INVISIBLE STRING

CHAPTER 3

"Whatever." She said as she took a smaller box of the 'emergency' one. "This," she lifted the smaller box "this is where we, my friend, will burn all that idiot's things." She smiled sweetly.

"Why is it so small?" I heard myself ask.

"I guessed he didn't give you a lot of things since he is a prick, and poor excuse of a man,  that clearly doesn't know how to treat a woman right. I feel bad for his mother." She said making a tsk sound with her tongue. "And then they wonder why I don't trust men. Pft." She shook her head.

"So we will burn this thing? So, your plan is to burn my house down?"

"If it has memories of him yes." Not missing a beat. Not even hesitating. The thing was... Everything had a memory of him. Everything.

I could be eating cereal, or washing my face and I would still want to cry.

—⋆✮⋆—

After gathering everything that gave me just a little flicker of memory of him I was back outside. Looking at listening to Sarina as she told me how to put each thing. I told her to do it herself but she said it had to be me who does this since they are my memories. Of course that didn't mean she wasn't going to tell me how everything was supposed to go.

After I finished putting everything in  place I glanced one last time to the things inside the box. I grabbed the teddy bear he won when we went to the amusement park...

"So you're telling me that in one of your books the love interest gets the main character a plushie from these tricked games?"  He said pointing at the 'tricked' games in question.

I nodded with a smile, it was all I seemed to do these days. Smile, smile and smile. "Mhm, let's see if you are as good as you claim, Mr. James." I chuckled.

"Oh game on." He wrapped an arm around my shoulders as we walked towards an easy hoop game. The one where you just need to get the hoops in the bottles.

He didn't get it on his first try, but he was determined to get me the stupid plushie. We stayed there for thirty minutes until he finally won. "Hell yeah. See? I'm the best." He said with a smug smile.

I chuckled and shook my head. "You are something else, really."

The worker asked what plushie I would get and I pointed at a pink teddy bear, the one with its belly covered in red flowers. The worker cut the plastic holding it and gave it to me. I smiled and James leaned down to kiss my lips. "Was I 'book boyfriend' enough?"

I giggled, "if you kiss me again, you might get closer."

"Augustine." Sarina's voice snapped me out of the memory. I placed the bear back on the box.

"Hmm?"

"You zoned out for a while are you okay?" She asked.

I felt the sting in my eyes forming again. This is for the better... I know it's for the better...

I wanted to say yes. I wanted to tell her I was okay. I wanted to feel okay. But the truth was that I wasn't okay.
So instead of saying yes I shook my head weakly. I didn't want a distraction anymore. I wanted to be okay.

Before I could stop it a tear fell down my cheek, silent and betraying. I blinked fast. Not wanting any other unwanted tears to fall, but Sarina wrapped her arms around me. That's all it took for me to break all over again. Just like I did at the beach, just like I did when I got home after the beach. Just like I did when I found out.

"Hey... It's okay." She said, softly. I didn't know if I hated it or appreciated the softness she offered. Hated it because I felt weak... Appreciated it because I felt broken. Truly and horribly broken. I just wanted to be held.

After a while I knew I was going to feel better. They said time healed. And I trusted it will. I hoped it would.

When I was finally able to get a hold of my tears, to make a coherent sentence, I pulled away from my best friend. She smiled at me. "It's okay, Augustine. You'll be okay."

"You think so?"

"I know so" her eyes softened, the were glassy like she wanted to cry too... She reached to her pocket for a lighter. She then gave it to me. "Want to do the honors?" She chuckled.

I grabbed the lighter and nodded. I reached for a letter he gave me. I lit it on. I watched for a second longer than I should've, the paper burning... The edge turned black as the flames spread out, then I threw it inside the box.

The teddy bear lit up next. I watched how the memory of his stupid smirk vanished... I looked up at Sarina who looked at me with a proud look, the teasing was long gone.

When the fire extinguished there was nothing left. Just black ashes. Objects full of memories became just ashes. And the memories? They were still there. Haunting me. But for the first time this week I felt like thing would get better.

—⋆✮⋆—

Cc's note!

This took longer than it should've lmaoo 😭

So guys I randomly got inspired. Turns out I just needed to hear 'waiting room' by Phoebe Bridgers and 'teenage dream' by Olivia Rodrigo to get it.

By the way? while writing this I discovered writing sad scenes is harder than it looks 💔

I officially start a James hating club

I don't know how to feel about this. Anyway...

Love you all! 💗

Xx