"Becs!" I squeal as she picks up the phone.

"Hey girl!" She exclaims back, giggling slightly.

"Have you gone home yet?" I ask, a robe wrapped around me, having just returned from swimming with my family.

"No. I can't decide what to pack." She moans. This is the first year her family aren't going away, instead deciding to have a family Christmas back in Edgewater Valley, leaving Becky extremely disappointed. She's been putting off packing anything for it for two weeks now, instead moping around the apartment about how Jamaica would have been better.

"It's just four nights Bec." I tease, chuckling slightly. "You can do it." 

"I'm not so sure." She retorts. "How's Alaska? Is there snow?"

"It's great. There's snow." I confirm. Thank God. Imagine if we'd come all the way up here for a White Christmas and there was no snow around? I don't think poor Danny's heart could take it.

"Any fit boys?" She asks, in typical Becky fashion, unknowingly unleashing a huge can of worms.

"Oh God..." I groan out uncontrollably, slouching down onto my bed.

"What?" Becky retorts, "Touchy subject?"

"I saw Brett." I mutter and am met with a sharp silence across the phone. She's speechless. My best friend, the girl who never shuts up, doesn't know what to say. Me too.

"Brett?" She finally manages to splutter out.

"I... Maybe..." I trail off. I could have been mistaken, right? There are other people who look like Greek Gods with brunette hair and ridiculously blue eyes.

"Brett is in your resort?" She asks, her voice oddly high.

"Maybe." I repeat.

"Have you spoken to him?"

"No." I shriek. Is she serious?

"Are you going to?" She asks.

"I... I don't know." Wait, what?

"You want to." She counters, already analysing the answer, along with the tone of my voice.

"I ended it for a reason Becky." I remind her, wiping my hand across my brow.

"What he did was stupid." She admits. "But it was a mistake." She points out, "You knew how much he regretted it as soon as you walked away from him." She mentions and I grit my teeth. She's right, I'm not a monster, I saw in his eyes how much having to watch me walk away broke him apart, but I couldn't stay and continue a relationship with someone who'd potentially steal someone's life the same way that my parent's were taken.

"I know but that doesn't make it okay." I retort and she sighs.

"I know." She says softly and the line goes quiet for all of five seconds before she pipes up again, "I heard you and Oliver."

"What?"

"Two months ago. You finally brought him home to have sex." She exclaims and I raise my eyebrows. She heard that? "You accidentally said Brett's name." She snorts.

"No I didn't!" I argue quickly.

"He literally stormed out, screaming about some guy called Brett." She chuckles and I shut my eyes, falling back onto my bed. Busted.

"Alright, well..." I trail off, "That doesn't mean anything." I state, "Just that I haven't had sex for a long time."

"And saying another boy's name was going to make that happen?"

"Look, Brett was good in the bedroom, you know that!" I attempt to defend myself, "Maybe I just need to find a guy to give me good sex and I'll be fine."

"How about one night of passion with Brett?" She suggests and I shoot back upright, flabbergasted at her suggestion.

"Uh, definitely not!" I reply flatly as my door flies open and Danny bounds in, Elle following close behind.

"Aunt Annie!" He squeals.

"This isn't an appropriate conversation anymore." Becky exclaims, "I'll ring you later."

"Bye." I laugh, pulling my phone away and hanging up.

*~*~*

"Are you sure about this?" Elle shoots Alex a worried look.

"Are you kidding?" He scoffs, "I want an early night!"

"Come on Elle." I grin and she finally gives in, nodding and grabbing hold of her purse.

"You girls have fun!" Alex says and I grin as Elle plants a kiss on his lips.

"We will." I reply. Elle rolls her eyes before joining me at the door.

"I won't be back late." She smiles at him and I grab onto her hand, dragging her out of the door behind me before I have to witness her badgering Alex any longer. We're both dressed in blue jeans, the top half of her covered with a white low cut sweater, myself instead choosing to wear a black lace bodysuit. A girls night in the bar is definitely needed.

"Come on Elle." I encourage her, wrapping my arm around her shoulder, "Every Mom needs a night out."

"But Alex..."

"Can look after his own son for the night." I cut her off, as we jump into the elevator.

"I know." She mutters and I grin, grabbing onto her chin.

"Happy Christmas sis!" I whisper and she smiles, wrapping her arms around my shoulders and pulling me in for a hug.

"I always told you we'd make it to Alaska for Christmas." She mumbles into my hair and I laugh.

"It's perfect." I assure her as the elevator dings, the doors springing open. "Let's get some mimosas!" I exclaim and she laughs, trailing behind as I grab her hand in mine and pull us out towards the hotel bar.

Elle goes to find us a table as I quickly order our drinks, grinning as I laugh with the bartender over his Christmas hours, him apparently not minding the Christmas work when girls like I show up. I hand him a small tip for the compliment because let's face it, every girl likes a bit of attention every once in a while.

Making my way over to Elle I place the glasses down and take a seat, grinning at her as she looks down at the bubbling liquid.

"Cheers!" I exclaim, wasting no time before I raise my glass and clink it against hers.

"Cheers Anna." She echos before taking a drink. "I can't believe we're actually here!"

"Me neither." I grin. "Who would have ever thought we'd make it here?"

"Mom and Dad would." She smiles.

"That's true." I laugh, "They were such optimists!"

"They'd be so proud of us."

"They would." I agree and she shakes her head, widening her smile.

"What am I doing? We are supposed to be having fun!" She laughs. 

"I never mind talking about Mom and Dad." I reply, "You know that!"

"Even so." She smirks, "So, when are you going to get a new job?"

"No!" I complain, "We are not doing that conversation right now!" How is this any better than talking about Mom and Dad?

"You hate it there Anna!" She objects.

"I'll be out of there by the end of next year, I promise."

"That's too long."

"It's good pay." I shrug.

"Doesn't make it worth it." She argues.

"How's the hospital doing without you and Alex?" I retort, changing the subject as I blurt out the first question that comes to mind.

"They were fine with us both going off over Christmas." She shrugs, "We're in different departments anyway, you know that! Losing a midwife and a surgeon isn't like an entire team has disappeared for the holidays."

"Alright!" I exclaim, "I was just wondering!"

"How's Becky doing?" She asks.

"Interesting question." I nod, pondering how to answer. "She's struggling to get her designs anywhere." I pout, "If only I knew someone famous who could model them for her."

"It's a tricky line of business she's trying to get into."

"Tell me about it!" I groan, "Our apartment is full of fabric, the walls covered in designs." I continue, "The other day I found a tape measure in the fridge."

"The other day I found a hairbrush in the toilet." She attempts to sympathize.

"Danny?"

"No it was Alex." She scoffs, "Of course it was Danny!"

"Well, you have your toddler, I have mine." I laugh and she joins in.

"That's true." She chuckles, "I'm glad you're both still doing okay in the city!"

"We love it." I confirm, grinning at her. "Are you and Alex still thinking about baby number two?"

"Not really." She replies, "We're both so busy with work, and Danny is a handful. Maybe in a few years."

"Fair enough." I nod, "These are so good!" I gesture to the drinks and she hums in agreement.

"So good!" She exclaims, swiftly lifting her glass and downing the contents. "I'm just going to use the restroom and then I'll get us another one okay?" She says and I nod, watching as she stands up and turns, walking away.

After taking another sip of my drink I place the glass down on the table and glance up, eyes travelling around the bar at the young groups of people. It's nice that so many people are here for the holidays, everyone contributing towards the cheery atmosphere. We've taken a few walks around the resort, spent time in the indoor pool, and earlier Elle and I managed to sneak away to the spa for an hour. Absolute bliss.

I glance back down at my empty glass and swill the dregs of drink around before tipping it up into my mouth once more, my desperate self needing to claim every drop of alcohol. My head falls back down as I lower the glass, eyes dropping onto the familiar wide bright blue eyes of Devil Winters Jr, his Dad having taken over senior position a long time ago. He looks shocked to see me, his expression frozen as I stare back at him, neither one of us willing to look away from the other.

He makes the first move, immediately making his way around the tables towards me. Tearing my eyes away I curse under my breath, knowing that I have no way out of here. 

"Hi." He says simply, the warm familiarity of his voice shooting butterflies from my stomach to my chest. It's the voice my body has craved to hear every day since we broke up, and I despise myself for it.

"Hi." I reply, looking up at him. Big mistake. He's more gorgeous up close, way more than I remember, a slight shadow of stubble gracing his jaw, his hair slicked back slightly.

"How are you?" He asks and I nod slightly.

"I'm good, you?"

"I'm good thanks."

"I heard you started your own company." I smile, raising a hand up to gesture.

"Yeah." He confirms, a small smile on his face. 

"Good for you."

"I had inspiration from a certain someone." He grins and I look away slightly, biting my lip. "What are you doing here?"

"Uh... nothing special. Just here with Elle, Alex and Danny, their son. Just spending Christmas away from Edgewater for once."

"That sounds good."

"It is." I smile, "Are you here with your family?"

"No." He smirks slightly, "Alice and I had a small, early Christmas before I came." He elaborates, "I'm just here with friends."

"Football friends?"

"Some." He nods, smiling slightly.

"Congratulations on that by the way."

"I don't play anymore."

"I... I know." I admit and he raises an eyebrow. "It was hard to miss it when you were plastered across the media."

"Yeah." He replies, reaching up and running his hands through his hair, looking away from me.

"Why did you stop playing?" I pry, the question falling out of my mouth before I have a chance to stop it.

"A few different reasons." He replies vaguely.

"Oh!"

"What are you doing now?"

"I work for a fashion designer." I answer.

"Wow!" He exclaims.

"Yeah, it's..." I trail off, "Becky got me the job and then she left."

"I see!" He laughs slightly.

"It pays the bills so..." I trail off once more.

"Someone once told me that I shouldn't do something that would make me miserable." He retorts and I smile slightly.

"That someone sounds like she didn't know how expensive adult life was going to be." I laugh dryly.

"I'll have you know that she's a very wise girl."

"Sure." I shake my head.

"Winters!" I hear and we both turn to see Ryan lifting a tray of shots at the bar, gesturing for Brett to join before he turns and walks away, through the crowd and towards the private VIP section.

"Duty calls." I gesture towards him and Brett laughs slightly.

"It's really good to see you Savannah." He smiles, picking his glass back up and taking a step back from the table.

"You too." I return the smile, watching as he tears his eyes away from me and walks back over towards the other side of the room, disappearing into the crowd.

"Alright! I got us two cosmopolitans!" Elle exclaims, placing the glasses down on the table in front of us. "Are you okay?" She furrows her eyebrows as I turn my attention to her, "You look like you've seen a ghost!" She giggles.

I have.

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