HOW ARE YOU SO DIFFERENT, WINTER?

‘’it obviously will. Now I am going to sit on the table, waiting for your food.’’ He said with a faint smile but I caught a glint of sadness in his eyes before he left.

''he's just sad'' Christian said, he, himself, sounded miserable.

''why?'' I asked, trying not to pry and cross my limits

'' you are the first girl entering the kitchen after my mum died. None of us are really, accustomed to seeing any female around the kitchen.'' he said with a shrug,'' but it seems, the changes are not that bad'' he said quietly more like to himself before I could question further what he meant by that, he added. stepping closer,

''what did you mean by 'more handsome than he ever can be'? huh?'' he whispered in his raspy voice stepping just inches away from me, with a glint of mischief in his eyes.

Me being the stuttering star, I am, the talent I only got to discover today, itself. Tried not to showcase my talent. Clearing my throat more than necessary, I replied,

''Isn't that the truth? You are ugly'' wow so much for confidence! He and I both know that's a lie. He's like a Greek-god, without any doubt.

''Really, but the way you were checking me out earlier, your eyes were saying a different thing'' he says lowly and chuckles when I feel the heat rise on my cheeks. shit!

He hesitantly places his hands on my cheeks, his eyes were on me the whole time, maybe contemplating if I flinch or not. Getting courage, he rubs my blush and stares at me with the same intensity.

My heart was beating at an erratic rate, that I am so sure he could hear it as well.

''Calm down'' he whispered. And I didn't know why, but for reason, I was nervous, not the bad anxiety I get, but a good excitement as if now, I could understand what the female protagonists from romance novels meant by, 'stomach erupting with butterflies' because that's exactly the feeling I am getting right now. You know, what is the craziest part above all of this? I am scared. I am scared because after 6 years, someone whose touch I am not accustomed off, touched me and I didn't flinch. Scared, that I needed 1 year to get accustomed and feel safe with Cy and Em's touch. Scared, that I got accustomed to his touch within weeks and felt safe.

I was waiting for it, to come, but it never came. The anxiety I get when people touch me. This was too much, I thought. So I wanted to do the only thing I could. Pretense. The pretense of flinching. For some reason, I didn't want him to know, that I was accustomed to his touch, I didn't want him to know I felt safe around him. Most importantly, I didn't want to accept the truth.

''How are you so different, Winter?'' he whispered, with the same intensity in his eyes and rubbing my cheeks soothingly. Maybe for him, the gesture was platonic, but for me, my tummy was doing summer saults. I didn't want to pretend, I felt as if I would betray him by doing it, I started feeling guilty, to even think of something like that.

Before I could question him what he meant by that, something started ringing, the telephone I guess. And I instantly took a step back and lowered my gaze,

‘’Chris, Coach’s on the line, he said you’re not picking up his call?” Dan shouted, from the living room.

‘’Yeah, coming’’ he replied staring at me intently for a moment and then, he left, without even sparing a single glance back at me. Something inside me stirred with hurt, but I ignored it and continued with my dinner.

Placing plates on the table, I served the food.

‘’ delicious!!’’ Dan exclaimed, after taking the first bite, making my smile wider than it was before. Hesitantly, I sat beside Christian, who was quietly eating his food. Dan sat across us.

‘’Are you taking any cooking lessons?’’ Dan asked, taking another bite.

‘’No, actually, I like cooking, it’s like a hobby, and yeah, I was motivated by my siblings, they love eating my food’’ I say smiling at the thought. And the next thing he said, wiped my smile away,

‘’So what does your father do?’’ I visibly tensed which Christian notices, I never spoke to him about my family, and I also didn’t know anything about him till today. So it’s fair.

‘’Dad, can you pass me the sauce? And how was your day today’’ Christian says, trying to change the topic. As if realizing, ‘’I am sorry Katherine, I didn’t know that, it was a sore topic’’ Dan apologizes.

‘’No, no don’t. How would it be a sore topic, if I don’t even know what he does? He left us years ago.’’ I say with a forced smile and continued eating.

My dad was definitely a sore topic for me. More than anyone on earth, I thought, I knew him. I thought, he loved me. I thought, he meant it when he called me his princess. I thought, he was telling the truth, when he said he would always protect me. The thing that will always keep breaking my heart would be the fact that Peter and Angelina never got to know how great, how awesome dad, he was, how funny and caring he was, at the same time I am happy. Happy, that, then they would also feel betrayed as I was. Happy, that, they could still trust people. The only thing I would want to know from him if I ever get to meet him is that; why did he leave us? I still remember, how territorial he used to get when other men used to flirt or talk with mum. What changed?

‘’Did I just ruin the mood?’’ Dan muttered. It was cute that I laughed. And he had this joyous smile playing on his lips.

‘’he’s unlucky then if he left a daughter like you’’ he said sincerely, and I forced a smile.

Right then, my phone started ringing. I muttered sorry and checked the caller Id, it was ‘the hottest person in the world’ argh! I really need to change his name. I received his call.

‘’Baby girl!!’’ Cy shouted, from the other end. I am sure Dan and Christian heard him but kept quiet.

‘’Cy, I can hear you loud and clear, can you please talk calmly?” I said sounding annoyed

‘’Baby girl!! You hurt me!!’’ , I can literally see him pouting at this, ‘’ me pouting’’ he added, making me laugh.

‘'why are you disturbing me?’’ I asked bluntly.

‘’you are so mean!! Okay, just tell me which flavored ice-cream do you want? Brown crunch or peanut chocolate?’’ the thought of Ice-cream made my mouth watery.

‘’Peanut chocolate’’ I replied, cheerily like a five-year-old. What? Ice-cream does that to me.

‘’okay, you are not getting it’’

‘’whyyyyyyy’’ I whined which caused both the men choke on their food with laughter. Instantly my cheeks turned red in embarrassment. I forgot they were here.

‘’because someone told me, I was disturbing them’’ he replies, and I can literally see the smirk on his face.

‘’it’s because, I am busy, I am not at home’’ I say, sounding annoyed.

‘’Where are you then?’’

‘’ can I answer all your questions after coming back home? Daddy.’’, Christian chokes on his food and drinks water. Dan stares at him amusingly. Whereas Cyrus was laughing on the phone.

‘’Why are you so innocent huh? Okay, listen, I and John would be crashing at your place today, mum and dad are going to be away for 2 days and Peter invited John, so yeah, see you there.’’

‘’okay bye,’’ and I hang up, looking back at an amused Dan and an annoyed Christian. I swear, it’s his time of the month.

After finishing the dinner, I took the plates and washed them, though Dan asked me not to, I could see how exhausted he was, so, at least for today, I wanted him to have some leisure timing for himself. He was in his study, whilst Christian was standing on the doorway of the kitchen idly, not even requesting to help me. And for the whole time, I felt his gaze on me.

‘’Okay, it’s late already, I gotta go’’ I say wiping my hands on the tissue and checking the time on my phone, which was 10:30 already.

‘’uh-yeah. ‘’ Christian said, rubbing the back of his neck, for some reason I felt as if he was nervous for something.

‘’okay… see you tomorrow. I guess?’’ I said awkwardly and headed towards the study where Dan was sitting.

‘’Dan, I am leaving, thank you for having me for dinner’’ I say, shooting him a smile.

‘’No, thank you. For cooking us the marvelous dinner!! I cannot remember when was the last time I had such delicious food!’’ he replied with a grin, rubbing his tummy and added “Chris, you are driving her back right?’’

I was going to say ‘no need’ however Christian replied before me

‘’yeah’’

‘’I don’t need a ride, I have my car, I can drive it back home, no problem’’ I say, dismissing the offer.

‘’It’s late dear, it’s not safe, let him drop you now with his car and he can drive your car back before you leave for school tomorrow. Sounds good?’’

‘’I don’t wanna-‘’ I was cut short

‘’you are not bothering us. And I have practice at 5 am so I can just drop your car and jog to the school, I don’t have any problem’’ I stare at him with wide eyes.

Is he sick? Or did I add something he was allergic to? Why is he behaving like a gentleman?

‘’Now let’s go’’ he said and started walking outside, leaving me completely utterly speechless.

Biding bye one last time to Dan and promising to come back, I exit the Jones household.

Christian was leaning on his car and scrolling his phone. When I came, without acknowledging me, he went to the driver’s seat and turned on the engine. Leaving me flabbergasted as usual.