Far Longer than Forever

That night after the welcoming feast, desert, and toasts, House Forbes was lead to the hallway of guest chambers that they would be staying in. Locked away in the tallest tower of the castle, Stefan sat hunched over at his desk; one hand holding a pen that was furiously scribbling away into a journal, the other hand clenched around a glass filled with amber liquid that seemed forgotten, at least for now.
It wasn’t until he ripped through the sheet he had been writing upon did Stefan realize how upset he truly was. He leaned back in his chair, downing the glass of whiskey in one gulp. The burn of his throat and stomach was a welcome distraction from the tornado of memories tearing through his mind.
He sighed, turning away from the journal and dropping his head into his hands. Images flashed in the darkness of his eyelids, images he wished he could erase for all eternity. He could hear her laughter in his ears, feel the soft curves of her body as he lifted her into his arms, and see her warm brown eyes peering up at him through a haze of thick charcoal lashes.
Stefan scowled, opening his eyes to find the one thing that could console him when he drifted into these dangerous sectors of his memories. As he poured himself another glass of the smooth, honey colored alcohol, Stefan’s eyes instinctively found the edge of a painting sticking out from its hiding place. He knew he shouldn’t, he knew he should have disposed of this photo with the rest of them. He drained the last of his whiskey and reached across his desk to retrieve the drawing. His breath hitched in his throat as he looked down at it.
It had been painted at one of their final meetings, a winter ball. He was spinning her in the air, gazing up at her as if she were the on...

... middle of paper ...

... shoulder as did.
“How could I be so blind?” Stefan exclaimed, exasperated. “I’ve been so selfish, drowning myself in my sorrows day after day.”
“You’ve had every right to, my friend, anybody who has had their heart ripped out by a she-devil would surely understand.”
Stefan glared at Alex, “that’s what you’re calling her now?”
“Oh I have many words for her, I thought that would be the least offensive at this point,” shrugged Alex.
“Today was also the first time I’ve seen you smile in months, Stef. You need to get out of this cave and start living again. Now what kind of a friend would I be if I didn't help you out of this mess you're in?”
With that, he rose from his seat, an unmistakable gleam of mischief in his eyes. With a waggle of the eyebrows and a wink he continued, “It’s time to get your shit together, Stefan; Miss Forbes won’t be around forever you know.”