𝐑𝐈𝐏𝐓𝐈𝐃𝐄 , ᵒᵇˣ

iii. chapter three ⭑

𝐑𝐈𝐏𝐓𝐈𝐃𝐄

𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 1,2,3,4
𝘫𝘫 𝘮𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘹 𝘧𝘦𝘮! 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳
— @𝐟𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐝𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬 | 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰

Grabbing a nearby lawn chair, Eleanora sat down beside Sarah, silently watching her for a moment before her gaze turned towards the water ahead. She could feel the tension in Sarah's mannerisms—the way she gripped the armrests and her jaw clenched as she found something to say.

"Topper, he . . ." Sarah started, her voice hesitant. Her eyes stayed locked ahead, but she continued speaking. "He made a move on me, and . . I thought I was ready, you know?" She paused again, breathing shakily.

"I told him I was ready. Then I freaked out, and he got mad." Sarah bit her lip, turning to face Eleanora with frustration plastered all over her face. "I'm so stupid, Eleanora. I ruined my only chance with Topper." Tears welled up in her eyes, and her voice became shaky like her breathing.

Eleanora turned her gaze from the water to Sarah quickly, observing her body language. Reaching over and placing a comforting hand on Sarah's arm, she spoke firmly. "No, you didn't. If he got mad about your boundaries, that is on him—not you. Never feel bad for that, ever."

Watching a smile slowly grow on Sarah's face, Eleanora smiled back. "Come on, let's get out of here. I'll stay over at yours."

Sarah nodded briefly, hugging Eleanora before making her way to the dock. There must have been a dozen or so boats tugging to the dock—which was decorated beautifully with string lights and small potted plants. Spotting Rafe's boat among the others, Sarah shrugged and jumped aboard.

"It's Rafe, he can handle it. Topper's got his boat here, too." Sarah said, trying to convince Elle to steal the boat. Hesitating for a moment, Eleanora finally took Sarah's hand and climbed over from the dock.

Taking a few minutes to rummage on the boat in an attempt to find the spare key, they finally came upon it. Eleanora took the driver's seat, slotting the key into place and starting the engine. Without another word, they steered away from the party—the distant sounds of laughter and music fading as they headed back towards Figure Eight.

Waking up the next morning felt like a sledgehammer to the head. Eleanora groaned softly, her head pounding as she blinked against the light blazing throuhg the curtains. Reaching over to the other side to find it empty, she realized Sarah had already been up. Letting out a brief sigh, she sat there for a moment. Rubbing her temples, Eleanora tried to shake off the remnants of last night.

Eventually, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up, freezing for a moment when her vision went foggy. Padding over to the mirror, Eleanora watched her reflection stare back at her—looking pretty rough. Raking her fingers through her tangled hair, she immediately reached for a brush to smooth them out. Then, her fingers went to the smudged mascara under her eyes, dabbing at the mess.

The alcohol was definitely catching up with her now, the throb in her head making the air feel heavy. She let out a small huff of frustration, muttering random words to herself. With one glance in the mirror, Eleanora grabbed her phone off the nightstand and headed straight for the kitchen, hoping Sarah either had coffee or aspirin waiting for her.