The Snowy-haired Genius

Chapter seven

Breakfast the next day was scrambled eggs and toast. Winter gave me some coffee too but told me that coffee wasn't something he allowed often, so I should be proud with myself.

I wasn't.

He got his bodyguards to take me up to his music room, where he sat down and practised his music. I realised Winter was incredibly talented. He could paint, sing, and play several instruments, including guitar, piano, drums, flute, and violin.

I felt incredibly untalented as I watched him play the flute in a bored manner. I mean, I lived in a family of a billionaire/scientist, two models, and an actor, so I was used to feeling untalented, but Winter made me feel completely useless.

Well. I was useless. He just bought up the fact without speaking a word.

I sat on a couch in the corner, staring at him. Winter had given me a book and told me to finish it before the end of the day, so I was meant to be reading, but I couldn't help but watch. Outside the door were his two bouncers, so I wasn't even going try and escape. Without an escape plan, all I could do was listen to his beautiful music and watch as he played with his eyes closed.

"Ugh," Winter said after a few minutes, looking frustrated as he put his flute back. "Boring," He complained. I turned the page on my book, except I wasn't really reading. I wanted to see what he was going to do next. To my pleasure and surprise, Winter sat down in front of the grand piano next to the window and started to play.

I watched in awe. He was good at all the instruments I had seen him play so far, but the piano was definitely the best. His fingers moved around the keys as naturally as breathing itself, and it was hypnotising. I watched for as long as I could, until he spoke. "You know, Jace, that book isn't going to read itself. Could you stop watching me please?"

Face burning, I looked down at my book as fast as I could. "Sorry. It's just... your music kind of distracts me."

He stopped playing and leaned lazily on the top of the piano. "How much of the book did you actually read?" He asked. I shrugged.

"A few pages."

"Read it to me."

"I don't really... uh..." I scratched my head awkwardly. "I don't really like reading out loud. Is that okay?"

"That's okay, Jace," He straightened back up and stretched his shoulders. "As long as you always obey my rules, I don't mind what you do. This is your house too until I get what I want from your father."

"What do you want from Dan?"

"Dan?" He blinked at me. "You call your father by his first name when not in public with him. Interesting," He pressed a key on the piano. I closed my book and stood up.

"I guess so," I replied, sitting down next to him but making sure to put some distance between us. Piano had always been beautiful and fascinating to me, so being able to sit in front of such a gorgeous instrument was a privilege. "How do you play?"

"You really want to be taught piano by your stalker?" His eyes twinkled. "How adorable."

My stomach swooped. "I..." I honestly had no answer to that.

He shook his head, almost sadly. "I can't teach you now anyway. Its lunchtime. Come on, we're eating in the dining room today. Maybe another time."

I stood up and followed him out the door.

The table had already been set up with food. Winter sat down across from me, as he usually did, but I wasn't paying attention to the food. I was looking at the giant picture on the wall. It had a kid who I supposed was little Winter, a young man with white hair, and a woman with pale blonde hair. They were all smiling. "Is that you?" I asked. He looked up at the picture.