Snow flaked Romance

"I wished I could murder both of them ."

Serena sat on her bed, her room was a complete mess. tears puffing her eyes out, her phone trembled terribly in her hands, she couldn't believe it as she stared at her glowing screen in disbelief.

The messages on the screen blurred as tears welled up in her eyes cloaking her sight. The screenshots had been sent anonymously-photos of her boyfriend, Jayson and her best friend, Christina, kissing in his Car, his dark arms wrapped around her caressing.

The photos were too incriminating, it even came with video proof.

It was just too real not to believe. Her only two people in the whole fucking world had joined efforts to betray her.

"I wished so fucking well that i could doubt it.

Doubt the way Jayson's arms were wrapped tightly around Christina's body, sharing kisses that was meant just for me."

The betrayal left her mind spreading and poisoning her heart like wildfire through her veins.

She kept screaming, yelling, throwing their pictures to the ground, shattering it. It felt unfair,

" WHY Me? "

This was a relationship of over three fucking years and a friendship as old as time. How could they do this to her?

She scrolled down further. Tears on her eyes dripping on the screen as she viewed more screenshot of messages then came the video, it felt like a punishment, like someone had laid a curse on her.

It played slowly. In it, the darkness penetrated into the night, slow romantic music plays in the background, they were locked in each other's embrace, tongue tied together. Jayson withdraws, pulling away for a moment, his chest was rising and falling, just like it did whenever he was with her.

JAYSON: Christy... Let's keep it on a low, i don't want to hurt Serena."

Tears streamed down her face in volumes. He didn't want to hurt her? She felt mocked to the bone and that name he called...

Her breath shortened in her throat. That name. Christy. It was the exact same nickname she had always called Christina ever since they met each other. She felt hatred and betrayal bubbling in her throat.

Christina was always there, even in kindergarten. She couldn't remember her life without Christina. Christina knew every thing about her, They even completed each other sentences.

She could hear their laughter in her head, hear them mocking her. She is brought out of her head when she hears the goddamned video playing.

With tears welling up in her eyes, totally blurring the screen entirely, she wiped at her face frantically. The last thing she wanted to do was cry, but she was even failing at not doing that, she hated that she couldn't control her emotions,

she had cried enough, hasn't she?

The next thing she heard make her ball her fist and slam her hands against her bed. It was as if Christina was mocking her.

CHRISTINA: "Yeah, I hate lying to her too, but God damn it, you are way too hot."

Christina sounded excited, so full of breathless excitement. She couldn't believe it, it was the same way she used to speak to Jayson when they were alone together. It was betrayal on every single level.

It finally occurred that she wasn't just losing a boyfriend. She was losing her best friend, and losing both of them felt like she had lost her own life.

Christina's breath sounded rushed, ragged and heated as she bends down going in between his legs then slowly, her fingers move unzipping his trousers.

Her stomach felt like hell. It was sickening, she had never imagined that she would be betrayed by the two people she had trusted most in the world.

The video continued, but she couldn't find it in herself to continue watching. She turned away from the screen, clutching on to the edge of her bed as nausea crept up her throat.

"How could they do this to me?" She screamed.

She felt hollow inside. Sick.

She couldn't sit still any longer, she was going to be ripped into pieces if she did. She had to do something, anything.

Then she decided, she was going to confront them. She needed to hear them say it, say it to her fucking face.

Serena stood up, pacing the length of the room as she ran her fingers through her long afro hair, trying to calm herself down, but she felt too enraged.

She grabbed her phone again, this time dialing Christina's number with shaking fingers. It rang once. Twice. A third time, and then a fourth time...

And a fifth, then a sixth but she didn't pick up, each time it was redirected to voicemail.

"Of course, she's too busy," Serena thought bitterly.

"Too busy fucking my boyfriend."

She knew she was the type of person to overreact, totally explode and several times she tried to stop herself from doing so, going to confront them would be terrible of her, instead she wanted to disappear entirely, but she couldn't.

She threw the phone onto the bed in frustration, taking a deep breath, but it did nothing to ease her rising fury.

She had to do something. She couldn't just sit back and pretend that everything was fine because it wasn't. She was determined not to let them get away with this.

Serena grabbed at her coat, slipping it on with urgency, not caring about the chill that ran through her body.

The cold air outside could kill literally ice up her body and murder her if it wanted to, she wasn't fazed.

She didn't also care about the time, it was unsafe for a beautiful young girl to be outside by that time.

She stormed out grabbing her car keys and tossing it into her jacket.

Her boots crunched against the fresh layer of snow as she stormed down to her garage picking up her hammer.

Each step of hers was heavier than the last, and yet, she couldn't stop, she didn't want to. Each step she took with fuelled with rage and anguish.

The darkness of the night pressed in around her as she yanked her car door open. All she could think about was getting to his house. She needed to see him herself, to watch him crumble before her, look her in the eyes and explain himself.

The car bolted to life as the engine roared loud cutting through the unusual silence. Snow flakes fell out the dark sky landing on her windows as her windscreen cleared them away.

Tears iced on her cheeks, she didn't want to cry but she couldn't stop herself. It was out of her control.

She hated crying over a cheating boyfriend and a cheating best friend, but she could not help herself. The tears just kept flowing out regardless of how much She tried to push them back.

Her mind raced with a thousand thoughts, and over a billion questions. all screaming out for action. They all rather seemed impulsive and emotional.

The only thing that was clear was she wasn't going to let this slide. She couldn't, she was going to break Jayson's head with her fucking hammer and murder Christina with her bear hands.

She broke into more tears as she thought of Christina.

"How can she do this to me? She is my backbone, my everything.

The house loomed ahead, its windows dark and silent. Her brain conjured up memories she had made in it, memories of the rooms they had made love together in, memories of how she found a ring in his drawer, the one in his room where she had spent most of her nights in the past few years.

His presence loomed over her. She feared she'll crumble in his arms crying like a fucking pussy, yelling at him instead of proceeding with her plan to bash his head with a fucking hammer.

Serena's hands were shaking violently, but her grip on the hammer she had grabbed from the garage was firm, firm enough to shatter both of them just the way they shattered her.

Her heart hammered in her chest hitting and banging as she approached the door. The hammer was just an extension of her rage and outbursts, of all the things she wanted to say to him.

She raised it and brought it down with a loud bang that echoed through the still night.

Bang

She slammed it hard against the door again, feeling a slight release of tension, but it was still not enough, it couldn't be. She wasn't done yet. She needed answers immediately.

She breaths in hardly, her chest burning with rage and emotions. She raised the hammer once more, ready to knock down everything that stood in her way.

"What the fuck...?"

Jayson opened the door in anger. His handsome face twisted enraged, he came out armed, he obviously wanted to teach the person disturbing his lovely night a fucking lesson but when his eyes dropped down, falling on her, his body stilled, words seized.

She laughed madly, eyes finding its way past him to the direction of the female voice ringing from deep inside his house.

"Who the fuck is that?"

Serena let her eyes travel back and forth as she watched Jayson stutter.

"I... I... I... swear, bunny... It's... it's not what it looks like."

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!"

She chuckles loudly almost madly,

"And tell that fucking BULLSHIT to my Hammer!"

she swings it up at him but he dodges it. She takes another swing, but stops when she notices Christina coming out clothed in a towel. Water drops dripping down her skin, her dark blonde hair tightly rolled into a bun.

" Oh... No... Rena... It's not what it looks like."

In a frenzy of emotions, she storms towards her with her heavy hammer, Jayson holds her back as she tries to shake him off, violently flinging her hammer.

"You fucking bitch..." she screamed.

"You liar, I thought you said you don't like Black boys! Then why, Christina? ... why are you with Jayson? He ain't white. "

She swings the hammer around, forth and back, still trapped by him. Tears flow down her cheeks as she struggles for the hammer with Jayson.

Effortlessly, he succeeds in taking the hammer from her.

It was one of the things she had loved about him, he was abnormally strong and athletic, but now, she hated it so much because that was how he could successfully take her weapon so easily.

Christina just stood there crying,muttering

"I'm sorry."

"let go off me!"

she screamed crying.

She wished she didn't know, she wished she could go back in time, back to her perfect life, but she couldn't, it was too late.

Things would never be the same, ever.

The neighbors had already gathered, how couldn't they? It was around three in the morning and her noise had brought them all out of their houses.

Jayson holds her still, his eyes begging her to stop. Slowly, his nostrils move slowly inhaling,

"Serena, Did you drink?" he asked finally perceiving the alcohol from her mouth.

"YOU HAVE NO FUCKING IDEA!"

---

THREE DAYS LATER,

Serena found herself climbing up stairs, each step leading her into the grand lobby of a mountain resort, her phone kept ringing in her jacket, buzzing and shaking but she ignored it, it was either them, the betrayals or her parents begging her to accept them back and right now, she couldn't be bothered with that.

She tried to take her mind off them to the amazing surroundings.

Everything about the place was BREATHTAKING particularly in its wonderful charm, from the massive Christmas tree in the center, decorated beautifully with many shinning balls and other beautiful designs and a massive star at the top, to the roaring stone fireplace surrounded by plush armchairs, dark and classic.

The ground looked like wood, but it wasn't. It was just wood themed Mable. The decorations were too perfectly arranged, from the twinkling fairy lights that clung to the leaves of the tree, some were threadlike following down the window like shinning ropes.

It looked like the type of setting that could have been on the cover of a holiday invitation card, so beautifully enchanting.

The decorations reminded her of Jayson, though it was still the first week of December, they had planned so much for Christmas. She could hear their laughter from the past Christmas, could feel his hands over her waist and his lips drawing lines down the nape of her neck.

The air smelled of roast chicken and cinnamon, a reminder of Christmas, the season she'd loved more than anything in her life. Once, she did but not anymore.

The sights and scents didn't make her feel any warmth in her chest the way they used to. Instead, she felt like they reminded her of the ghosts of something she had lost, and she arched terribly. The ghost of a time when Christmas had meant something to her, it represented comfort, togetherness and love.

Now, the holiday spirit felt gone, extinct from the surface of Earth, disappearing instantly, leaving only anger and filthy rage.

"Welcome to Ground silver,"

the receptionist said, her cheerful smile beaming in its sincerity and happiness. She could relate to the happiness she found on the receptionist's face, once in the past, but no any more.

The receptionist wore a bright red gown, a golden and black name tag pinned neatly to the left side of her chest, Slightly before her arm, her blonde hair was pulled into an impressive bun, the type she used to tie for Christina.

Oh, God, she was sure she was beginning to hate that hair color.

But the sparkle in her eyes could not let that hatred last for long, the blonde receptionist was almost Impossible to hate, she was too bubbly and she genuinely enjoyed her job.

"Your cabin is ready for you. We hope you have a wonderful stay. Is it too early to greet Merry Christmas. "

Serena nodded, forcing a tight smile as she took the keycard. The plastic felt cold and quite unfamiliar in her hand, and for a moment, she wondered why she had come at all.

Though angered and betrayed, she didn't forget her character which was usually nice, she remembered to thank the receptionist, even if it was in a voice that barely rose above a little whisper.

She turned toward the large double doors that led to the snow-covered grounds. The path that led to her cabin was breathtaking lined with lanterns, their warm light flickering against the deepening twilight.

The snow crunched again under her boots with each step, the sound sharp, she ignores the feeling to dance to the jingle bell song playing in the background.

Serena trudged through the snow, her suitcase trailing as it dragged behind her, its weight could not even be compared to the heaviness in her chest.

She thought she'll be better but she wasn't.

When she reached her cabin, it was prefect just as the brochures had promised. A cozy structure with wooden beams, it looked like something out of a winter fairytale, which was definitely not her life at the moment. The windows glowed softly, and a small ribbon adorned the door, it swayed gently in the breeze.

She smiles softly for the first time in days, taking it off and opening her door.

Inside, the cabin was warm and inviting, finally somewhere she felt comfortable at last. It was a clear contrast to the chill of the winter breeze outside.

A crackling fire danced in the stone hearth, and the large windows was transparent as she could see the beautiful view of the snow-covered forest.

It was the kind of setting that she and Jayson would have enjoyed. Not thoughts of Jayson again, she told herself.

Serena set her bags down and sank onto the classic couch, her eyes drawn to the endless white landscape beyond the glass. The quiet was amazing, but it did nothing to ease her stressed out mind.

This was why she'd come-to be somewhere else, somewhere that didn't remind her of Jayson or Christina, or even remind her of all the things that had gone wrong.

But even here, even in the stillness, their betrayal still haunted her.

---

That evening, the quiet became too much, making her think of Christina, by this time, if she hadn't betrayed her, they would have been cooking together and probably gossiping about work...

She couldn't think any more about it. Serena walked into the resort's main lounge, uncertain of what she was looking for. The room was lively filled with the joys of Christmas, Christmas Carol playing here and there, also it was with filled with the low hums of conversation and the clinking of glasses.

People sat in groups by the fireplace, their laughter filling the air, while others chatted at the bar.

Serena felt out of place and alone, but immediately pushed the feeling aside, she didn't want to think about them any longer so she perched on a stool at the bar, keeping her movements careful and deliberate. She meet the bartender's eyes and slowly spoke,

"Give me something strong, liquor perhaps."

The bartender handed her the glass with a polite nod, and Serena took a fast sip, drowning the content in. The liquor tasted bitter but it did not compare to the bitterness in her heart.

One thing it did was warm her throat, but it didn't ease the knots already formed in her chest. She stared into the empty glass, pushing it to the bartender. She had to prevent her mind from drifting back to the thoughts she had no desire to entertain.

"REFILL!" Her voice was loud startling even the bartender. He poured more liquor into her glass which she immediately drowned in.

"Long day?"

The deep voice came from her right, low and masculine. It sounded mature, so full of experience and Serena turned a little bit startled to face the owner.

The man sitting beside her was older, maybe in his mid forties with silver streaks in his dark hair and a neatly trimmed beard. His eyes were sharp but kind, and his smile was disarming.

"long days." she replied cautiously, trying to stop herself from blabbing to the good looking older man by her side.

He lifted his glass in a casual toast.

"To surviving those days, then."

Serena hesitated, then clinked her glass against his. The gesture was small, but it eased some of her tension. Something about this man seemed to captivate her interest.

"I'm Greg, what about you, long days? " he said, his voice low and smooth, carrying a calm sense of humor she found herself smiling to, it seemed impossible to believe that just a few minutes with this stranger put her more at ease.

"Serena," she replied, her voice softer now.

He smiled genuinely, "So what are your plans for the holidays?"

"Oh, me... I haven't really thought about that. Just came here to experience an early Christmas, you?"

" I'm a workaholic, my secretary pressured me into taking a break..."

She tucks her hair behind her ears,

"I could guess that."

He laughs opening, his line like eyes becoming even smaller.

"It's a trait that is written all over my whole body, Isn't it?"

"Definitely." she says attempting to drink more of her liquor but in a swift movement, he switches her glass with one he had ordered for her.

"No more liquor for the young lady. Have some Negroni."

She scans him for a bit then sips it slowly. It tasted amazing, how come she had never tried it before.

"I swear, I really am obsessed with the taste? Do you always drink this."

"Yes. Sometimes though, I prefer to have champagne or a classic Martini."

It was quiet for a moment till he spoke commenting on the Christmas decorations,

"You ever notice how these holiday decorations escalate every year? Last year it was a modest string of lights, and now their house looks like Santa's sleigh crash-landed in Vegas."

Serena laughed for the first time in days and for the first also, she didn't think of Jayson and Christina. Their conversation ran on for hours and she found herself laughing all through.

As the night wore on, she found herself relaxing in a way she hadn't in days. There was something about Greg-his steady presence, his calm demeanor-that made her feel like she could let her guard down, if only a little.

Marcus smiled listening, his expression softening as he watched her speak about how she was currently in college studying Business administration. Soon, she stops, feeling a little embarrassed.

"it's just that I tend to talk a lot when I venture into my course. I'm sorry, did I bore you?"

"No... If anything, I was intrigued. You're an ambitious young woman..."

Her eyes wandered around as blush covered her cheeks, she loved the fact he saw the real her. Soon, her eyes land on the Christmas themed clock.

"lord have mercy, it's 3am." she observed.

He chuckles, "They say time runs fast when one's enjoying one selves."

He took a little dip from his glass,

"My suite just around the corner, and it's view is to kill for."

Serena hesitated. It wasn't that she didn't trust him enough, even if she wasn't supposed to, she didn't know him that well. The idea of going to a stranger's place seemed rather impulsive.

" That was unexpected. "she commented.

Marcus smiled, his expression softening as his eyes move scanning her then he notices the hesitation in her eyes.

He took a small step closer, his voice low but confident, as if he understood the battle within her.

"Sometimes," he said, his words measured and thoughtful,

"the best things are the ones we least expect."

His gaze met hers then, those sterling blue eyes showed so much sincerity that it was undeniable, a quiet invitation to trust him. She detected no pressure in his voice, soon, she decided within herself to trust him and step out of her carefully and rigidly constructed walls.

"OK, I am really in the mood for some sightseeing. " she chuckles softly.

Marcus smiled, a quiet, understanding smile, and led the way.

---

The walk to Marcus's suite was peaceful and beautiful, her eyes roamed digesting the view of soft outdoor lighting that made the snow shine brightly like rare gems. The winter air was cold but she couldn't feel the bites against her skin.

Soon, they arrived at the suite, it was everything she'd had imagined and more. It was on a slight hill, with a modern yet extremely beautiful and warm structure. its large glass windows offered a stunning view of the valley below.

The interior was just as inviting though more extravagant, with overpriced furniture that exalted comfort and a dashing fireplace that cast a golden glow over the room.

"You weren't kidding about the view," Serena said, stepping toward the windows.

Marcus chuckled softly. "It's the reason I bought it and I keep coming back here in my free time. There's something about it, it puts things in perspective."

Serena nodded, though she did not really under him. It didn't bring her perspective; it had only amplified the noise in her head.

Marcus poured two glasses of cocktails, Martini to be exact and he handed one to her. She accepted it mouthing a thank you then took a little sip. She definitely preferred a Negroni to Martinis.

"This place suits you," she said after a while, surprising herself with the observation.

Marcus smiled faintly. "And what about you? Does it suit you?"

Serena thought about it, her gaze drifting back to the windows. "I don't know yet."

It was silent for a while and then she realized she did not know much about Greg. She took a sip from her Martini, really wishing she had a good Negroni to substitute it for.

"So what do you do?"

"I'm a business man, into a couple of small businesses here and there, nothing extraordinary."

Serena didn't believe him, small businesses? And he owned this? He was being too humble.

Soon, he changed the topic speaking softly, almost as if to himself, his eyes drifting to the distant peaks that loomed against the sky.

"The mountains," he began, his voice steady with so much affection,

"they've always been my refuge. When things get tough, I hate solace in the way they stand so still, unaffected by the noise of the world below.

Up here, it's like you can breathe again...

There's no deadlines, no rush, no distractions. Just the wind, the trees, the quiet hum of life in its simplest form.

It's a kind of peace that doesn't come easily in the chaos of everyday life. You can lose yourself in it, just for a while."

His smile was soft, like the mountains held more than just a place in his heart-they were a part of him.

That statement rang in her head through out, it was so deep. They spoke till the darkness finally came to an end, Greg walked her back to the main resort, the snow falling gently around them.

"Good morning, Serena," he said as they reached the lobby doors.

"... ," she chuckles.

"Goodbye, Greg." her voice sounded softer than she intended.