Page 183 of Toxic

"I know about that. I gave Alex a ride to therapy once or twice. That’s truly a bizarre situation. And as for Finn, he’s not the talkative type. He’s very discreet—a good friend. Why would he spread that around, especially since we weren’t in a relationship, just casual sex? He kept it gentlemanly."

"Well, Finn’s classy, that’s true. I’ve been talking to him on social media since I was a teenager. He gave me a lot of advice; he’s really a great guy. He recently recommended to me his brother, doctor Jim. I was always bummed that you two broke up, never understood your reasons."

"They were complicated. It’s not like I could explain it to you back then. You were still a kid in middle school when we split."

"Maybe you can tell me now? I’m almost five inches taller than you." I grinned.

Winter shrugged dismissively. "No, I don’t think it matters anymore. Especially since I’m interested in someone else now, not Finn. A very different type of guy."

I stared at him. His face held its usual façade, but somehow, I still noticed a strange mixture of embarrassment and almost shame in his aura, as if this new possible relationship was something really wild, at least by Winter's standards. He absentmindedly touched a small glass figurine standing on the windowsill.

"He must be something if you’re ready to give up this fuck-buddies arrangement. Finn’s hot, so the new guy has to be a stunner."

Winter didn’t answer butblushed! Honestly, I don’t think I’d ever seen him blush before. His cold demeanor and emotional distance usually protected him from showing any signs of… youthful self-consciousness.

"What? What’s going on?"

"I don’t want to talk about it. It’s like something out of high school—silly infatuation."

With some amazement, I watched him for a moment, seeing how nervously he shifted his feet and picked at his shirt. Winter? The icy, aloof prince? It was clear this secret feeling he had was causing him a lot of uncharacteristic confusion, which only made me more curious.

"He’s an alpha, isn’t he? That’s the problem. You’ve never dated one before."

Winter stiffened and didn’t respond, his hand still resting on the head of a glass figurine. Where had I seen a similar one? A wild thought came to mind.

"Wait… don’t tell me it’s the kid with minty hair you hated so much?!"

Winter turned to me, his brows furrowing.

"This conversation is over. It’s none of your business, and nothing that serious has even happened…"

"He gave you the figurine! I saw him carrying it after the fucking raffle!"

Winter's lips trembled. "It’s not what you think! It was an innocent gift, and I won’t say anything more—"

"Have you lost your fucking mind, Winter? It’s sick, you’re his director, and twelve years his senior! It's not like me and Soren, it's so much worse!"

Winter clenched his jaw and headed toward the door.

"Fucking CEO’s son!" I almost yelled, but I knew I wouldn’t get anything out of him right now.

The moment he put his hand on the handle, I muttered, "Well, I guess I won’t keep you then, since you’re meeting Finn."

Winter suddenly stopped in his tracks and furrowed his brows. "Hey, wait a second! You’re not getting off that easy. I told you where I’m going, now you tell me why you came here."

"I thought you were in a hurry."

"Tell me or get out, don't play that way, Skye. I think I entertained you enough with my life stories and calmed your ‘boiling brain’, so spit it out."

Damn it! I was hoping he'd forget about it and let me brood on it alone. A wave of frustration washed over me, and I closed my eyes tightly, pressing my fists against them.

Yes, our conversation had helped me calm down a bit and redirected my attention, but with his question, it reappeared in my mind again, like a thorn piercing through sensitive skin. There was no easy way around it.

So I just threw it out. "I’ve been living with Soren for some time now. He’s pregnant with my child."

That bombshell made Winter’s jaw drop. I rarely saw him react at all—his facial muscles must rarely be used, if ever—but now he stared at me like I was an alien.

"You’re kidding? What about that Liam guy he was with not too long ago? And why didn’t you tell anyone about the baby? That’s huge news for our family."

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