Silver keys glinted in the light that reflected off of the surface of the fallen snow. On the short drive from the recording studio, the weather had worsened and the sky had darkened to a menacing shade of gray. There was an ominous ambiance in the air that sent shivers down Winter's spine. The tinkle of the keys jingling in her hand echoed in her ears. She sped up, eager to get inside and away from the sense of dread that crept over her.
Roscoe was helping Joe with a handful of errands. Winter had opted to head into the penthouse to get ready for their chill night in while celebrating Joe's songwriting victory. It was strange to know that Joe trusted her enough to give her the key to his place. Each day, he became less and less of an out of touch celebrity in Winter's mind and more of a friend. She was looking forward to having a movie and game night with Joe and Roscoe and they had expressed their enthusiasm in the car ride as well.
Flicking on the lights in the penthouse filled her with happiness. While the guys were out, it gave her the chance to make one of her specialties - homemade hot chocolate. Her stomach rumbled right on cue. Winter grabbed a speaker and turned on one of her playlists on her phone to motivate her while she cooked. With no one else around, she danced around the kitchen, snagging ingredients out of cabinets and shimmying in the pantry. The music was just loud enough to reach the bedrooms. While the stove was heating up, Winter decided to change into a more comfortable outfit to finish the evening in. She twirled down the hallway. Right before she turned to walk into the bedroom, she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. Without thinking, she whirled around and found herself frozen with fear. Standing at the end of the hallway was Nolan.
"Where are your manners, Winnie? Not going to greet your guest?" Nolan's body was silhouetted by the the light pouring down the hallway from the kitchen. He appeared as a faceless shadow figure from where she was standing and she swayed on her feet in shock.
"Ho-how did you get in here?"
A lofty chuckle rumbled in his throat. "The front door, silly. Just like you." He began to walk towards her, his pace slow and intentional. "Nothing has ever stopped me from getting what I want. You know that, Winnie."
"Don't call me that."
Nolan paused as soon as the words left her mouth. "Oh. Is only Joe allowed to call you that now? Now that you're screwing him instead of me?"
Winter's anxiety skyrocketed at the scathing tone to his voice. "It's not like that. I don't owe you an explanation."
But her words fell on deaf ears. He continued his vicious wordplay like it was some sort of sick and twisted game. "Money wasn't enough for you, was it? You needed more. Money AND fame. I just don't know what Joe sees in you."
Without warning, Nolan lunged forward and ran at her. Winter let out a startled scream as he chased her into the bedroom. He overpowered her within seconds, pinning her down on the bed and using his weight to hold her in place. "What the hell is wrong with you, Nolan?! Why are you being like this?"
"I started to see through your little schemes the second I got the phone call that you were turned down on the deal. You did it on purpose. You were using me for money. And when you realized that I was figuring you out, you ran. Ran from the truth."
"You're delusional."
Using his knee, he pressed his leg onto her chest and allowed his body weight to restrict her movement. Winter's lungs were constricted and she found she was only able to take in shallow, quick breaths. Thinking quickly, she kicked her leg upward, heaving Nolan off of her and gasped as air rushed to her lungs. But Nolan's anger increased his speed. With one swift motion, he scooped her back onto the bed, this time face down. "Stop fighting me, Winter. We were so happy together. Why can't you see that?"
"Look at yourself, Nolan! You're the one who freaked out on me! You've created this entire twisted narrative in your mind instead of owning up to your actions." Winter managed to mumble out the words through gritted teeth.
Nolan's fingers laced through her hair, his grip tightening as he contemplated his next line. "I'm crazy about you, Winnie. I'll do anything for us to be together." Then, he jerked her head up and put his mouth on her ear. "Anything."
"Why do you even want me if you're so convinced that I was just using you for money?" Winter spat.
Nolan slammed her head back into the bed. "It's simple. You only started scheming when you met that Jonas boy. If I can get you back out of his life, there's nothing standing in our way."
A bitter taste was in Winter's mouth as she listened to the insanity that Nolan was spewing. Against her better judgment, she responded. "There's nothing that would ever make me take you back, you sick, sick man. The second you laid your hands on me, I was done."
With an outcry of rage, Nolan pulled himself and Winter off of the bed and they landed with a thud on the ground. The breath was knocked out of her and she laid there, dazed, while she regained her will to overpower Nolan. She wrestled to escape his embrace by kicking, writhing, and rolling. A lamp from the nightstand was bumped and it fell to the floor, shattering and covering the area with sharp pieces of glass. Winter winced as one of her arms raked through the shards.
Just when the battle seemed hopeless, Nolan's weight was suddenly lifted off of her. Her eyes widened as she watched Joe tackle Nolan to the ground. Standing by the door was Roscoe whose face had gone completely white like he had seen a ghost. His phone was pressed to his ear. All the while, Nolan continued to shout and scream at Winter.
"I'LL KILL YOU, WINTER JANE CLAYTON. IF I CAN'T HAVE YOU, THEN NO ONE WILL."
Building security made their appearance in a matter of minutes and helped to detain Nolan until the police arrived. Red in the face. Eyes narrowed to slits. Every inch of his skin contorted with hatred. For Winter, everything around her was blurred, almost as if her brain was censoring her input in an attempt to deflect a total breakdown. Two arms wrapped around her and held her. Not a word was spoken, but concern was written all over his face. Winter glanced up, meeting his chestnut gaze, and immediately melted into Joe's embrace. She had failed to acknowledge how desperate she was for someone to lean on and, in that moment, for a shoulder to cry on. Hungry for comfort, Winter buried her face in his chest and held on to his shirt for dear life.
"I've got you."
The rest of the night felt like an out of body experience. Police arrived and arrested Nolan. Roscoe, Joe, and Winter gave their statements and the police provided them with options for pressing charges, if they felt inclined. Hours passed before the penthouse quieted; as quickly as the events happened, the hustle and bustle faded out. They all looked around at each other with apprehension clouding their gazes.
"Your arm."
Winter turned over her arm to reveal a series of small scrapes that were sticky with dried blood. She hadn't even felt the minor injuries. "It's fine."
Joe guided her over to one of stools at the bar in the kitchen and instructed her to sit while he grabbed the first aid kit. Winter continued to insist that it wasn't a big deal, but there was no changing his mind. She was taken aback by his tenderness as he dabbed away the blood from her arm. "Does this hurt?" Truth be told, the alcohol he was using to clean the area stung as it was applied, but his caring demeanor wiped away any pain she felt. Winter shook her head. Fingertips brushed across her cheek as Joe tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. His hand lingered there, cupping her face, long enough for their eyes to meet and the glassy look in his gaze said it all.
"Joe...I'm so sorry. This is all my fault." Winter began to speak as tears ran down her cheeks.
"No," Joe tilted her chin up and ran his thumb over the streams of salty tears, "none of this is your fault."
"You and Roscoe could have been hurt because of me. Nolan wouldn't have been here if it weren't for me."
"Do you believe in destiny?"
She sniffled. "What do you mean?"
"Nolan didn't just wake up one morning and decide to be crazy. If it wasn't me who ran into you that day on the sidewalk, this situation would have still happened in the future, just with a different guy. Nolan is insecure, delusional, and aggressive. He was waiting for the moment to show you that side of him. It was destiny that we ran into each other. It was destiny that the picture of us made it onto a gossip site. It was destiny for you to see Nolan's true colors. And it was destiny for me to be your safe haven, your supporter, and your home while all of this happened." Joe searched her gaze. "It's shitty that it all happened the way it did, but I'm on your team, Winter. He's powerful, but destiny gave you a fighting chance by pairing you up with a celebrity with equally as much privilege."
Winter smiled half-heartedly. "Joe, I don't know how I can ever repay you for everything you've done for me."
"Your friendship is enough."
The storm outside groaned as snow pelted down and blurred the horizon. Everything was covered in white as far as the eye could see. Their movie night didn't turn out the way they expected, but all three friends were grateful to lounge on the couch and shake off some of the shock together. Joe had picked out some comedy film to lighten the mood. The roar of the fireplace paired with the random pops and crackles of the wood burning made Winter drowsy. Her eyelids fluttered closed.
Her sleep was restless and burdened with rapid scenes of Nolan stalking, lurking, harassing. No matter where she ran, he was waiting for her. She jerked awake when Nolan grabbed her in her dream. Her heart was racing. Beside her, Roscoe and Joe had nodded off too but they both stirred when she startled herself awake. The clock on the wall said it was a few minutes before midnight and everyone seemed eager to get to bed.
"Roscoe, take the guest bed. Winter, you can sleep in my bed. I'll crash on the couch." Joe said between his yawns.
"Night, Roscoe." Winter wiped at her eyes and gave him a wave. She and Joe headed towards his bedroom so he could grab a few pillows and a blanket. As she buried herself deep into the thick comforter, anxiety sat like a rock on her chest. "Joe - wait. Can you stay in here until I fall asleep?"
The room was dimly lit, the only source of light was the faint flickering from the fireplace in the living room. His eyes glistened. "Of course I can." Joe crawled onto the side of the bed. "I'll be right here."
Her breathing slowed and she felt herself drifting off. The bed shifted as Joe got up. Without opening her eyes, Winter reached out and grabbed Joe's hand. "Please don't go."
"Are you sure?" Joe's voice was soft.
Winter pulled on his hand. "Stay with me."
There was no argument from Joe. He slipped under the blanket, the warmth of his body comforting her. The faint scent of his cologne from earlier in the day filled her nostrils and she found herself unable to resist his touch. Winter wasn't sure how Joe would react, but at that moment, she didn't care. She pressed herself against him. Joe rolled over and wrapped his arms around her, his hand running through her hair.
In the back of her mind, Winter knew she was walking a fine line between platonic affection and intimate affection. But with her head resting in the safety of Joe's chest, she relished the sweet scent of his cologne and drifted off to sleep.