#ex-love

trapped inside by a storm at the lake house of your wealthy ex-lover

"well," his voice rings cool and clear through the empty lake house. the voice of someone for whom even the thought of hardship has never occurred. "whatever shall we do to pass the time?" the voice of someone for whom even the sting of rejection only glances, slips off of him like so much water from a duck's back. you hate to admit, especially now, how much you envy that easy confidence. how much you are still attracted to it.

"strip chess, perhaps?" he offers. that does not warrant a response, but you roll your eyes at turn back to the window to watch the rain. "strip checkers, then." condescension drips from his tone and you remember exactly why you broke up. you want to make him eat those words. you want to feed them to him.

"did your parents ever make you play the quiet game?" you know full well that his parents never made him do anything.

@ex-love

Send “🗒️“ to find my muse’s notebook!

A spiral notebook lays open on a table, revealing what inscribed along the lines on paper. Harmony’s name written along the top right corner of the left page along with the module number. Words written in black ink meticulous notes for a course. Particularly a variety of case studies of different situations, mainly centered on maternal and neonatal health. They appear to be pretty thorough.

But there at the bottom corner of the right page holds something different. A mass of hand-drawn flowers and hearts and stars of different sizes cover that small amount of space, like Harmony was studying hard but after a while, exhaustion drove her attention to doodling. The other side of the right page bears a drawing of a small, cute bear wearing glasses, complete with a heart-shaped nose, eyelashes, and “Science is  so cool!” in a word bubble beside it.

@ex-love

If I get 10 😚 in my inbox, I’ll post a Munday photo!

@ex-love

Send “upsy daisy” to pick up my muse bridal style. 

“I never danced in a ballroom or anything like this before.” It started with her comment while watching the television displaying an old film that tells the story of dark romance in a bygone era. The scene plays out before Envy and Harmony, watching the people dance to waltz music, only darker. Beautiful and haunting. Couples glide effortlessly across the ballroom floor. Some in the finest suits, others in elegant ballgowns. Just like in fairytales. 

“I wonder what it’s like.”  

Her musing prompts a sudden change of plans. The movie can wait. Waltz music coming from her music player replaces the evening’s entertainment. Harmony’s skin glows from her fluster. She knows exactly what Envy is up to. She shakes her head once he offers his hand. It wasn’t because she didn’t want to. Harmony has never tried the waltz before. She believes it’s a skill that requires practice and fears stepping on Envy’s toes. It looks easy in the movie, but she is certain that ballroom dancing is a skill that takes practice. There was not a single word responding to her declination. Envy’s responds to her with actions instead.

 “Whoa!” Arms scoop her up from the sofa and carry her to the center of the room. She doesn’t struggle and gets on her feet when he releases her. Harmony turns around to face him, nervous as ever. 

 “Ah! I don’t know if I’ll be good at this...I don’t want to step on you.” Regardless of her fretting, she doesn’t stop him. “But if you insist, I’ll give it a fair try.” After all, what better way to learn ballroom dancing than try? One hand joins his while the other rests on his broad shoulder, just like she saw on the screen. Envy takes the lead and Harmony head lowers, quietly memorizing the steps and noting the pace. They start slow, pausing now and then to let her adjust. Soon, they fall into rhythm with no need to stop. 

 With a bit of courage, Harmony tilts her head back to see Envy’s face. She prefers to see him than the floor, just to be sure she doesn’t take the wrong step. 

@ex-love

Send 🚗 to go on a road trip with my muse.

“We’re here! We’re really here!” Harmony exclaims while giggling and fighting within every fiber of her being not to skip around Black Creek’s hiking trailhead, one of Mississippi’s beautiful locations. But it’s so hard! She’s so excited about this trip. 

Harmony always loved being around nature and having a loved one there makes the outing special. It’s something she looked forward to. 

It was Envy who offered the trip and Harmony happily accepted. Their relationship is still new, and this is their first big date. This could be her chance to learn more about Envy. He’s always so quiet and though he’s very dark, she couldn’t help but feel drawn to him. He was always polite and his charm captured her heart, but she knows there is so much about him. This could be a chance to discover who he is. She looks around, taking in the view just before the trail leading into the serene forest.

Clouds cloak the skies, shielding the earth from the sun’s brilliant rays but that doesn’t deter them. It is still a gorgeous day. It’s warm and though there are some blue cracks in the gray sky. Not too bright out, but certainly a lovely day for a hike. Harmony turns on her heel and hastens back to the trail’s desolate parking lot where the car stands. 

“Thank you for inviting me on this trip, Envy! I’ve been looking forward to seeing this forest with you.” Her hand fishes out a black knapsack from the car’s back seat and slips it over her shoulders. She can’t help but wonder what Envy has in mind. He must be planning something for this trip and she’s thrilled to find out.

@ex-love

♨ - rub my muse down with a sponge/wet cloth

She hates this. 

She absolutely hates being helpless. Despises having to rely on another person. Unwilling to be a burden but Harmony has no choice in the matter. She wasn’t being careful, and it got her hurt. Harmony is still kicking herself for missing that one step during her hike. One step started the entire incident.

One thing led to another and now she is in the hospital. She returned to the city with her left shoulder broken and left arm severely bruised. Multiple cuts and gashes mark her body when rocks and branches cut into her skin when she caught herself before falling further. Thank the heavens a park ranger found her in the nick of time. 

She was scared, especially when she complained of a headache when her head hit the rocks.

It’s been a while since she showed up in the emergency department. Still unhappy about the ordeal and she’s still waiting on test results. The x-ray and CT scan are priority. That is the key to whether she can go home or stay for observation. 

Bandages, stitches, options in her treatment that she doesn’t want, but it’s for the best. There’s no need to argue. The nurse tending to her doesn’t seem to be the type who would tolerate complaints either. It looks like he will be taking care of her while waiting for the results.

It’s difficult to look away from him. Lucien looks like an angel: Flawless but grim, and his ominous presence did little to ease her nerves. 

Her gaze focuses on her hands folded over her lap, reluctant to look up while Lucien cleans the wounds marring her caramel skin. At first, she doesn’t say a word but her teeth clench behind sealed lips. Maybe the nurse is trying to scrub off the remnants of dirt or the blood’s stain but the rubbing is hurting her. Finally, Harmony tilts her head back slightly as she speaks.