𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐍 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒// ɢɪʟʙᴇʀᴛ ʙʟʏᴛʜᴇ x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

𝐕𝐈𝐈𝐈

3rd pov
———
dear gilbert,
   i hope this letter finds you in good health. i am terribly sorry for not writing to you first, but i haven't the heart nor time to tell you what i am about to exclaim.

   gilbert i have met someone. someone who has made me the most blissful women on earth and i am sorry to say that i cannot return your feelings anymore.

    i will cherish the memories we made as friends for eternity. you were kind to me gilbert.

   do not write to me again,
                                              anne
damn.

you read the letter again and again, trying to process the words printed on the paper. how could someone lose feelings for someone like gilbert? that doesn't make any since, he loved her!

placing the letter down your eyes landed on a little package that came with the letter. you stared at it before ripping it open and watching the little object fall to the ground. you picked it up and examined it, a miniature dictionary?

you opened the first page and saw a note to anne written on it.

so you can beat me fair and square.
                                          - gilbert

you smiled slightly at the words, he always talked about anne and how smart she was. it wasn't until you saw gilbert walk down the the stairs that you panicked and hid the letter under some paper, "gilbert! your dinner is on the table!"

he smiled as he walked by the counter you sat at, "thank you y/n. did i receive any mail today?" he asked while sitting in front of his plate with hungry eyes.

your heart dropped as you slowly reached for anne's letter under the paper, "yes, actually." you said as you placed the letter and the dictionary in front of him.

he glanced at the opened letter than back to you, "uh- why is it open? did you read it?" he asked while poking his food.

you flushed and blurted the first response that came to you, "it's policy! i mean- we have to check every piece of mail for safety."

he nodded before wiping his mouth and reaching for the letter. you watched his smile slowly fall as his eyes darted across the letter. he folded it up, placed it on the table and got up leaving without a word, leaving you to drown in sympathy for the boy. you waited before hearing his door close to let out a breath that you didn't know you were holding in.

"trouble in paradise?"

you looked over to see your best friend, which you haven't seen in 3 years, sitting on the couch, "celeste?"

you both squealed as you jumped into a hug, "oh how i've missed you y/n!" she yelled as she pulled back and examined your face, "who's the boyfriend?"

you swatted her hands away, "he's not my boyfriend! and besides, he just got dumped two minutes ago." you said as you collected gilbert's dishes.

celeste crossed her arms and leaned on the wall, "oh so he is single?"

you sat his dishes in the sink and started to wash them, "celeste, no. he really loved the girl! i'm not going to turn around and court him right after her!"

celeste sighed before putting on an apron and grabbing a broom, "i guess it's back to work then." she said as she swept the dust bunnies.

laughing, you sat gilbert's dishes in the cabinet,  "how was europe?"

you see, every couple of years one of the household servants get chosen to see the world with
mrs. potters sister as a sense of thanks. celeste just so happened to get lucky, "it was incredible! i painted almost every statue i could find! i met this wonderful man named phillip, who was totally dreamy by the way, and we fell in love! unfortunately we had to say goodbye when i left though."

you sighed sadly, you always prayed and wished on every star that you would get lucky like celeste and get to travel the world. but when did wishing for something ever work? you hung up your apron, "i'm gonna go check on gilbert."

celeste nodded as you went up the stairs and walked towards gilbert's room. you hesitantly knocked before hearing sniffling which was enough for you to open his door. your eyes landed on the back of his head. he was staring out the window in front of his desk, watching little raindrops dance on leaves.

you stood there watching him intently before seeing a tear fall from his cheek and onto the desk. you walked over and crouched beside him, "gilbert, do you want to talk about it?"

he only pulled you on his lap to where you were sitting sideways and gave you a hug. he placed his head on your shoulder as sobs escaped his lips, "i don't understand? i thought she loved me!" he cried as he held you tighter.

you hugged back tightly, "Nobody will protect you from your suffering. You can't cry it away or eat it away or starve it away or walk it away or punch it away or even therapy it away. It's just there, and you have to survive it. You have to endure it. You have to live through it and love it and move on and be better for it and run as far as you can in the direction of your best and happiest dreams across the bridge that was built by your own desire to heal. the pain is inevitable but, it is your choice to dwell in it." you said as you twirled his hair around your fingers.

gilbert laughed into your shoulder, "your so poetic."

you smiled and hugged him tighter. if that was even possible.