Winter's POV

"I'm heading home by that route. I'll check it out." I repeated. Amy disassociate for a second there, hence why I needed to repeat myself.

Dane held my arm.

His eyes asked me if I was sure I could do that for them.

It was Christmas.

Junkies all over the place wasn't anything out of the blue.

"I'll be fine." I assured.

"I have a better plan, Winter. Stay with us for the night. Tomorrow will be Christmas and you can head back home in the morning after breakfast." Nick suggested. I agreed because I didn't want to bother them.

"Alright. I'll check it out tomorrow morning. And let's lift the mood up. It's Christmas. We should be celebrating." A smirk danced on my lips as Dane smiled back. That soft, vulnerable smile he only showed when he was with me.

So I stayed.

We blasted Christmas songs and danced all night. Crystal stayed back, too. She needed to make things right with Amy, apparently. I didn't want to come between their friendship and their terms, but I was naturally curious.

Crystal never liked Aria.

And Amy was too emotional to let go of Aria and their friendship. Even to me, a third person, Aria and Amy's friendship seemed...comfortable.

Or was I missing something?

At the end of the night, Nick and Dane called it a night early at 2 am.

Wishing each other Merry Christmas once again, we split up and got into our rooms. Dane took me into his.

I was heading to bed, wiping my face with a towel when he embraced me from behind.

"Dane..." I said softly.

"I've been waiting to celebrate Christmas with you, Winter. All year for this day." He said, kissing my nape.

He laid me down on his bed gently. The texture I was so used to. He undressed me, admired me, and undressed himself.

Slow, passionate sex that lasted almost until dawn.

That's how it's always been between us.

Sweet, admiring and lots and lots of kissing.

I loved it. He knows me too well.

And I know him just as well, too.

After doing me all night, he was more than exhausted. And that was my cue to dress up and head out.

I borrowed their car, grabbing a few tissues on my way out.

Starting the car and wheeling out of the garage, I dipped the tissues in my underwear and cleaned myself up, on the go.

I drove around until the sun started rising.

Her car was nowhere to be found.

The car getting towed was highly unlikely on Christmas. Everyone in New York was on a holiday. Everyone.

Something clicked in me.

The alley on the other side of this block...it was infamous for horrible junkies who lost their bet on life. High kidnapping rates and everything else I didn't want to mention.

My instincts told me to head out there. Although stupid that I was alone, I wanted to know.

And I was right.

Disbelief was heavy on my face when I saw the way it was parked haphazardly in the middle of the road. Doors kept open. Untouched after they left.

My heart was racing, but I drove closer and had to get out of my car to inspect.

The headlights were on. Foggy, chilling air of the winter hit my almost naked body when I got out.

Looking around, I found no one.

And I peeped into the car.

My eyes widened.

Used condoms and stains of what I could only say...body fluids.

I knew this car belonged to Cynric. He likes to show off his black Mercedes.

But leaving it stranded on the alley which was so close to Amy's encounter?

She did say they were together when it happened.

But...they had sex?

They...were in the same car?

Cynric wasn't stupid to have sex with a junkie woman specifically from this alley.

Then suddenly, something clicks to me.

...Amy...said she was going to join us later.

So its true...

Amy and Cynric are...seeing each other.

I had proof now.

With that, I headed back as soon as I could before the first person in the mansion woke up. It was going to spew trouble.

Parking the car in the garage, I waited for the garage doors to shut completely and dashed up to Dane's room.

Luckily, he was still asleep.

And I laid down next to him.

But I couldn't sleep. My eyes were tired, but my mind was still running the gears.

I was worried.

For Amy

I'd like to believe we are friends. And it is natural that I care for her. I don't want her to associate with stupid jerks like Cynric when we clearly knew his intentions with her.

He wants to gain her trust and milk out billions from her. And by her, I mean the whole Frostbite family.

I wasn't going to sit still and watch it happen.

The next morning — or close to afternoon — I woke up in the arms of my boyfriend. He keeps me warm in the depths of winter and on the days of Christmas. Other days, too.

The day started out slow.

And my eyes were glued to Amy for some reason.

Why didn't I want to believe her?

She said she didn't have any relation with Cynric except for the fact that they bumped into the same route, got in trouble...and ran off.

It doesn't make sense.

"Nicky, can you get me a bunch of bread for this hot choco? It's amazing, by the way." I sent the last guy in the troop out until it was just Amy and me.

I clicked my fingerpads against the warm mug.

"I wouldn't lie to my brothers if I were you." I started. Her eyebrows grew closer.

"W-What?" She chuckled.

"I found the car. I got it towed back to Cynric's this morning." I said, staring at my mug which was surprisingly more interesting than the conversation.

"What's going on between you two?"

The glimmer of fear that ran across her eyes confirmed it.

For the first time...I hoped to be wrong.