The Ymbryne Academy

Chapter 31

Alma got out a small bottle of wine, getting a drink for her and Isabel and she offered Esmé one, but the woman shook her head no.

They sat in the parlor, sipping on the drinks as they talked over all they'd missed of one another's lives. One drink turned to two, and two to three.

"Love, maybe no more." Esmé says softly, Isabel agreeing and Alma sighed.

"Alright, just one more." She says, her words slurring a bit and Esmé frowned.

Alma noticed it and rolled her eyes. "It'll be fine."

"I think I'll go get you two a couple glasses of water." Esmé said gently.

When she left the room, Alma took a small sip from the bottle, Isabel moving it down from her lips to stop her and suddenly Alma leaned forward.

Isabel hesitated but didn't pull back as Alma leaned in to press a kiss to her lips.

She was drunk, Isabel knew that and she thought about Ayn and gently tried moving the woman off of her, but Alma was to drunk to notice. Esmé came back with the water and faltered when she seen the two, meeting Isabel's eyes as Alma kissed her.

Isabel pulled away, turning her head to stop Alma from meeting her lips again. "No." She said simply as she stood and left the room. Her relationship was complicated enough as is.

Alma looked over confused and Esmé came into the room, handing her the water and grabbing the blanket from the chair.

"I'm sleeping down here tonight. Go upstairs and get some sleep." She says quietly, struggling to keep her smile.

"But I wanna cuddle." Alma said sadly as she looked up at Esmé.

"Not tonight. I can't." Esmé said as she fought her tears. "Just go to bed Alma."

"Darling, come here." She says, slurring her words together and Esmé swallowed down the lump in her throat.

"Alma, go to bed." She says firmly. The older woman was a bit hurt at the tone but eventually stood up, leaving to their room, slightly swaying as she regained herself.

She made it to their room, kicking off her heels and lying down in bed without bothering to change, undo her hair, or remove her makeup. She simply cried.

Alma was too drunk to understand what she did wrong. But she knew Esmé was upset. And that she'd be sleeping alone tonight.

Eventually though the alcohol made her drowsy and she fell asleep, Esmé trying to get comfortable on the couch. She struggled for a bit with going to sleep and looked over when she seen Evelyn come downstairs, noticing the woman. She seen the tears in her eyes and didn't say anything, merely walking over and sitting beside her before gently running her hand through the younger woman's hair to help her sleep.

Esmé leaned into the touch as she finally began dozing off. Evelyn stayed there for at least ten minutes after Esmé had fallen asleep.

Meanwhile Isabel was upstairs and had crawled into bed with Ayn and Balenciaga. The other ymbryne had sleepily wrapped her arm around the woman's waist, Ayn moving closer to them.

Eventually Evelyn quietly left the room, placing a gentle kiss on the top of her head and getting a glass of water before heading upstairs.

She decided to check on Alma and entered the room to find her asleep in a ball on top of the bed. Evelyn sighed and walked over.

She gently placed the covers over her, noticing the faint smell of alcohol on her and sighed before carefully unpinning her hair, setting the pins aside and leaving.