Love Like Winter ❄️ Xavier Thorpe

Chapter 13: How To Save A Hyde

Soundtrack:

"Hard on Yourself" by blackbear/Charlie Puth
"Summertime" by My Chemical Romance
"Magnetic" by Waterparks
"Bleed" by Out Came the Wolves

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"She was with Xavier." Wednesday stares at Enid waiting for her to get what she's implying.

Enid blinks, her eyes slowly widening as she figures it out.

"See, this is why I always have said you guys are so lucky Xavier has that art studio. You can just be alone whenever you want."

I feel my face heat up and look down at my hands to avoid eye contact with Enid.

"We weren't in the shed actually," I say quietly.

Enid looks confused. "Then where'd you guys hook up? What's more private than his shed?"

"His room."

"So that's where you guys disappeared to yesterday, when everyone else was working on their boats and ... you know, that's actually a really good idea. I'm mad I didn't think of that." Enid pouts.

Wednesday picks up her book again, propping it open on her knees. "Don't expect me to have pity on you if our teams lose tomorrow because of you two."

"We'll be just fine tomorrow, Wednesday. And I wouldn't expect pity from you if I was on fire."

I wince scooting myself to the edge of the bed and standing. "I'm going to take a shower."

Enid and Wednesday watch me hobble to the bathroom after I grab clean clothes out of my closet.

"If you can barely walk, I don't even think I need to ask how it was." Enid giggles and nudges Wednesday, who couldn't have cared less.

With my hand on the bathroom doorknob, I stop and turn back towards Enid and Wesnesday. "I actually sort of do want to talk about it."

I knew what I said would make Wednesday leave the room, and luckily it does. She was my cousin, but I don't trust her enough to vent to her or ask her for advice about something like this. Enid had a pretty popular Nevermore gossip blog, but I never had to worry about her backstabbing or badmouthing me. She's just genuinely a caring person.

"Soooo?" Enid asks once Wednesday is gone.

I take a deep breath and feel a grin grow across my face that I absolutely can't fight back.

"It was life changing, Enid. I swear it was."

She giggles and takes a closer look at the mark on my neck. "I'm literally so happy for you! Was it like awkward or uncomfortable at all?"

I shift my weight, wincing again. "I got all nervous and stupid about it, which sucked. And then I apparently bled all over the sheets and I couldn't find my underwear and now I'm so incredibly sore, but, God, it was magical."

"How many times did you guys ..."

"Like two or three."

"Damn, Anna. It's a wonder you can walk at all," she giggles again and hugs me. "Your secret is safe with me, don't worry. But you guys better still kick ass tomorrow in the Poe Cup."

I nod and continue my original path which is to take a shower. The mirror in the bathroom shows me how disheveled I really look and it's easy for me to see why Enid thought I was attacked by a bear. My hair is frizzy and looks like I haven't brushed it in a week, which to be honest, had happened in my dark times. There are at least two dark reddish purple bruises on the right side of my neck, which are going to be nearly impossible to cover up. I wonder how Xavier looks afterwards to an outsider.