Winter -Short Story-

By Melissa Oates 

It was a frosty afternoon in mid-December, the snow fell gently to the ground.

A boy around the age of nineteen waited impatiently by a frozen fountain. He was dressed for winter as he wore a pair of black skinny jeans and a plain white t-shirt that was covered by his winter jacket. His mop of brown hair was covered up with a beanie.

He sighed as he checked his phone for the third time.

Where is she? He thought as he kicked the snow off of his shoe, he pocketed his phone and looked up to the sky feeling the snowflakes hit his skin.

‘Sorry I’m late!’ a girl gasped rushing up to him, the nineteen-year-old smiled at her.

‘It’s okay, I wasn’t waiting that long,’ he said taking his hat off and rubbing his fingers through his hair. The girl smiled at him as a sudden chill rushed through her, she pulled her woolly jacket tighter to herself.

‘Are you ready to go Violet?’ he asked gesturing her to take his hand, she nodded as she placed her hand in his as they began to walk.

They walked in a comfortable silence for a while nothing but chatter of others that passed by and the crunching of the snow underneath their feet.

‘Kayden,’ Violet spoke as she stopped abruptly, Kayden looked at her. ‘Can we go ice skating?’ she asked pointing to a rink that was set up not too far from them.

Kayden chuckled as he let Violet drag them both towards it. They both laced up their skates and wobbled to the entrance of the rink.

Kayden stood in the corner watching Violet skate around, he felt butterflies in his stomach as he watched her eyes twinkle and her cheeks become rosy from the cold.

Violet skated over to him.

‘Why aren’t you skating?’ she asked.

‘I enjoy watching you,’ Kayden said, a blush started to appear on Violet’s face.

‘C’mon then, lets skate.’

Kayden took a hold of Violet’s hand and started to skate with her.

They spent most of the afternoon skating.

After they put on their shoes and said thank you to the couple running the ice rink, they went into town.

The town was filled with fairy lights and Christmas decorations, stood in the middle was a giant tree, coated in snow.

They had a stroll hand in hand, browsing through shop windows, they smell of coffee filled the are as they stopped next to a warm looking coffee shop.

‘Shall we get a drink to warm us up?’ Kayden suggested, Violet hummed in agreement and they walked in. The couple were met with a blast of warm air they went to the counter to order their drinks, once they received their drinks they headed to a little booth in the corner.

‘To three years and counting,’ Kayden raised his coffee as a toast, Violet gave a small smile as she did the same with her drink.

‘So, I have something to tell you, but I don’t know how you’d react,’ Violet said, Kayden raised an eyebrow to this.

Violet sighed as she traced her fingers around her cup.

‘I’m moving,’ Violet’s voice was barely a whisper, but Kayden heard it.

‘You’re what?’ Kayden voice was strained, his stomach dropped as if he was falling.

‘Don’t get mad.’

‘I’m not mad.’

‘You’re starting to raise your voice.’

‘Well when you suggest that I am going to get mad, then I’ll get mad,’ Kayden sighed, looking down in defeat.

‘Why did you have to tell me, today of all days?’ he asked.

‘Because... I’m moving in two days,’ Violet whispered.

Kayden felt furious, he left his half drank coffee and threw on his jacket and left the coffee shop.

It was dusk now as Violet was trying to catch up to her boyfriend

‘Kayden wait,’ Violet called out to him, yet Kayden continued to storm off away from her.

They had already left the town and were by a couple of houses, Violet grabbed hold of Kayden’s arm, but he shrugged her off.

‘Kayden just let me explain,’ Violet cried out, this made Kayden stop.

‘Explain? Explain what, you kept something like this from me for I don’t even know how long, and you just expect me to listen to you explain all of this,’ he shouted, making Violet flinch.

‘I didn’t know how to tell you, you were so stressed with your job and then when we spent time together I didn’t have the heart to tell you because you were so happy,’ Violet started to cry, the tears streaking her face.

‘You still had time, now I only have two days with you, that’s not long enough,’ he said as he shortened the gap that was between them.

‘There is so much I want to do with you, want to see with you-’

‘You still can, it’s not like I’m moving halfway across the world,’ Violet cut in.

‘No, but your moving half way up the damn country,’

‘So, what are you saying?’ Violet’s voice cracked.

‘I’m saying I don’t know if I can do a long-distance relationship,’ Kayden choked out, his eyes starting to tear up.

‘After three years, after all that we have been through in those three years and you don’t think we can work this out and get through this,’ It was Violet’s turn to shout. Kayden tried to speak but he was just too emotional to put his words together.

‘Fuck you Kayden,’ Violet spat as she walked away from him, leaving him there on his own.

It was passed midnight and Violet laid staring at her bedroom ceiling, looking at the glow in the dark stars that were still stuck up there since she was a child.

She then turned and looked at her bedside table, a framed picture of her and Kayden stood there. Violet picked it up, staring at the picture, replaying memories in her mind.

Violet place the picture back on the bedside table and snuggled up in the duvet ready for sleep to take her.

Suddenly a pebble was thrown at her window, which caused her to sit up from her bed, another pebble came at her window, Violet got up out of bed to investigate.

Outside stood Kayden, pebbles in is hands.

Violet opened the window.

‘Kayden what are you doing?’

‘Vi I want to talk to you please come down,’ Kayden said.

‘You made your feelings very clear; I don’t want to talk to you,’ Violet said about to close the window.

‘Please, just hear me out,’ Kayden begged.

Violet sighed and closed her window, she grabbed her long winter coat and sneaked outside to Kayden.

‘I’m listening what do you mmph-’ Violet was cut off as Kayden kissed her, her eyes wide at first but closed soon after kissing him back.

The kiss ended and Violet stood there with a dazed look.

‘I love you,’ Kayden said. ‘I love you and I want to make this work.’

‘You said you don’t know if you can handle a long-distance relationship’ Violet reminded him of his words.

‘I know I said that and I was stupid to, I know we can make this work, I’m sorry for having a go at you and shouting at you, but I thought about it and all I know is I love you and I want to make this work,’ Kayden held Violet’s face in his hands.

‘I’m sorry too for telling you so late about this, I know I should of told you sooner, but I guess it was my own self needs of wanting us to just have all the time together without any worries,’ Violet sobbed crying once more. Kayden pulled her to his chest and stroked her hair, trying to calm her down.

‘I forgive you, I mean yeah shitty timing and all but at least you told me, instead of disappearing on me,’ Kayden chuckled.

‘I have something for you, I know it’s a bit early for Christmas presents but I thought why not,’ Kayden put his hand in his pocket and took out a ring box. Violet gasped.

In the box was an amethyst promise ring.

‘So I promise you, that we can work this out and do the long distance relationship, I promise that I will always be yours and never astray and I promise you that we will be together forever,’ Kayden placed the ring onto Violet’s finger, she jumped up at him and gave him kiss.

‘I love you.’

‘I love you too.’

‘Come inside you must be freezing out here,’ Violet said taking Kayden’s hand and bringing him inside.

‘Are you sure that your parents won’t mind?’ Kayden asked, Violet giggled,

‘Kay, you’ve always done this I think they are used to seeing you in the morning.’

They went into Violets room, Violet shrugged off her coat and got into bed, Kayden followed doing the same. They cuddled up together, giving each other a goodnight kiss, they both fell asleep knowing that they can make this work.

END