Sunny Days and Starry Nights

Jacin

Jacin flopped down on the bed, taking in the fresh scent of detergent. Winter collapsed next to him, giggling about something.

Jacin rolled over, taking his girlfriend in. The way her dark hair contrasted with the stark white sheets. The way her eyes lit up with the flecks of green and gray, her eyes a multitude of happy colors.

Jacin leaned over and kissed her on the lips. "I love you." He mumbled against her mouth. Winter pulled back and looked at him curiously. "Why are you so happy?"

Jacin frowned. "What do you mean?" He asked, tracing her face with his lips.

"Just an hour ago, you couldn't stand to be near me. Now you're kissing me like I'll be gone in an instant."

Jacin raised an eyebrow. "You mean I can't kiss my own girlfriend without questions?"

It was Winter's turn to frown. "I'm only asking a question, Jacin."

He turned away.

"Jacin. We need to talk about this."

Jacin groaned into his pillow. "Why must we ruin things? I just was tired of being angry with you. That's all."

Winter placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm tired too. But I'm tired of not communicating either. Which is what we seem to do all the time now."

Jacin thought about the earlier flight, the one from Canada to Benoit Farms. "I thought you wanted to see the ocean up close!"

Winter sighed. "That's it. You're always thinking. Never asking."

Jacin pretended to ignore her.

Winter sighed one more time and left, muttering something about swimming.

He tried to shut his eyes, but the bright light coming through the windows was too much. And the noise was unbearable. Constant shouting came from downstairs. It sounded like Thorne. He must have found a spider. Good. It didn't help that there was a faint sadness in his heart that Winter had left.

Jacin could hear Cress's and Winter's mutters from outside the door. They must be talking about him.

Jacin buried his face in the pillows, blocking out light, sound, and any sadness that was trying to break through. It worked.

A sudden hand on his back startled him. He lifted his head. For the first time, Cress was looking down at him for the first time.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Jacin nodded and sat up, making room for Cress. She sat down and smoothed her skirts.

"When did it start?" Jacin thought back to the day's events. It seemed so long ago.

"This morning. I thought Winter had wanted to see the ocean up close, so I drove extremely low. Then she got mad and started yelling at me about it."

Cress sat there for a moment, pondering.

"Did you ask Winter if she wanted to see the ocean?"

Jacin shook his head. "Winter always wants too. And I always know what Winter wants."

Cress drew in a long breath. "That's it. I think she feels controlled by you."

Jacin frowned. "Controlled? By me? But she never said anything-."

Cress placed a hand on his knee. "I think that's what she was trying to talk to you about."

Jacin put a hand over his eyes. "And I shook her off."