Forever Winter

“I thought you didn’t know who Winter was.” She drops her hand from my forehead. She isn’t going to let this go until she gets answers. Answers I don’t have myself. Not that it matters—she’s mine.

“You said she and Cory were friends before they—” I can’t even say the words. My fists clench at my sides. Maybe it’s a good thing Cory isn’t here yet. I have to come to terms with the fact that he had her at one time. I don’t care if it was before or after me. I’m keeping her either way. Not just her but that baby growing inside of her. Anything that comes from her is mine. I don’t give a fuck what anyone else tries to say.

How could he have ever been friends with her at one time? If that was the case, he doesn’t deserve her. He should have seen what he had the moment he laid his eyes on her like I had.

“Yes, they have been close for a long time. I’d always wondered why they weren’t a couple.”

My anger spikes again at her simple statement pairing him with Winter even if it’s only in her mind. The taste of jealousy is new to me and I’m not sure how to handle it. That edge Winter had taken off me starts to come back.

“Here I thought you were going to be an asshole to the sweet girl, but now you…” She waves her hand in the air. “I really don’t know what you’re doing.”

“Taking what’s mine,” I say before I can even try and stop myself. I know I could have put it a less barbaric way, but fuck it. At this point everyone thinks I’m losing it anyways I actually feel a tinge of relief at getting that out there. I turn and head toward my office, leaving my mom standing there with a shocked look on her face. It’s better to rip the Band-Aid off. It’s how I operate.

I see Sam carrying some of the boxes that were delivered down the hall as I’d told him to do. “Put them outside my bedroom door,” I tell him. I don’t want him to go in and see my angel laid out in bed. The boxes that once pissed me off are actually making me happy now. It’s good she has her shit here already. One less thing to handle. It doesn’t take my mom long to catch up with me.

“Where is he?” I ask. Might as well get this over with, too. Does he know she’s pregnant? Why would he let her travel up here alone? I’m on edge just having her out of my sight. What if she tries to slip away on me again? I flip the monitors that sit behind my desk, scrolling the news and stock markets on mute over to my security feed that I never bother to use. I’ve finally found a good use for it.

It was installed years ago and is state of the art. I’d had it done because we didn’t venture out here often then and I wanted the place not only secure but to be accessible remotely. I click until I find the camera that points down the hallway to my room. There, maybe that will allow me to get some things done.

“He’s still in the city.” My mom pauses to stop in front of my desk, placing her hands on it. I think she is going to start with more questions, but she watches me for a moment. I know she is thinking over what to say next. I reach for my phone to call my brother.

“He said he will be here as soon as he can. Though he might hurry if I tell him you’ve put his fiancée in your room.”

“Don’t call her that.” I clench the phone in my hand. She holds her arms over her chest. “There wasn’t a ring on her finger.” I looked.

“First I can’t get either one of you to date and now you’re going to go head to head over a girl.” She raises an eyebrow at me. “One that I’m pretty sure you didn’t like not even fifteen minutes ago.”

“He can’t love her if they’ve been friends for years,” I try and reason. I’m not sure if it’s to make myself feel a little better about taking my brother’s fiancée or to temper my mom.

“Sometimes loves takes time to develop. Are you telling me you love her?” she counters. Time to develop, my ass. When you know you know. At least that’s how I felt in most things in my life. It has gotten me this far.

Still, her question takes me aback. Am I in love? Though I’m not sure what love is supposed to feel like when it comes to someone who isn’t related to you. The only other people I truly care about are my mom and brother. Here I am ready to steamroll right over my brother for this girl.