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T h e H o l l o w s I n
O U R F R E E D O M
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I woke up when I sensed someone hovering over me. I snapped my eyes open to see Jace in all of his—very hot—glory.
Last night was great. We didn't have sex, but we did eat—and food is great, so. For dessert I had chosen a strawberry sundae, whilst Jace had settled for a fudge chocolate cake. Usually I would turn my nose up at such an atrocity, but I must admit that I think I ate more of his dish than I did of my own.
We'd pretty much had food comas after that, and so I fell asleep as soon as we hit the bed. In my sleep, I think I curled up to Jace; I woke up melted into his side. I decided it wasn't fair to him, and so reluctantly rolled over on my side. Jace kind of jolted awake after that, so I asked if he was okay. He said he was fine, then I fell asleep.
I stared at him now, albeit wistfully. He was knelt down by my side of the bed.
"You never told me your birthday was today." He said, eyes drinking up mine.
I frowned, pushing the covers back slightly. "Good morning to you, too."
He smiled, "I would've got you something."
I sighed, sitting up in the bed. "You wouldn't have known what to get me."
"Actually," He said, leaning into the bed a little more, "I would have."
I rose my eyebrow at him. "Right. Because knowing me for a month gets you to that point?"
He pondered this. "I guess we've made good use of that time, because yes–yes it does." With that, he got up and slid into his shoes, slipping his coat on too.
"There's someone here for you." He said, and before I had the chance to say goodbye, he left. But he left the door open, and in trailed the most beautiful blonde dove the world has ever made.
Sky Forest.
It had been almost two days since one of our worst arguments, and I began to fret that I was about to become her sacrifice for the Beaufort Gods.
Not that she knew she was a Beaufort. The closest she was to knowing was Jameson, who we gave the rundown to in the hospital. He said that it wasn't his secret to keep or to give away—I think he was hinting that it was either mine or Elle's. Well, she's Elle's daughter—there's no way could I squeeze a baby out this young.
She closed the door behind her tentatively, as if she thought I was going to jump up at any second, steal her voice away and trap it into a locket. In reality, she dictated the room. She owned it as soon as she walked in; I was waiting for her to speak.
"Look, I'm sorry Alexi–"
"–you literally just took the words straight out of my mouth," I said, interrupting her, which I always had a bad habit of doing. "Well, I wasn't going to use my own name, but yours."
Sky smiled, setting down a bag, which I eyed. "I'm sorry about what happened between us, I wouldn't want anything like that to tear us apart." She said, making me grin.
"But it was all me, you did nothing wrong." I said, pushing back the covers so I could swing my legs out.
She shook her head. "I compared you to Jameson; I shouldn't have done that." Before she said anything else, though, I leapt up at Guardian speed and pulled her in for a tight embrace.
She laughed, winding her arms around me. I held her so tight I think I crushed her tiny bones.
"Love you, Lexi." I smiled into her hair.
"I love you too."
It was times like these I realised just how vulnerable we both were from now on. We had to do everything and anything to protect each other. With a friendship this long-lasting, I think it's possible—but it would be difficult.
We soon pulled away from the hug, but not soon enough for Sky to squeal, "happy birthday!" Into my ear.
I winced, holding my palm over the now injured area. She grinned, pushing me onto the bed and grabbing the bag I had seen her holding earlier up from the floor.
"Well, this is a weird predicament." I retorted, watching as she joined me on the bed. She rolled her eyes, but I saw the corners of her lips turn up. She grabbed onto my arm, pulling me up into a sitting position.
She then pulled out a gift bag, and thrust it into my hands.
I stared at the bag, then stared at Sky for a brief moment. "How did you...when did you have time to get this?" I asked her, utterly amazed that my Guardian intuition was left stumped.
She tapped her nose, which I rolled my eyes at. I took the white and pink tissue paper off the top—I wouldn't say they're my favourite colours, but they are particularly cute. My favourite colour is actually lilac. Real scary, I know. It's just so calming; a fair pink continuum, in which purple is lightly intertwined, but never enough that you'd classify it as purple. I think my obsession with the colour can seem a little much, but it's all under control.
I dug around a little in the bag, before unearthing a small packet. A packet of carrots. I turned to raise my eyebrow at Sky, who was giggling to herself.
"I hope this doesn't mean the return of Alexi Rabbot." I warned, shaking my head at the first present she had given me for my eighteenth birthday.
She held up her hands in surrender. "You said it, not me." I should explain. The story is nothing more than me enjoying a good portion of carrots during the day, and when I'm at school I'll obviously still eat them.
So yes, Alexi Rabbot was my name for a time. Until I decided to kick arse, that is.
"Please tell me you at least got me hummus too." I said, putting the carrots on the bed beside me. Sky laughed aloud, placing a pot of hummus next to the bag of carrots. I decided that the present wasn't that bad.
I fished around in the bag a little more, pulling out what felt almost like silk. It ran through my fingers like water as I tried to pull the item out. It was heavy, considering the material's thin properties. Once I had pulled it out of the bag, I realised it wasn't silk, but satin.
I stared at it.
It was a glorious silver satin dress. It had blush pink trimmings, all in lace, and would hang in a way that would reveal some cleavage. It wasn't a tight fit; it's thin strips holding it loosely to a figure.
I glanced between the garment and Sky. "I heard you wanted to wear something to a club."
I didn't respond verbally, only with a tight hug. "Thank you." I then said, watching her smile broaden. "I love it."
I gazed at the dress for a few moments longer before finding a spare hanger to hang the garment. I left it on my cupboard doors, not feeling as though it should be hidden in the shadows of the cupboard.
"How did you even know about the club thing anyway?" I asked Sky, turning to see her tap her nose.
I rolled my eyes. "Was it Kim?" I asked her next as she stood up off the bed.
"I don't reveal my sources." She said, walking over to the window before gazing out of it.
I sighed. "Of course you don't." I joined her at the window, not really sure what we were staring at, but I stared at it anyway. Sky was one of those people who seemed to appreciate everything and anything, and that included pretty views and sunset skies. I more so rushed by it all, never really pausing for thought. The sun will still set whether I look it at it or not, and it'll still set again the next day, if I really wanted to sit by and watch it.
Sky wasn't really that kind of person.
Suddenly, she spoke up, saying, "how are you finding staying in a room with Jace?"
I blinked.
"I know it was kind of forced on you to start with, I just wanted to check up." Sky said, turning to give me a kind glance. Of course, her big heart would never surrender.
I swallowed. "Yeah, it's been fine. He's not as therapist-like as I thought he'd be." Not that that wasn't true, but I'd never take his therapist-like attitude negatively anyway.
Sky hummed. "I know he's a good man, I'm not sure about not being very therapist-like, though—he was always analysing me."
I scoffed. "That's because you were his client."
Sky shook her head at me, laughing. "So it's different with you then?"
I stared at her. "Well–"
"–hey guys, sorry to interrupt, your sleepover squad has arrived."
Our interruption had come from Elle, and usually I wouldn't be best pleased, but she actually threw our subject into the road, the one I wasn't too comfortable opening up about.
Without a question, I sped over to Elle, giving her a grateful glance before departing the room. I had no idea what the 'sleepover squad' was, but it seemed much more appealing than the Jace conversation that Sky and I were having.
"Alexi!" Someone yelled out to me. I frowned, recognising the voice. I span until I found it. It was Clara Wilde; Sapphire's Guardian.
Utterly surprised, it took me a while to register that she was approaching me for a hug.
It then also took me a while to register who was behind her.
Avery, Bria, Cassie, and...a small child.
I stared.
"Guys! Hey!" Sky erupted out of nowhere, but she hit a brick wall when she saw the same infant I had seen. In Cassie's arms.
"Hey," the girl said, approaching us. Seeing us staring at the child, she clocked on. "This is Colton, he's mine. Mine and Harry's."
Shit.
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...
Um
That was a real Eastenders ending lmao I'm excepting the dun dun bit now
HAPPY TWO YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIRST BOOK, THE SERIES
I realised I kinda missed the third book anniversary know so imma just put tallytime in here
The One Month Tally (before posting this):
#89 in Mission
228 Reads
21 Votes
31 Comments
10 Parts
(9 Chapters)
And now
The Two Month Tally (before posting this):
#89 in Freedom
543 Reads
36 Votes
65 Comments
29 Parts
(23 Chapters)
Ta dahhhh
Questions nowwww
Thoughts on Jace and Lexi getting closer?
Thoughts on Sky and Lexi's reconciliation?
Thoughts on Cassie..and her...child???
-breast milk
FABULOUS SONGS
Songs that played when I was writing this chapter (in order):
Burn - Ellie Goulding
Adore - Cashmere Cat
Symmetry - Wolfie
Daydream - Ruelle (BEEN SOME TIME SINCE THIS ONE #FIRSTBOOKFEELS)
I Really Want You To Hate Me - Meg Myers
Parade - Meg Myers (#FIRSTBOOKFEELS AGAIN)
Spectrum (Say My Name) - Florence + The Machine
Everywhere - Fleetwood Mac
Insomniac - Amber Run
Drive - Glades
Only You - Selena Gomez
Figure 8 - Ellie Goulding
The Man Who Can't Be Moved - The Script
Set Fire to the Rain - Adele
Mirror - Ellie Goulding
END OF FABULOUS SONGS
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Next update: have you checked the schedule?
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CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE SPOILER:
A child?
+
Cast list reveal.