Winter

Partiesat the beach were a staple of Hade Harbor summers. My best friend Selena always wanted to go, and I went with her because honestly, I didn't have anything else to do. Home was quieter than ever, with both my parents busy and traveling more and more. When the silence got too loud, I tried to stay out of the house as much as I could.

"Oh, look, the hockey team is here, including the Ice Gods," Selena smiled, fluffing her hair as we walked down the steps to the beach.

My heart fell.

Asher Martino had taken a disliking to me since that afternoon at Parents' Day, and never wavered in his heartfelt disgust. I'd foolishly clung onto the memory of those moments when he'd sketched me and made me feel less alone for a few hours for far too long. I even still had the sketch. What I had cherished, had clearly had the opposite effect on him. Luckily, our paths seldom crossed.

Of course, he was just pretending to be nice to me. That's what people did.

We wove through the bonfires on the beach until one of the cheerleaders called Selena's name and she changed course.

I trailed after her. The cheerleaders were sitting right beside the hockey guys. Just my luck. I tried to sit at the opposite side of the fire from Asher, but somehow, ended up right beside him. It was like a space opened up at the worst possible position. He watched me in stony silence as I sat down beside him. My face was hot, and I avoided his eyes.

"Hey – you want a drink?" Selena asked me, offering me the red cup someone passed her.

"What is it?" I took it and sniffed. A spicy scent wafted up and tickled my nose. I shook my head quickly and passed it back.

A soft snort came from Asher, sitting on my other side.

"What?" I wondered defensively.

"You're at a party on the beach, and you're being picky about free drinks?" His tone was scathing. I could see myself in his eyes. Picky, spoiled little rich girl. I didn't look good. I'm allergic to cinnamon.

The explanation was on the tip of my tongue, ready to defend myself, when I stopped. Why should I defend myself to him? Nothing I said would change how he saw me. I might as well keep my goddamn pride. It was all I had, at the end of the day.

"Yeah, well, some of us care what we put in our bodies," I said flippantly, trying my best not to show how much his derision toward me hurt.

He smirked, but his eyes were cold. "Only the best for daddy's little princess, right?"

I forced my own cool smirk. "That's right."

He studied me a moment. "Good to know." Then he turned to face the other way, and just like that, I was dismissed.