A lot of shit has been a pain in the ass since I broke my arm, but the worst is typing on my phone. My laptop collects dust in the corner and I lean my back on the headboard, scrolling through Instagram again.

I like my alone time, but tonight, I’m bored as fuck because of this damn injury. Usually I’d be in Park City, hanging out at my go-to bars or messing around on my board.

Clicking on my new notifications, my stomach drops when I see the name of the person who just started following me. Too curious for my own good, I click on her profile.

Summer Gorges. Although she’s crossed my mind on occasion, usually as a reminder not to make the same mistake twice, I haven’t seen her in a long time.

I click on her selfie profile pic. Her hair is still a light shade of purple and she has a grim look on her face like it would kill her to smile. She has an amazing smile, but hell if she’ll let anyone in. She’s still closed off from the world. I can’t say I blame her, I might have been abandoned, but Summer, she was the cases people talk about. Abused, neglected and finally abandoned at that pre-teen age when kids have no self-confidence. For a moment in time, she let me peek into that small world of hers.

Sadness seeps in seeing it’s mostly her and her friends in all her pictures. Drinking and partying. Looks like she works as a barista in Coronado. She didn’t get that far from our hometown then.

My thumb hovers over the message button. She followed me, so is that what she expects? She made the first move. Is she waiting to see if I’ll make the next one?

A soft knock lands on my door and I press the home button, tucking my phone under my leg.

“Come in,” I say.

Skylar peeks her head into the room. “You’re still up?”

“Well, you knocked on my door.”

She opens the door all the way up, dropping the heels hanging from her fingers outside the door. Comfortable as always, she cozies up on the bed with me, careful not to flash me.

“How was your date with Tad?”

She shrugs. “A little too enamored over the fact I’m a professional skier.”

Hazard of the job. Hell, girls have slept with me just to say they did. Dax has been plastered all over social media sleeping in bed with the girl’s face in the picture, pointing to him. It’s hard to find someone who wants you for you alone.

“Sorry, but hey, you probably made his mom’s day.”

She leans into me, ready to knock me in the shoulder with hers, but I wrap my good arm around her shoulders and keep her next to me. The scent of vanilla from her shampoo permeates the air around us, arousing me. As much as I hate to admit it, I missed her tonight, so much I need to get better and back to Park City ASAP. Because I cannot rely on Skylar any more than I already do. Nothing good can come of it.

“After dinner, he FaceTimed his mom.” She cringes. “She was sweet though.”

“Uh-huh.” I roll my eyes.

“At least he treats his mom nice.”

“True.” I pause for a moment before I ask my next question. “Did you kiss him goodnight?”

It’s none of my business and goes against the rules we put into effect years ago.

“On the cheek.”

Good girl.

“Here.” I hold my palm out for her phone.

She shakes her head. “I think I’ll pick the next one on my own.”

I can’t say that I blame her. Tad was my choice and he turned out to be a mama’s boy.

We sit in silence, the sound of the movie I was half watching filling the empty space created by our silence.

“Sky?”

She turns to me, crossing her ankles and I can’t help but look at the smooth skin of her legs.

“Is this all because you got bronze?”

“What?” Does she really not realize how much she’s changed since we returned? How she’s turned away from the dreams we once shared and is now heading in a completely different direction.

“The whole wanting a family and grad school thing. You thinking you’re missing out on something.”

“No. I mean I’m pissed about getting bronze, but I’m still happy I medaled. I can’t in good faith complain, but I’ve been questioning what’s next for me for a while. Sooner or later it’s going to end, and I don’t want to be the old veteran still trying to keep up. The one people whisper about behind their back.”

If she’d gotten silver or gold, she wouldn’t be saying this. The fact that the gold and silver medalists were far younger than her doesn’t help.

“You’re an amazing skier,” I say with conviction.

“I know.”

“Look who’s cocky.” I chuckle.

She laughs and throws her legs over the side of the bed to leave.

“You don’t want the other stuff, so you wouldn’t understand. Skiing is only a chapter in my life, Beck, not the whole book, and I’m thinking my next chapter should be starting soon.”

She walks toward the door and I deny the urge inside willing me to ask her to stay. “I’m here for you, whatever you decide,” I say instead.

She smiles, the light from the hallway pouring over her body. “I guess it was bound to happen one day, right?”

I tilt my head. “What?”

“Us going in different directions.”

My chest hurts, and I swear I hear the crack in my heart like it’s a gif that people send one another.

She doesn’t wait for me to answer, instead shutting my door, leaving me in the dark with just the glow of the television.

I examine my arm in the sling. I need to get healed and get the hell out of Dodge. I’ve clearly overstayed my welcome—even if I’m the only one who knows it.