocelyn chose to ignore it, her excitement growing as she pulled her hair up, tucking stray strands behind her ears in case she danced later. A thrill bubbled beneath her skin, leaving a trail of goosebumps—maybe just a result of Ellie's intense stare.

But she knew it was more than that. She had a feeling that something special was going to happen tonight—she just didn't know what.

"You, almost done?"

Jocelyn listens to the sound of Ellie's sneakers as she approaches, still surprised when she feels her fingers dance across her skin, hands encircling around her waist. Jocelyn juts a little when she feels Ellie's bare fingers help tuck her checkered flannel into her jeans.

"Almost. Don't rush me." Joss mutters, staring at the scene of them in the old, cracked, dirty mirror, her pride growing. She counted herself lucky; Ellie's chin was on her shoulder, her arms wrapped around her, and the bracelet she had made two years ago was still sitting on the girl's wrist. Ellie Williams never seemed to stop making Jocelyn's heart beat out of her chest, still giddy after nearly a year of being together.

"Besides, we can't leave without Dina and Jesse."

Ellie grumbles, pouting, making her cheeks puffy—something Jocelyn had come to love. "We can't just meet them there?"

Joss twists in her arms, now facing her front. "No, because then we just wouldn't end up going."

"What makes you say that?" Ellie grins, a knowing glint in her eyes.

"Me and you both know why."

The smile on Ellie's face only grows, the gaze flickering between Joss's eyes down to her lips. Joss meets her halfway, leaning in and sealing the kiss with a sweet moan, letting her hands slide over Ellie's freckled cheeks. The kiss a mixture of innocent softness and familiarity. Pulling apart, they share a warm smile.

"I miss you, babe. Stay the night?"

Ellie's words inspire something in said girl, making her shy. The auburn-haired girl was always direct, never beating around the bush when it came to her. They had wasted enough time already.