chapter 2

“Winter, I am so glad you could make it. You look so good,” Jason said, raising his drink in the air and smiling brightly. I didn’t know his smile could get any wider. I had a sneaking suspicion that he was bisexual, because at times he acted like a hormonal guy that wants to be in everyone, but then other times he would throw comments on how tight another guy’s jeans were. That means he is gay, right? I am really not the person to judge.

“Hey winter happy birthday,” some random guy called out to me. It’s the thought that counts.

“Umm, today isn’t my birthday, it’s tomorrow but thank you, at least you remembered it’s this month,” the guy smiled, obviously embarrassed, and walked away. “Well, that was awkward,” I whispered to Zoe.

“Don’t mind him, let’s dance” Chloe and Zoe pulled me to dance. I hate dancing. I can’t do it. I never have, and I never want to. Especially not to celebrate anything. I don’t know what I expected when I agreed to come to this. What exactly was my plan for this? The little voice that pushed me toward doing this suddenly couldn’t talk anymore. I subconsciously looked around for Alec. Maybe I could talk to him.

“I thought you said you weren’t coming tonight,” I heard his voice without me. I had never been so happy to hear someone’s voice.

“Maybe I lied.” I turned around to meet his gaze. He looked good. I won’t lie.

“Hmmm, I see,” Alec muttered under his breath, smiling.

“I snuck out,”

“Wow, I never looked at you as that kind of person,” He stated, actually said sounding surprised.

“Don’t tell anyone, though. Just between the two of us,”

“Don’t worry,” he raised his fingers to his mouth and did the gesture that said my lips were sealed and he threw away the key.

“Do you want to dance?”

“I don’t enjoy dancing. I’d be happy watching you if that won’t creep you out,” I said without blinking to add a psycho effect. He parted his lips, looking at me, maybe trying to figure out if I was joking with him.

“You’re serious?”

“Yes,”

“Wow, o-o-okay,”

“Let me check if my friends are cool with me leaving first,” I looked over my shoulder and they were nowhere to be seen “they are okay with it,” Alec and I danced all night, more like Alec danced, and I casually stared at him taking a step or two when I saw him slowing down. He was not an awful dancer as I had imagined, he was really really good, in fact. I felt like Anastasia, you know, Cinderella’s sister, that kept on stepping on prince Charming. I was not stepping on his toes. I just wasn’t an excellent dancer.

“Do you want a drink?”

“YES,” I think I yelled a bit. I will never do this again in my life.

*****

“Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you happy birthday dear Winter, happy birthday to you,” everyone sang for me and my two best friends brought in a cake, they didn’t even know I was coming to this party they must have gone through a lot of trouble to put this together. I love them so much. I blew out my candles. It wouldn’t take a Harvard graduate to know what I wished for. Freedom, as CRINGE as that sounds.

As the party went on, people were getting drunker and drunker around me. I wasn’t so sober myself. I had a couple of drinks already.

I was still ‘dancing’ with Alec when something caught my eye. Some guys were making a commotion at the door of the house with one guy from my school. The first guy was blonde and the third guy was blonde as well. They were probably twins since they looked alike. Now Zoe and Chloe can have different boyfriends that look alike. Not that it was my business, anyway. I didn’t even know these guys. They didn’t go to our school. Trust me, if they did, I would know they were all really pretty and my school wasn’t overflowing with pretty men. The middle guy, who looked totally different from the other two, looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on where I had seen him before.

“Alec, excuse me please,” I said, sobering up a little, then walking to the door where the three boys were. I shouldn’t. I am not a fan of interaction with someone I have never met, but something was calling me. Up close, I saw the guy’s eyes catch mine; He smiled. I was totally captivated by the gold I saw glimmering in his eyes. He was using some kind of witchcraft on me. I tried my hardest to break our stare, but I couldn’t. It was almost like he was daring me to come closer. I hate a lot of things, and among those things is when people try to manipulate me. The thing is, this guy was not even trying.

“Who are they, Winter?” the guy at the door asked me

“I don’t know. You guys need to leave. You weren’t invited.” the guy was still looking at me. Focus WINTER. The guy who had been trying to chase them away literally walked away. WOW.

“Who are you guys?” I asked.

“I am Xavier these are my friends William and Jeremy,” so we had one thing in common: best friends that were twins fantastic.

“But what are you doing here? Last I checked, this party was for people from school.” I looked up at him. Weird, his eyes changed colour. I guess it was a trick of the light.

“We aren’t here to make any trouble,” he replied. His voice commanded things, namely the butterflies in my stomach. STOP. The guy who I assumed was Jeremy leaned over to Xavier and whispered something into his ear, making Xavier nod.

“Are you guys talking about me?” I asked.

“Maybe princess.”

“Don’t call me a princess,”

“You certainly do look like a princess, no let me rephrase that, a queen.” this guy was acting really weird. “Can we just come in and enjoy your birthday with you? I don’t bite unless you want me to,” he winked. That was weirdly hot.

“Okay, can you stop? You’re not cute,” he nodded. “And I have a boyfriend.”

“That guy?” he pointed to Alec, who was sitting at the bar with another girl all over him. WHAT?! we hadn’t even started dating, and he was cheating on me. MEN.

“Wait!” I touched the guy’s shoulder and there were real electric shocks that went through me. I shivered and pulled my hand from his body almost immediately.

“Dude, you just shocked me!”

“I am perfectly incapable of shocking anyone. Maybe it’s a sign that you are in love with me,” WHAAAAAAAT!

“No, no, no, I am not in love with you. I wanted to ask you how you knew my birthday was today. And how you knew he was my boyfriend.”

“That is for me to know, and you to find out my queen.” he winked at me. My eyebrows went up and furrowed together. I do not think I appreciated the meaning behind him calling me HIS QUEEN.

“No, seriously.”

“The guy I was talking to called you Winter, and there is a banner almost fifteen times taller than me saying happy birthday Winter. When I walked in, I saw you dancing with that guy. You could take that as your explanation, or you could think of me as a genius,” He walked away. I don’t get paid for the bullshit I put myself through every day.

*****

I walked over my third passed out or possibly dead body, completely sober and unable to drink because I could not unsee what I just saw. I walked in on Zoe, Chloe, and Wyatt getting at it in one of the guest bedrooms. SICKENING. I can’t just forget how mortified they looked like they were doing the wrong thing. Even if I drank to forget, I would tell the entire world about it. I headed towards the door, deciding that it was probably time for me to go back home before my dad found out I broke his number one precious rule: don’t go out at night ever. This was not the most liberating aspect of my life.

I got out of the house the party was being held in. Whose house was this, anyway? It was huger than when I was getting into it. Zoe and Chloe were probably still kissing each other and riding their boyfriend, sisters kissing. Isn’t that incest? I will get off these people when someone offers me an explanation about how things work. I guess I would just have to go home myself.

I felt around in my purse for my phone, then ordered an uber to come to pick me up. Sensing I wasn’t alone, I turned back and saw the three guys that I had allowed into the party looking at me with smiles on their faces.

“Oh hello,” I said, hoping that this was a coincidence, and they hadn’t outrightly followed me out here.

“Hey,” Xavier said and started walking towards me. I stood there, which, in my opinion, was beautifully stupid. “where are you going? The party just started.”

“Um, I should probably go.”

“When I say that I don’t mean I am going to hurt you,” yes, that calms me down. Keep talking.

“My father will be worried sick. I have to get home” I spun around, but he grabbed my arm and pulled me to his chest. WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL?

“Your father sent me to pick you up,” he said. Do you know how I knew he was lying? My father doesn’t know I am here.

“No, he didn’t.” I narrowed my eyes at him.

“Why do you say so?”

“Look, sir, my father doesn’t even know I am here,” just in time the uber I called arrived. I yanked out of his grip, then hurriedly rushed to the car. Xavier grabbed my hand and yanked me back with so much force that I went behind him and landed in one of the other guy’s arms.

“Let me go!” I screamed and started trashing around. I saw Xavier lean over the window of the car. He dipped his hand in his pocket, brought out some money, and stuck it into the window. I realized he was trying to pay the man to drive off without me.

“I am sorry sir, I can’t accept that” the driver glanced at me like he was telling me, wink twice if you want me to call 911.

“Okay, fine, I’ll do it my way then.” Xavier put his money back in his pocket. I saw the drivers widen with fear, then he drove off without question. I was going to give him a bad review.

“Let’s get to my car,” Xavier said.

“Over my dead body!” I continued wiggling violently against the twin that was holding me.

“Do I have to drag a girl?” he cocked his head to the side. He looked five times sexier when he did that. I realized he doesn’t get angrier than that. I hate people like him.

“Is this how you repay me for allowing you into the best party of your life?” I couldn’t believe it.

He gripped my chin and smiled softly. “Of course not, my queen. I am doing this because your father is selfish.” Well, that is obvious. But no one gets to call him that except me, and even if he was selfish, that surely isn’t the grounds to kidnap sweet little me.

“That has nothing to do with me, does it?” I asked him.

“It has everything to do with you, Winter,” he said my name with a slight hint of venom. I yanked out of the twin that was holding me. That was my plan. I needed to shock them to escape. I bolted for my life, partly because I was about to get kidnapped, partly because my father’s alarm rings by three o’clock and it could wake up the whole of America.

I got home, threw open the door and slammed it shut, gently, just in case my father already woke up. I held onto the doorknob and breathed loudly, recovering from that long run. If I didn’t calm down soon, I was going to have an attack, then my father would find out I went out and he would ground me till I die, which is probably this night if I don’t hide now. I can’t believe the day I disobeyed my father, I almost got myself kidnapped.

I turned around and caught hold of the state of my house. I gasped in horror. It was messy and I’m pretty sure when I left the house there was no blood on the furniture.. Did I leave the door open? No, that couldn’t be. I took the window upstairs.

“Dad!” I gasped for air. “dad!”

“Would you stop yelling? He is over here” Xavier was on the chair and he was sitting beside my bloodied father, who was unconscious and bleeding from his head. I started getting short of breath.

“Your highness, I don’t think she is fine,”

“Of course, she isn’t fine. She ran miles to get here,” I heard Xavier whisper. My vision was getting woolly. I couldn’t really understand anything that was happening around me. I collapsed on the floor and scratched at my chest to get air.

“No, she is really not fine,” the guy said again. Xavier raised his eyebrow at me, waiting for me to reply. Could he not see that I was dying? I pointed to my mouth and fanned frantically telling him I needed air, like immediately, he came up to me and put his mouth on mine like that could stop my breathlessness, and it did, my breathing regulated and I could no longer feel my lungs contracting.

“How did you?..” Again, I don’t get paid for this.

“See, life is so much better with me around,” he stroked my hair, his eyes were becoming increasingly beautiful quickly.

“Who are you?” I looked away from him, trying to find space to stand up.

“The guy that just saved your life” he took my chin and forced me to look into his eyes again.

“I have some Ventolin, you could have used that,” I commented.

“Well, aren’t you a little ungrateful brat” he shoved my chin away roughly before getting up.

“What did you do to my father?” I asked.

“He is just knocked out, a bit bloodied, so let us discuss my terms.”

“Terms? I want nothing to do with you. Whatever you are,”

“Glad you figured out that I’m not human.” He smirked. That was something to add to the list of things I hated. It was a beautiful smirk that got to places. That annoyed the hell out of me.

“What do you want from me, Xavier?”

“My queen, I came to take you with me, home.” No other sentence could have raised my eyebrow higher. What did he mean by home? I always thought maybe my father wasn’t my father, but if Xavier was my real father, he wouldn’t kiss me on the lips. Or would he? I don’t know why I was even thinking about it.

“I don’t know what you are talking about.” I shook my head in denial. If I shook harder, would I wake up from my nightmare? When I said I wanted to have an adventure, gods of birthday, I was joking.

“You don’t?” He exclaimed, feigning shock. I realized immediately that he was making fun of me when he pouted. “I will tell you all about it when you follow me.”

“WHEN I follow you? I am not following you.”

“Don’t make this harder than it already is. I know you value your father’s life, but I do not. I cannot and will not leave him alone, sweetheart until I get what I want and what I want is you, Winter.”

“Nope,” I stumbled into the kitchen to find out what I was going to do with my life right now, for now, unless he doesn’t pull a gun on me I am going to remain as calm as possible so he doesn’t you know, pull a gun on me. I just had to remind myself that whatever Xavier claimed he was, wasn’t real. He was just a mad person who wanted to scare me.

I leaned on the kitchen cabinet scratching my hair angrily and brainstormed what can really scare a guy that I am not sure what he is. I opened the drawer and pulled out a knife.

“You want to use that to kill me?” he was sitting at the dining table.

“No, to scare you” I walked closer and went behind him. You know what the annoying part was that the guy didn’t shudder. Not even when I pressed the knife on his neck.

“Go on, cut my throat”

*****

“I am waiting, come on slit my throat and I will make sure you never see your father again,” The man said to me, the effrontery, what if I actually called his bluff and slit his throat, he won’t have such a sharp mouth on him. I was not one for conflict and violence, so I just proceeded with my word-full banter and threats. Nobody can be this indifferent to death.

“That is an empty threat,” I seethed through my teeth.

“Try me,” he murmured. I slowly removed the knife from his neck. “that’s a good girl,” he took it from me and stood up from the seat. “Now, you are going upstairs. You are going to pack your things, then you will follow me and your father will be safe.”

“I am not going anywhere with you,” I said.

“Do you think you are still in the position to make demands, sweetheart? With one snap of my finger, your father will be dead, so we do this the easy way or the hard way. It is your choice.”

I will not cry, I will not cry, I WILL NOT CRY.

“You DO love wasting time.”

“Let’s say you take me wherever you want to take me. What would you do with me?” I was not planning on following him, I just wanted to while away time.

“Well, I will marry you.”

“I’d die before I marry you, Xavier” This guy is nuts, he can’t be serious, you did not just see a girl at a party and want to marry her. He was hot, and sexually attractive if you may, but I wouldn’t just jump into marriage after a few exchanged words. I AM SIMPLY NOT THAT FOOLISH.

“You are literally wearing a wedding gown.” he laughed.

“This is a party dress,” I said

“It is white, beautiful and you are in pretty makeup. Looks to me like you were getting ready for your marriage to me,” he shrugged.

“I cannot marry you because my father is owing you something. Give him the time. He will pay up”

“You are what he owes me, Winter,” he said

“Excuse me?” no, no no that can’t be true. My father loves me to death. He cannot just sell me. IMPOSSIBLE, IMPOSSIBLE. NEVER IN A BILLION YEARS. IMPOSSIBLE.

“Your father and I made a deal and as much as I will hate to disclose a deal to a third party, I just have to let you know that in return for your life, he gave me you.”

“You should have let me die.” He really should have.

“But I didn’t.”

I exhaled. “Can’t we give you something else like money, our house, jewellery?” I don’t have a lot of jewellery, but it is worth a shot.

“No, I want nothing else. I want you,” he stroked my cheek. His expression softened.

“Oh Xavier, I’m sorry, that is just not going to happen.” I walked out of the kitchen. My father was still passed out and bleeding. I just need to stay calm for now. Once they figure out I can never give in to them, they would leave and my father and I can try to forget this mess. William and Jeremy were standing, watching him like he was some kind of captive. “You guys can go now,” I ordered.

“Winter, you don’t get it.”

“Of course I do. You are some sort of demon; my father made a deal with you but he can’t fulfil it but there is nothing I can do about it”

“You think this is a joke, don’t you? Okay, then how do I make this seem very serious?” he walked to the couch my father was passed out on and placed the knife on his throat. “Winter, I will kill him,” I scoffed.

“You wouldn’t.”

“You think...” he used the sharp blade of the knife across my father’s face and sliced his cheek. “Are you going with me?” he asked. He had a very crazy look on his face.

“You are sick, demented, hallucinating, On crack,” FUCKING CRAZY.

“I am sick? Darling, I am holding a knife. Do you want to take those words you just called me back, princess?”

“You know what, yes I meant to say you are insane, out of your fucking mind!” Xavier’s eyes darkened.

“I am going to show you now how insane I really am, Jeremy, make her watch,”

“Yes sir,” Jeremy came behind me and held me in a way that I was staring directly at Xavier and my dad. The knife sliced slowly down my father’s arm, and then he sliced across the wound, again and again, making me scream, hoping that someone, our neighbours, will come and help me. What is going on in his brain? The blood ran down my father’s arm as if it was taunting me. It made me sick. I was now sure this wasn’t some prank Zoe and Chloe were playing on me.

“Do you still want to refuse me?” he asked, cleaning the blood near the deep wound

“Stop it!”

“Say you will go along with me, my princess, and your wish is my command.”

“I can’t” I cried out, I won’t. I have a family, a life, and friends to take care of, and who would take care of me?

“Tsk, tsk” he sliced my father’s other hand, and the blood stained the knife, making me almost vomit. Crimson droplets stained the couch. He was really enjoying this. He didn’t have any expression on his face, so either that or he was just very evil. How could someone be this cruel?

“You are hurting him” I yelled and tried running to my father. Jeremy tightened his grip around my body.

“Don’t you think I know that?” Xavier yelled at me and cut my father again

“Okay fine, fine, fine, fine. I will go with you,” I fell and broke into sobs.

“Good, now so I know you aren’t messing with me…” he stood up and crouched down beside my quivering body. “Don’t cry, my sweet, it does things to me.” I felt my body weakening and my eyes closing. My life force was being pulled right out of me, and then the next thing I saw was pitch black. He killed me.