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Winter jerked awake, the sunbeams slanting across her bedroom window reminding her she'd overslept past noon.
She pulled off her earpiece, letting the silence fall between them until a bloodcurdling scream split the silence. Her heart sprang into her throat, and with no thought at all, she was out of her room racing down the hallway on high alert.
She flung open the guest-room door, expecting to see the worst, only to find Karina sitting on the bed, facing the wall, her forehead thinking in a steady rhythm against it.
Winter blinked, thoroughly unimpressed. "What are you doing?"
Karina turned with a completely over-the-top pout.
"I'm bored," she whined, drawing the word out as if it were the most serious grievance imaginable. Her wide eyes scanned Winter, silently pleading. Winter rolled her eyes and mumbled under her breath as she turned to leave.
But Karina sprang out of bed, moving to her.
Reflexively, Winter went into a defensive MMA stance, every muscle coiled to strike if Karina made any sudden moves. Karina froze, hands shooting up in surrender.
"Whoa, whoa! I'm not trying to get away!" Karina babble, her face paling.
"Chill, okay? I swear, I'm just bored. I'll just... stay right here." She slid back slowly and slumped onto the bed, shaking her head again with an over-the-top sigh.
Winter had almost lost her patience waiting for Karina to eye her, pout dramatically, and then turn back to the wall.
The rhythmic thunk of her forehead hitting the wall was grating on her nerves, and she scratched her head with frustration. "Seriously, tell me you're this uptight just because you are bored?"
"Yes!" Karina whirled round, her eyes snapping open wide enough to imply that Winter had just discovered the key to the shackles that bound her.
"You know what happens if I don't post for a day? My followers probably are having heart attacks! I might even lose followers because of this!" She literally whispered, as if she was sharing a dark and tragic secret with her.
Winter looked at her, dumbfounded. "Your followers," she repeated.
"You are so afraid you will lose followers." She shut her eyes and pinched the ridge of her nose, taking a deep, slow breath. There she was, a kidnapper who was babysitting a socialite hostage, instead of her dear life, she is freaking out that she was going to lose social media followers.
"Fine," Winter relaxed, each word exasperated. "Let's get you something to eat before I lose my mind."
Karina's eyes sparkled, and her pout cleared as she beamed at Winter, and for a fleeting instant, Winter couldn't help but be charmed by this unexpected charge.
