by Piper Rayne
“I’m going to grab myself some kimchi,” Dax says and rubs his stomach.
“You don’t even know what that is,” Demi quips and stomps on ahead.
“You should wait until after the competition,” Beckett offers his advice as him and Skylar walk ahead of everyone.
Mia’s hand is tucked in mine, and I think we’re both eager to get to the villages although if we’d gotten together earlier, I would’ve tried to set us up in a hotel instead. I’d sleep a whole lot better with Mia as my roommate rather than Dax.
“Hell no, we’re going out tonight.” Dax turns around, moving his feet and dancing in place. “We’re here, we made it, and we need to celebrate.”
Mia and I share a look and she rolls her eyes.
“I’m fairly sure eating spicy cabbage isn’t going to do wonders for your system,” I say.
Dax falls in line with us. “Whatever, the gas alone will make my opponents pass out.”
We all laugh, if only that were the case, every Winter Classics athlete would be heading for the kimchi.
“I’m sure they have it there, Dax,” Mia says. “We have to catch the train.”
I release my hand from Mia’s, pulling her close, my arm swung over her shoulders. “I think maybe you were made for me.”
She tiptoes up and kisses me on the cheek.
“You guys can be so boring sometimes,” Dax moans.
I smack his stomach and he fakes hurt.
“Maybe that’s why we’re the best,” Mia sing-songs.
I pick her up and swing her around. “Man, you really were made for me.” I press my lips to hers and before either one of us thinks better of it, our tongues are swirling and our bodies heading to the pull to be closer together.
“You two totally deserve what you’re about to get,” Dax’s sour voice is like background noise until I hear the clicks.
Snap.
Snap.
Snap.
I close the kiss, and Mia draws back, our lips only millimeters apart.
“Fuck,” I whisper, having forgotten momentarily that the fact press would be nearby waiting our arrival.
“I guess we’re coming out.” She bites her lip.
Prepared to face the press, I set Mia back on her feet and grab hold of her hand. We both turn to start walking again, but those contagious smiles we’ve had plastered on our faces the last two weeks disappear when we see what—scratch that, who—is waiting for us.
“Mia?” the deep male voice asks.
Her hand leaves mine, walking a few steps ahead, rising on her tiptoes and wrapping her arms around her brother’s neck. “Brandon!”
He holds her to him, but his eyes are focused on me over her shoulder, and from the looks of it, he just pulled out the pin of the grenade that’s going to shatter the happy bubble we found ourselves in.
Chapter Twenty
“No one told him before now?” Skylar asks me, sitting down beside with Beckett with a smoothie in hand.
“I wanted to do it face-to-face.” I lean back against the bench of the train.
Mia’s a few train cars up with Brandon, trying like hell to explain what’s going on.
“Now’s your chance,” Beckett says, but his face clearly conveys that I’m up a creek without a paddle.
Dax plops down in the seat across the aisle. “Brandon looks good.”
I nod.
“Yeah, maybe he’s over the whole enemies thing with you two.” Skylar glances at Beckett and they share the same hopeful look, but I’m sure that’s not the case.
“You know what, I’m going to talk to him.” Dax stands. “I’ll clear the air and tell him how his sister is way too hot for you and she should probably go for me.”
I roll my eyes. “Sit down.”
“Don’t you think someone should be going up there? I mean Mia shouldn’t be defending your relationship all by herself, should she?” He raises his eyebrows at me and then sits back down.
“I’m impressed,” Skylar smiles over at Dax.
“Did you think I was a complete asshole?” he asks impassively as if he just asked her the weather.
“Yes. Yes, I did,” she says with an equally straight face.
“Chicks.” He shakes his head, propping his feet up on the bench across from him and pulls out his phone. “Now, I don’t want any drama ruining my concentration.” He smiles up at me, places his earbuds in his ears and throws his sweatshirt hood up over his head.
“You know he’s impersonating you, right?” Beckett asks.
“Yeah. Jackass.”
“Heard you,” Dax says.
“Jackass,” I say again.
“Love you, too,” he says so loud heads turn. “You sitting here the entire trip?” he asks and then leans back like he said nothing.
“I think the jackass has a point, Grady. If you really like Mia...” Skylar trails off.
I stand and place my hand on her shoulder. “I’ll be back.”
She smiles and glances at Beckett like I just announced I’m going to propose.
Not sure which train car they’re in, I walk forward, my steps feeling like I’m walking through wet cement the farther I go. Passing by and fist pumping or waving to a few other athletes I know, I find them in the third car up. Mia is facing me and all I can see of Brandon is the back of his head. She’s wiping tears off her cheeks and leaning forward. From the looks of it, they’re arguing.
Fuck.
Her eyes catch mine and remain focused on me the entire walk up the center aisle. Brandon turns, rolls his eyes, and then mumbles something to Mia.
“Hey,” I say, my heart thumping like a bass drum in my chest and nausea casting a thin sheen of sweat over my skin. I’m not even this nervous when I’m competing.
Mia slides over, but I don’t want her here when this conversation goes down. This is between Brandon and me.
“Mia, give us a minute?”
Her gaze swivels back and forth between the two of us.
“How about a please, asshole?” Brandon sneers.
I hold my hand out and she accepts my gesture, rising to her feet. Not wanting to throw more gasoline on the already burning inferno, I keep it platonic with her and don’t kiss her the way that is starting to feel normal to me.
“Thanks,” I murmur. She nods and I’m shocked she’s allowed me to take control here without putting up a fight. “Everyone else is three cars back. Except Demi. I’m not sure where she is. Dax said something to piss her off and she went to sit on her own.”
“Okay, I’ll go join them.”
I take Mia’s spot across from Brandon. His challenging brown eyes aren’t something foreign to me. We’ve been competitors our entire life. The only difference is that usually after a second or two a smile or a laugh would emerge, because we used to be friends, too.
“How are you?” I ask.
“Cut the bullshit.” Brandon’s death glare is like nothing I’ve seen before.
“Fine, I’m dating your sister and I don’t plan on stopping just because you have a problem with it. Straightforward enough for you?”
He huffs. “Should’ve realized you’d take what you want and not give two shits about what anyone else thought.”
“You said you didn’t want any bullshit.” I lean back into my seat, my hands gripping my knees.
“I want you to stay the fuck away from my sister.”
“Sorry, not gonna happen.”
Even I hate myself right now. What the fuck am I doing? I should be groveling to my former friend. Telling him how much I care for his sister, not playing this whole alpha pounding my chest gorilla shit.
He sits back, bringing his ankle to rest on his opposite knee. “Since I’ve been off the circuit, and a lot of my time is spent on my ass, I’ve had a lot of time to think. I don’t hate you, Grady.”
“Of course you do.”
He shakes his head. “I don’t. I get what you did, not coming by. I might’ve done the same thing. It was sc
ary as shit and I know you, so I’d bet the farm that every time you’re about the drop into the pipe, my accident flashes in your head.”
My lungs constrict in my chest and I say nothing.
“You’re scared that one false move and you’re me, or worse. We’ve had friends who suffered a lot more than me. I can never snowboard competitively again unless I want to end up completely brain dead, but there are guys out there that didn’t quit the first time. I’m proud of you, that you didn’t quit.”
His fingers strum along his leg, which I don’t remember him ever doing before.
“But my sister, man, I can’t in good faith be okay with this. You ran away from me because you were scared, so what’s to say you’d stand by my sister’s side if something happened? She’s too good for you.”
“I agree.” I lean back in my bench seat, mimicking his sitting position. To anyone outside of our conversation they’d think we were talking about music or movies, not the fact that I’m screwing his sister. “She’s way too good for me, but that doesn’t change the fact she likes me and I like her.”
“And what about after the Winter Classics?”
“We’ll figure it out, me and her.”
A hollow laugh rises out of his throat. “She’s making a mistake.”
“It’s hers to make. “
His one foot falls to the floor with a thump and he leans forward. “Have you considered the fact that you could just be a crush? That once she knows who you really are, she’ll realize that you’re nothing more than a wannabe hotshot.”
His shot hurts as intended, but I’m not ready to pull out my gun. At least not my big one.
“We both know I was going to win, whether you competed or not.”
I don’t really believe it, but like I’d say anything different in this scenario.
“You know I was better.”
“Listen, I’m not gonna get into a pissing contest with you. I wanted to sit down and let you know I’m dating Mia and I’d appreciate you not giving her shit about it. She’s got enough on her plate right now.”
“I’ll tell you what? I’m not going to lie and tell her I’m cool with it, but I won’t make a huge deal out of it. She’s an adult and she can do what she wants, but I can’t say what will happen after Winter Classics.”
I hold out my hand. “Deal.”
He glances at my hand and for a second and I don’t think he’s going to shake it. Eventually, his hand slides into mine.
I pull out my phone, texting Mia to come back.
“I am glad you finally opened your eyes and saw how amazing Mia is,” he says.
The accident must have brought them closer because the old Brandon never would have said that to me. Now I just need to make sure I don’t fuck this up, but with my track record, that’s easier said than done.
Chapter Twenty-One
The excuse that Mia should spend time with her brother has rolled off my tongue more than it should in the past week. I’ve been on the halfpipe every moment I could, practicing because I have to nail these Winter Classics. I need to show Mia and everyone else in the Salter family, I am the best there is. I’m not second best.
“You need to calm the fuck down. You’re going to injure yourself.” Beckett sits next to me at the restaurant, giving me unwanted advice.
“I’m fine. Going out with you tonight. Thinking about training with you on slope style, practicing my tricks in the big air.”
“Um...no.” He flags the waitress down.
“Why not?”
“Because you’re about to kill yourself. Relax, we have a week and a half before the competition starts, just master what you’re already doing.”
We hear some commotion and turn to find Matt Peterson walking in with his entourage. Half the restaurant points and screams his name.
“Fuck that guy’s annoying,” I grumble.
Beckett smiles over at me, popping the popcorn from the bowl on the table into his mouth.
“How the hell are you eating that shit?” I ask.
He shrugs. “Where’s Mia?”
“She’s with Brandon.”
He nods slowly, piling another handful of popcorn into his mouth.
“Oh, look there’s Mr. Self-Destructor.” Dax slides into the chair next to Beckett.
I roll my eyes in response.
“What a fucktard, right?” Dax eyes Matt Peterson. “I mean, try earning something before you act like a damn rock star.” His hand competes with Beckett’s for popcorn.
The waitress sets what I know will be Beckett’s one and only beer for today down.
“Me, too, thanks,” Dax squints at her name tag. “Soo.”
“Soonil,” she clarifies.
“Is there a difference?” he asks.
Beckett shakes his head.
“Yes, there is.” She gives him a fake smile.
“Then my bad. Beer please, Soonil,” he pronounces every syllable of her name.
She spins on her heel and walks away.
“There’s one that won’t be sleeping with you,” Beckett says, grabbing a bowl of popcorn from the empty table next to us.
“You can’t share?” Dax asks.
“With you? No.”
“You’ll share with who knows how many other pee stained hands, but not Dax’s?” I ask.
Dax truly looks offended.
“Considering how often he beats off, Dax’s might not be pee.”
“Hey now. That’s just mean…I don’t have to beat off. I have plenty of willing partners.” He tosses a few kernels into his mouth.
“Bullshit,” I cough out.
Soonil drops the beer off without saying a word or really stopping. “Thank you, Soonil,” Dax screams out after her.
She doesn’t deem him worthy of a response. She’s probably right.
“Not all of us have a hot chick in our bed every night.” Beckett eyes me.
“I think I’m going try Demi again this time around,” Dax says and both our heads snap in his direction.
“That ship has sailed,” I say.
“Not only sailed, I think the boat has been burned and sunk to the bottom of the ocean with no hope of being retrieved,” Beckett adds, sipping his beer.
“Why? We had fun last Winter Classics.” Dax throws popcorn up in the air, catching it in his mouth.
“You’re really not that clueless, right?” I ask, sipping my energy drink.
Someone drops into the seat next to me.
“Rumor has it, my boyfriend has been training way too hard and not fulfilling his obligations to me.” Mia tilts her head with a smile.
Her hair is thrown into a bun on top of her head, an ear warmer hanging around her neck and a jacket covering up the body I love to admire.
“Get him off the pipe, Mia,” Beckett says. “He’s going to hurt himself.”
She grabs a piece of popcorn from Beckett’s bowl and pops it into her mouth.
Not her, too.
“I agree. If he’s not careful, I’ll text Candice about it and she’ll be on your ass, too, when she gets here.”
I roll my eyes. My friends, my girlfriend, my coaches, and Candice? That might be more bitching than I can handle.
“He’s been pushing me aside since we arrived.” She pretends to narrow her eyes at me and I can’t help but smile at her teasing.
“Take me home and I’ll fulfill all your requests.” I swing my arm around her shoulders and kiss her.
She pushes me back. “You have to woo me,” she stands up, raising her eyebrows in a challenge.
“Yeah, see you guys. I have to go woo.” I stand, pushing in my chair and following her out of the restaurant.
“You’re leaving me with clueless here?” Beckett yells out.
“Fuck off,” Dax says, but when I glance through the restaurant window, I find they already have two girls sitting across from them to take our place.
“So.” She links her arm through mine. “What’s going on with you?”
“Nothing.” I shake my head.
She stops us outside the athlete’s village where they have a path of ice sculptures depicting various sports on display.
“Bullshit, come on, Grady. Level with me.”
It’s cold and I pull her toward me, holding her with my hands locked behind her back.
“Nothing, let’s go in and grab a handful of condoms on the way to my room.”
“Eww, Dax walking in on us again? No thank you. My room.”
“What about your roommate?”
A smile teases her lips. “She’s already found love with a guy who does Skeleton.”
“Skeleton? Are they boning?”
She stares at me for a minute. “Corny joke, babe.”
I can’t help but chuckle.
“If you want to work yourself to the bone, Rogue, work me with your bon-er,” She grabs my jacket and pulls me forward while walking backward to the door of her building.
“Who has the corny jokes now?”
I follow her giggle right into her room.
* * *
I crawl back up the sheets, finding a very satisfied Mia attempting to catch her breath.
“Was that a bribe so I don’t give you shit about your training?” she asks, leaning on her side, holding her head up with her hand.
I pull her on top of me, my hands pushing the hair back from her face. “No, that was a thank you for the blow job this morning.”
She bats her eyelashes. “I aim to please.”
“Well, that was a gold medal performance. Can I request another wakeup call tomorrow morning?”
Her head falls into the crook of my neck. She’s clearly as tired as I am. I wonder what things will be like after our events are over? When we have a few months off.
“If you stay in bed until nine o’clock.”
That’s her little jab since I’m out at seven am every morning to be the first one to the pipe.
“Come with me tomorrow.” I tickle her ribs and she squirms in my arms, eventually falling over and placing her head on my chest.
“We’ll see. Hey.” She props her chin on my chest. “Come have lunch with me and Brandon tomorrow?”
My hand tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. “How has he been about us?”