The Snowy-haired Genius

Chapter thirteen

A month passed, quicker than I could have ever imagined. Me and Winter grew closer, and I somehow found myself focusing on the boy every day. He was everything I had. On Winter's property, it was only him, the dogs, and a few bodyguards. I never heard anyone knocking on the door. I never even heard a phone ring. But isolation was always something I liked. I dreamed about becoming a hermit with a house like Winter's. 

During the month, days passed as quickly as minutes. I read heaps of books, listened to Winter play music, watched him paint, and ignored the world around us. 

There was still no sign of payment from my parents. It was only when Victor came in while Winter and I were sitting on the floor playing chess that I came to discover this fact.

"Still no answer from Dan, sir," Victor told Winter. 

It really hurt.

My chest tightened and I found myself actually holding back tears. The lump in my throat was hard to swallow. I lowered my vision to the floor and dug my nails into my thigh, resisting the urge to scream.

I knew my family didn't love me as much as they loved Jacob and Justin, but the reality was still hitting my hard. Its one thing to understand, its something different entirely to experience it. I wanted to scream, to shout, to storm back to my apartment and deck Dan in the nose.

Because he didn't love me.

Because a fucking boy who I had never met until a month ago looked after and paid more attention to me than my own fucking family.

Because somehow, some-fucking-how, all I wanted was my family's love. My grandmother's warm hugs, my mother's proud look. Jacob and Justin's admiration. Most importantly, my father's love. I never got to experience it, and if I was stuck living with a kidnapper and stalker my entire life, then I never would.

Winter opened his mouth to answer Victor when I looked up, but stopped. His eyes softened when he saw the look on my face, and his fingers twitched towards me, as if he was holding back from touching me. "Okay," Winter said quietly to Victor. "We'll talk about this later."

Victor left, locking the door behind him. Then, it was just me and Winter, sitting in silence. I moved one of my knights backwards, knowing that Winter could take it, but to my confusion he moved the chess board aside and wriggled forward. "Are you okay?" He murmured softly to me, tilting his head.

"I'm fine," I forced out, not wanting to cry in front of him. "Its your turn."

Winter ignored the chess board. "You're not fine."

"I..."

"I'd pay any money to have you," He smiled at me, tipping my chin up to look at me with a single finger. I found myself holding back a smile, wanting to hug him.

Instead, I just joked, "I'm not a prostitute. You can't buy me."

Winter pouted, playing along. "Aw, but it would be so much easier!" He whined. That time, I did actually laugh, which only made him grin wider. He continued. "What am I supposed to do with my money now, if I can't buy your affection?"

"Like you could afford me," I retorted, the heaviness lifting off my chest as we continued to tease and playfully bully one another.

"Oh, I'd only need to pay a couple hundred," Winter said casually. "After the first touch, you'd be paying me."

I felt a blush spreading up my cheeks at his comeback, and found myself looking down at his lips and then his fingers. "O-oh yeah?" I stammered. "Prove it, tough guy."