“Are you listening?”
Sarah’s voice snaps Winter out of her daze.
Winter blinks and jolts, her gaze drifting away from the spot where she could have sworn she’d just seen a boy with silver hair.
Had she imagined him?
She glances across the aisle at the receptionist, hoping for confirmation, but receives only a blank look in return.
“Why were you just staring into space?” her mother asks, studying her with a puzzled expression.
Winter hesitates, unsure how to explain.
“I thought I saw someone,” she murmurs, shaking her head as if to dispel the thought.
She senses her mom won’t believe her and decides it is easier to brush it off.
“I guess it was nothing,” she adds, forcing a reassuring smile.
It seems to work, as Sarah’s eyes narrow slightly but then soften.
Pointing to the phone in Winter’s hand, she asks, “Is that the one you want?”
Winter glances down at the device the mystery boy had suggested and nods.
“Good,” Sarah says, directing her to hand it to the clerk for checkout.
Winter complies, handing over the phone and the other items they’ve picked out.
She scans the store one last time, hoping to catch a glimpse of the boy, but there is nothing.
“Come on, let’s head home,” Sarah says, already heading for the doors.
“You’ve got everything you need now. All that’s left is to start your new life at Crestwood on Monday.”
Without responding, Winter follows her mother out.
Back at home, Winter feels drained.
The high-end shopping trip had overwhelmed her, and the encounter with the mystery boy had left her feeling unsettled.
All she wants now is to lie down and rest.
“Go ahead and unpack,” Sarah calls over her shoulder as she heads upstairs.
“Evelyn should have lunch ready soon.”
“Okay,” Winter replies, hefting her bags and heading to her room.
She tosses them onto her bed and slumps into the chair by her desk, feeling a dull ache behind her eyes.
She pulls out her new laptop, placing it on the desk in front of her.
With a sigh, she decides to quickly run downstairs to retrieve it.
But as she walks down the hallway, something catches her eye—Drae’s door is slightly ajar.
Winter hesitates, but curiosity gets the better of her.
Maybe if I understood him better, I’d know why he’s so hostile, she reasons, convincing herself it is harmless to take a quick peek.
Just a peek, she thinks, stepping closer and pushing the door open a little wider.
Drae’s room is dimly lit with an emerald glow.
The walls are a deep forest green, and the furniture is simple and understated.
A large, unmade bed dominates the center, with dark sheets twisted across it.
His desk is cluttered with papers, books, and a few personal items, and a worn leather chair sits in the corner.
Feeling a twinge of guilt, Winter’s eyes land on a stack of papers on his desk.
She isn’t sure why, but something about it draws her closer.
Amidst the papers is an open file with photographs that make her freeze.
In the photos is a woman who appears to have been brutally murdered.
Blood stains her clothes, and her lifeless eyes seem to stare directly at Winter.
A cold shiver runs down her spine as she takes a step back.
Who is this woman?
And why does Drae have these photos?
She is still trying to make sense of it when a loud slam interrupts her thoughts.
Winter spins around, her heart hammering, to find Drae standing in the doorway, his expression cold and unreadable.
“What the hell are you doing in my room?” he demands, his voice low and dangerous.
“Shit,” Winter stammers, taking a step back.
“I was just—”
“Just what?” Drae growls, his eyes narrowing.
“Snooping? Looking for something to report back to your mother?”
Winter’s eyes widen as she protests.
“What?” Drae interrupts, his voice mocking.
“Thought you’d find something you could use against me to get me to play nice?”
He sneers, stepping closer.
Winter feels her irritation flare.
“I wasn’t trying to blackmail you, Drae! I wasn’t even planning on being in here. Your door was open, and I… I was just curious.”
She can hear the weakness in her excuse, but she is done with his accusations.
“Oh, so you’re just curious?” Drae’s voice is thick with sarcasm as he takes another step toward her.
“Well, maybe next time I’ll get curious and stroll right into your room. See how you like it.”
Winter’s anger spikes, and she surprises herself by standing her ground.
“It’s not like you haven’t done it before,” she shoots back.
“So, how does it feel to have someone invade your space in return?”
Drae’s laugh is cold and humorless.
“Oh, so you actually have a backbone? Could’ve fooled me with that innocent act,” he mocks.
Winter’s fists clench.
“Glad to know you don’t know a thing about me, stepbrother,” she spits, emphasizing her last word.
“And honestly, I’d prefer it that way.”
Drae’s smirk fades, replaced by a dangerous glint in his eyes.
“Get out of my room, Winter. And if you ever step foot in here again, I’ll make sure you regret it. I’ll invade your space so thoroughly, you won’t know what hit you.”
Winter swallows but doesn’t let him see her fear.
She holds his gaze for a moment longer before turning on her heel and marching out, her heart pounding as she leaves his room.
As she hurries down the hall, she feels the weight of his gaze on her back, but she doesn’t look back.
Her mind is spinning, and the image of the woman in the photo lingers, sending a chill down her spine.
She hadn’t meant to get caught up in Drae’s space, and now she feels she has just made things worse between them.
But there is something about those photos—the woman in them—that she can’t ignore.
She has stumbled onto something in Drae’s room, something dark.
And deep down, she knows she isn’t going to be able to let it go.