𝐏𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧' 𝐆𝐮𝐲 ➺ 𝐵𝓇𝒾𝒶𝓃 𝑀𝒶𝓎 & 𝒬𝓊𝑒𝑒𝓃

24. Stars and Space Dust

One thing that provided a temporary escape from the overwhelming despair that seemed to cloud my world was Christmas music. And lucky for me, Freddie had an impressive collection of Christmas records at Sinclair Road. As the twenty-second of December rolled around, it marked the day before I was set to return home for a long two-week break. I hoped that the upcoming get-together we had planned would make up for the long absence from everyone.

Originally, the plan was a gather everyone at Sinclair Road, including Marcy and James. But as fate would have it, it ended up being just the Queen boys, Mary, Emma, and me. I wasn't too upset about that outcome—I've always been terrible in large group settings anyway. Besides, I had a feeling that a few of us would likely find a way to slip away from the crowd if you catch my drift.

As for the situation with Emma, things didn't exactly improve. In fact, they seemed to grow more tense as time went on. I couldn't pinpoint when things started to stagnate, but it was clear that our friendship was headed down an unpleasant path. My simmering resentment towards my best friend's boyfriend weight heavily on our living situation. Despite my best efforts to be happy for them, I just couldn't. "Resentment" might be a strong word, but I was certainly furious about his lack of loyalty and his nonchalant attitude towards casual flings, especially when it involved someone as sensitive as Emma.

Eager to spend some quality time with Brian before my departure, I decided to head over to Sinclair Road earlier than our scheduled gathering. I longed to see him without the distractions of a larger group. I had missed him dearly while he was immersed in his studies, and I cherished the opportunity to spend as much time with him as possible before I went home.

Sitting cross-legged in the middle of Brian's living room, I had pushed the table against the wall to create more space. Engrossed in the task of crafting festive paper chains, I found it oddly therapeutic. Brian had insisted that I didn't have to help with the decorations, but being the stubborn person that I was, I dove right in.

"Make sure you place them dead centre, darling. We need to transform this house into a palace!" Freddie exclaimed with an excessive amount of energy.

"Fred, she knows how to decorate," Brian chuckled, taking a seat on the sofa across from me.

"I was just double-checking," Freddie replied in his defence before disappearing into the kitchen.

I chuckled to myself, glancing down at my lap and continuing to create paper chains. A sense of calm settled over the room, although I knew that within a few hours, the atmosphere would be far from tranquil.

"How are you holding up, my love?" Brian asked softly, leaning down to pick up some completed paper chains. His question caused my lips to flatten into a straight line as I pressed them together.

"I'm okay," I replied, equally soft. "I just want these next two weeks to fly by so I can see all of you again." I avoided making eye contact with Brian because I knew that as soon as our eyes met, tears would start streaming down my face—just like they had during our morning phone call, where I unloaded my complaints as I had done every morning.

Brian's attentiveness never ceased to amaze me, and deep down, I couldn't help but feel immense appreciation for his unwavering support. If I were on the receiving end of my incessant phone calls, I would probably be annoyed at myself. But Brian, bless his patient soul, always lent a listening ear without a hint of annoyance.

"Don't worry. I'm sure it won't be as dreadful as you anticipate. The human brain has a funny way of magnifying our fears," Brian promised me, his voice lowering in an attempt to convey a sense reassurance. Yet, there was an underlying firmness in his tone, reminding me that he was there for me no matter what.