Keep Lying To Me | Violentine

Part Three | Dark And Lonely

16th February – 10.34pm

Later, after the sun had set and the others had arrived at the lodge, Violet sits by the roaring fire in the living room. Alone.

Everyone else is congregated around the hot tub on the patio, drinking in the crisp night air and whatever alcohol they can find. Violet can hear Clementine's voice emitting from the patio, Louis, Brody, Marlon, and others all laughing the night away. Yet for some reason, Violet can't find the motivation to join them.

Violet hates this. She knew that she would. As she sits alone and tries to find a way to pass the time, Violet wonders why exactly she even came. Was it with the hopes that if she forced an interest in an event that Clementine was passionate about, the brunette wouldn't want to leave her side?

Or was it because the two had been assigned to sleep in the same bedroom? The same bed. Perhaps if she'd have had the chance, holding Clementine close to her in the dreamy state of early sleep, Violet would have forgotten just how unhappy she was.

But no, Violet's dragged herself out here and Clementine is nowhere to be seen. Violet doesn't even need to wonder where she is. She's obviously outside.

Which is coincidently where Louis is, and where Violet is not.

Just as she's about to head towards the bedroom and turn in for the night, Louis breezes through the door on a path towards the kitchen area and the beers stocked there.

"Aren't you coming back outside Vi?" he asks, grabbing two bottles of beer, knocking the caps off both drinks and handing one out to Violet as he joins her on the sofa. He's clearly drunk.

"Maybe," she mutters. "Someone needs to keep an eye on the fire in here, so I thought I'd stay inside."

Louis looks over to the rolling flames in the homely fireplace against the wall. "Just stick some logs on it and leave the fireguard up, it'll keep," he says matter of factly, leaning against the sofa as he swigs at his beer.

"I don't know if I want to go outside and talk with everyone," says Violet quietly, peeling away the label on her bottle of beer to keep her fingers occupied.

Louis makes a quizzical expression. "So you came all the way up here for a weekend away from university to watch the fire all night?"

Violet shakes her head. "Obviously not," she mutters. She doesn't feel like talking right now.

"Okay...so?" mutters Louis, clearly prodding for Violet to open up more.

The blonde stiffens in her seat, settling against the cushions that once felt soft against her frame, but now itch and irritate her skin. "So what?" responds Violet, lifting her gaze to Louis before quickly looking away again.

Louis looks from the outdoor patio back to Violet, as if he's slowly putting two and two together. "What's going on Vi, it's like you're ignoring being around us on purpose. It's just me, Clementine and your friends out there, people you know and don't have to lie to."

"I just feel uncomfortable being here," admits Violet as she takes a sip from her beer to divert her attention for a moment. "I didn't even want to come here in the first place."

Louis raises one eyebrow and Violet wants to throw her drink in his face.

"But you used to love stuff like this Violet," he says, flitting his eyes between the fire and Violet. "Years back, me and you would come here after school. We have loads of great memories here."

Violet sips at her beer. It's flat and she grimaces at the taste. "Things have changed," she mumbles. "I'm not really in the mood to be here. Not with everything that's going on right now."