The Winter Rivals

Chapter 13| She's Busy.

31st September 2008
With scorching fire crackling in my ears and a loosely draped blanket around my shoulders, I settled on the soft couch with poor posture, skimming over Mariam's roughly scribbled notes.
"What did Rowen say her name was?" I inquired, a look of concentration washing over my face as I attempted to recall. Mariam, deep in thought, placed a finger over her lip as she scrolled through an online article. "Hazel Quinn," she murmured, "Hazel and Jess were set to be married on the eleventh of February last year but split in January."

Moving closer to the laptop screen, I crossed my legs, "Any insights on why they ended things?" My brows furrowed as I pondered a potential cause. "Nothing," she sighed heavily, rubbing her eyes, "But there's a phone number and email associated with her. She's a model and a prize-winning dancer, so I suspect the contact details belong to her agent. I can email them to request a meeting with her, either over the phone or in person, if she's open to discussing the matter."

I clapped my hands together, feeling a tinge of success. "Yes, perfect!" I grinned. "We're getting somewhere."

"You did hear me when I said Hazel Quinn, right?" Mariam's eyes darted to meet mine with a puzzled expression. Pulling the blanket tighter against my body, I nodded. "Yes. I'm aware she's Luke's sister, so she might be hesitant. But if we want to tell Luke's side of things as well as Jess's, then Hazel is our only hope."

As the late afternoon swiftly transitioned into evening, the sky draped Spiez in dark indigo shadows. Tora and Rowen found comfort together in the cozy, dimly lit lounge. Meanwhile, Mariam relaxed on her bed, immersed in a phone call with Riera; whether he was discussing the documentary or whispering sweet nothings to her was unknown to me.

When Mariam sent off the email to Hazel's agent, she suggested that I either prepare my questions for the interview, in case there was one, or try talking to Jess about the situation. The second option was not going to happen, and I had already outlined my questions for Hazel. Consequently, I obviously had no choice but to nestle in bed with fluffy pajamas, indulge in at least three large tubs of lemon sorbet, and lose myself in true crime documentaries.

Just as I had settled into my oversized grandpa jumper and fluffy pajama bottoms, with the TV remote in hand, eager to relax and do absolutely nothing, there it was, like an annoying little fly that wouldn't leave me alone. Knock, knock. I groaned and sullenly threw my head back, feeling like a child who'd been told to go to bed. "What?" I yelled to the door, half-expecting Mariam or Tora to waltz in and rant to me about their love lives.

The door slowly creaked open, and to my surprise, it wasn't who I had anticipated. "Manners, Winter," he tutted teasingly. My skin burned, and all I could manage was a blink. Jess stood there, eyeing me from head to toe in my hideously unfashionable attire, though I must admit they were comfortable. I had never felt so humiliated. In my defense, I wasn't exactly expecting company. "I'm sorry, I thought-"

"That I was Mariam or Tora?" he interrupted, raising an eyebrow as he leaned coolly against the door frame. His posture was relaxed yet cocky, and that alone was enough to make my breath hitch in the back of my throat. I smiled sheepishly, "Yes, again, I'm sorry."

Jess pushed away from the frame, shutting the door quietly behind him before he staggered over to the edge of the bed. Sitting down, he leaned on one of his hands, his gaze fixed on the pale pink duvet before slowly flickering his eyes up to meet mine.
"I came to talk about yesterday," he stated in a deep, raspy voice. I nodded slightly, gesturing for him to continue. Jess's fingers toyed with one of the frills on the sheets as his words came out soft but firm, "You're not allowed to enter my room, nor are any of the others. As much as I found your little stunt amusing yesterday, that was your only exception. Do I make myself clear?" His eyes twinkled devilishly, and my stomach tied itself into a knot.

"Crystal," I whispered.
The tension was rising, feeling as powerful as two stars about to collide, unleashing fiery bursts of white fragments before hurtling through space.

The sudden sound of my phone shattered the moment of silence, and just as I reached out,
Jess beat me to it. "Password," he demanded arrogantly. Although I hadn't planned on it, my tone came out pointedly, "Really?" I folded my arms across my chest, "You expect me to just give you my password?" He shot me a slightly downturned smirk, "Password, Winter, or I'll make sure every bit of footage you have is gone by morning."

Annoyance pierced through my gritted teeth as I bit down on my words, "One, five, seven, six."

"So you would just hand over your password, hm?" he quipped, his gaze gliding smoothly over my lips. I watched the fluid movement of his fingers as he typed, his eyes fixed on the screen, all while murmuring, "you're staring, Winter."

My mouth was slightly agape, and even though he couldn't see me, I shook my head, unable to articulate a sentence. With a smug expression, he tossed the phone in my direction, eagerly awaiting my reaction.

Shawn's text read, 'Are you okay? It was nice seeing you today.'
Jess's curt response consisted of two words,
'She's busy.'