Wanting Winter(56)

He passes me a pair of black lace underwear and bra, but my boobs don’t fill the cups. The skinny jeans would have fallen down if it weren’t for the belt holding them up. The blouse hangs off me.

He looks at me, really looks at me.

No desire.

Just a little anger and a little disgust.

“Put these on.” He hands me a pair of sunglasses. Even though its early in the morning, he is making sure no one will recognize me.

I have had thoughts about trying to run away once I’m outside, but with my body so weak and undernourished, I wouldn’t get very far and I don’t want to be punished: I know if I run, he will find a way to break me.

He pulls me to his side and opens the door and we start walking out. We walk up the stairs to the ground floor. When I see the main door to head outside, I almost smile. I’m going to get some fresh air.

I am going to be out.

When we step out into the breezy air, I breathe everything in.

I look around, seeing the trees, the street lamps. I glance all around me, savoring every last bit. Looking back at the building behind me that has been my home, my prison. I gaze up, looking up at the windows, seeing at Drake and Trent’s place.

Wanting for them to look out.

Just to have a glimpse of them.

I continue walking, but I start to tire and my body feels heavy. I fall to the ground, my legs too weak to stand. I haven’t walked in so long. My head starts to feel dizzy.

“Winter, get up,” Patrick orders me.

I try but my legs won’t comply.

“Fuck Winter, get up.” He looks around us. I hold onto his arms to help me stand but it's like my body just gave in.

Darkness starts to take over, my head falls back, and my eyes try to focus on the street lights.

What is happening to me?

“Winter, come on, don’t fall asleep.” Patrick smacks my face, but I can't really feel it.

I hear my name.

“Winter?”

It’s not Patrick’s voice.

Someone has found me.

They found me.

I smile before darkness takes over.





Trent


“There are some sick fucks in this world,” I yell. Joshua put up a reward for finding Winter and someone has pretended to be her. She is missing, and someone is trying to get a quick buck.

“Someone will find her,” Joshua says, but I can even hear the doubt in his voice. He looks at his phone, typing out a message, smiling. I have seen him talking to a girl at school and I am sure it's her he is texting.

“You should have let me punch her,” Candice says angrily.

“That would have helped.” Drake rolls his eyes.

“It would have,” she spits back at him.

“Will you two pack it in. Jesus,” I yell at them. They are like bickering two-year-olds.

“Sorry,” Candice says. “She deserved a punch though. She didn’t even look anything like Winter, she wasn’t pretty enough.”

“She wasn’t,” Drake says. They give each other a small smile.

“I miss her. Thinking about how I treated her, and now she could be…” Candice starts to cry and Drake pulls her in, hugging her.

“She’s okay. I just know it.” He tries to reassure her. He looks at me and gives me that look that we all have been given one another recently.

Is Winter okay?

Is she even still alive?

All this has brought us four together: we all sleep at the same place in case one of us ever hears anything. We don’t want to give up hope.

Getting close to our building, I see a couple snuggled together walking down the path. The girl is wearing sunglasses, and I look at her like she is crazy. She is looking at everything like she can’t get enough. Like it’s all new to her.

I watch her, fascinated by her for some reason. She looks familiar, but I can't figure where I know her from.

I see her walking unsteadily, and decide she must have been drinking.

Drake has his arm around Candice. They are talking about what movie to watch. I look back to the girl and she collapses on the floor. The guy tries to lift her back up, but it's like the girl is having trouble.

“That girl must be very drunk,” Joshua says. “Isn’t that Patrick?” he says after a moment, squinting his eyes.

“Oh, shit. It is. Who’s the girl?” Candice asks.

“He may need some help.”

We start walking over to his direction.

“Winter, come on, don’t fall asleep,” I hear Patrick say as he smacks her face. It’s what he called her that has me frozen.

Winter?

It's Winter.

“Winter?” I say her name, and I see her smile before her body goes limp. I run to her side. “What is wrong with her?” I ask him. “Winter, wake up.” I look at her and she doesn’t even look like the girl I know.

“I don’t know. I just found her like this,” Patrick says in a worried, panicked voice.

“Candice call an ambulance,” I order, and she does. “Winter, can you hear me?” I place her head on my knees. “Winter, I need you to open your eyes.” She just lies there. I look at her, really at her. Her hair is white blonde, her cheekbones and jawline are more defined, and her clothes look two sizes too big. “What happened to you?” I whisper, tears prickling my eyes.