Snow On The Beach - Jasper Hale

Chapter Three

Bella Swan was waiting at the Jeep when Koda and Roslyn finally left the darkroom. They were holding their fresh prints, comparing their vastly different styles of photography as they approached the girl. 

Finally, "Baby Bella!" Koda's exclamation drew Bella out of her paperback long enough for her to glare at him over the pages. He held the door open, popping the front seat for her to climb to the back before sliding into the driver's seat. 

Roslyn was digging through Koda's CD collection when he started the car, finally finding Bowie's Pinup as he pulled out of the stall. Before long, whatever ad that had been playing was replaced with Rosalyn and she turned in her seat just in time to see Bella roll her eyes.

"Not happy with the song, baby Bella?" Roslyn asked sardonically, already knowing the answer.

"I just don't see why you have to have it so loud," she muttered, slouching in her seat. "And are you really so conceited that your theme song is named after you?"

"Technically, she was named after it," Koda pointed out. He was wrong, but it was a lie I let him believe for the sake of seeming sixteen.

"And we like it loud because it's cathartic." We were both yelling to be heard over the music, but Koda and I were grinning ear to ear. 

Before either of us were ready, we were at the Swan's charming little house and Bella was scrambling up the sidewalk, tripping twice in her haste to get away from us.

The couple was halfway through Everything's Alright by the time Koda pulled in beside Roslyn's mustang. Neither of them moved as he turned off the car, but Roslyn shifted in her seat to face her boyfriend, resting her head in her hand. Koda's eyes shifted over her face, bouncing from place to place before he finally opened his mouth.

"When do you have to be at work?"

"I'm in at four." Roslyn replied, her voice soft in the quiet of the car.

Koda's eyes flickered to the dashboard clock and back to hers, a smile rapidly growing on his face. "That's not for over an hour."

Roslyn huffed out a small laugh, tilting her head to the side. "What do you have in mind, love?"

"God, I love it when you call me that." Koda leaned closer to her his hand moving to rest against her neck. His thumb ran along her cheekbone and his smile softened into something gentle. "Rom-com and cuddle?"

Roslyn pulled out of his grip and was out of the car before he knew she had moved. She jerked her head toward her building. "You coming, or what?"

Koda went straight for the kitchen, putting on a fresh pot of coffee while Roslyn settled on the couch, tugging a blanket over her and reaching for the remote. The TV was rolling the latest news when she turned it on.

"Reports of a serial killer in Sappho are growing by the second," the reporter was saying.

"Did that say a killer in Sappho?" Koda's voice sounded from the kitchen as he rounded the corner.

Roslyn lifted the blanket and he slid next to her, handing her a mug before wrapping an arm around her shoulders. They both turned to their full attention to the TV where images of the victims had begun playing. Roslyn sat up straight, her eyes glued to the screen as Koda his his face in her back.

"Some say they are animal attacks, but the consensus among the Sappho PD is that the killer is indeed human. Five bodies have been found over the last three days and that number is expected to continue to grow."

"Shit." Roslyn muttered. "Shit. Shit. Shit!" She forced the mug into Koda's hand and flew to her feet, pacing in front of the TV.

"I get why we're distressed, but what are we shitting about?" Koda asked, still unable to look at the images on the screen.