I shrug. “He’s probably confused. Angry. I don’t blame him if he is. I was being selfish and irrational. After all, I did ask him if I was enough for him to stay just a little bit longer.”
“Oh, honey,” Mom says. “You’re this boy’s world. I saw it with my own eyes. There’s no questioning if you’re enough.”
Jordan nods and swallows his humongous bite. “You’re more than enough. And say this doesn’t work out and you two decide to stay friends – which I don’t want because I love seeing you two together – just hold on to the good memories. Just because it didn’t last doesn’t mean it wasn’t real.”
I sniffle. “When did you become so wise?”
“Mom and Dad gave me the brains, and the good looks were passed down to you.”
I roll my eyes as Mom says, exasperated, “Jordan!”
“Sorry,” my brother mumbles, unrepentant, before diving for another slice. Diego should’ve gotten another pizza for Jordan alone. I swear this guy eats like he’s famished all the time. What baffles me is that he’s extra fit despite all the junk food and Red Bulls he inhales.
“Want to know something funny?” Dad asks me, a sly grin on his lips as he watches the burgundy liquid swirl at the bottom of his wineglass.
“Yes, please.”
He sets the glass down and leans back on his hands. “When Wyatt gave me that call two months ago, he asked me if you were single.” Grimacing, I can’t help but widen my eyes while Jordan chokes on his piece of pizza. “He asked that on behalf of Diego.” He quickly recovers when he notices our expressions. Mom’ssilent, coolly sipping on her wine. “Because he thought that if Diego could be distracted by a girl, he would stop focusing so hard on snowboarding. Yes, Diego’s talented and a hardworking man, but he’s given his all to the sport, and, amidst medals and podiums, he’s lost himself. He quickly became one of the best riders in the industry, but pushing himself to his limits has had its consequences. Wyatt saw his light go out, his general optimism fade away. When he sent Diego back here, his only wish was for Diego to find himself again.”
I did start out as a distraction, and we weren’t supposed to have more than just a little fun, but somewhere in between our games, I became important to him. Just like he became everything to me.
“Are you saying Wyatt played matchmaker?”
A soft laugh bubbles out of Dad. “Sort of. He didn’t expect for you two to fall in love. He only really hoped that you’d help Diego forget about what weighs him down. He wanted Diego to have a friend. Honestly, I was a bit scared you’d be just a fling to Diego, but I quickly realized it was more than that.”
“How? When?”
“When he showed utmost respect for you. When he promised to do and be better by being serious about working with us and assisting with the skiing lessons. He could’ve taken the first flight back to Utah his first day back, but he didn’t.”
I smile sadly down at my plate. Jordan points to it. “You gonna eat that?”
Blinking at my brother, I sigh and give him my slice. He grins, a string of cheese hanging on his chin.
“Well,” I return to Dad, “you can tell Wyatt that Diego’s back to being his electric self, and that his best rider is back in the game.”
Mom rubs my knee through the blanket. “Competing and riding might fuel his adrenaline, but it’s nothing compared toyour love and what you give him. If you’re sure that you love him, then fight for him. Show him that he’s worth it, that in a world where he takes care of everyone there’s someone who will take care ofhim.”
There’s no doubt or hesitation: Diego is it for me, and I will do everything it takes to make him believe it.
I’d lost myself in the chaos, but he is my calm. My star. My light. He’s helped me find my voice, my future. He’s helped embolden my confidence, and, with the delicacy of a lover, he showed me how important I am. For the first time in my life, I learned how to love myself, despite my flaws and insecurities and uncertainties, all because of him.
And when you find your light? You hold on to it and keep it close to your heart.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
DIEGO
“¿Qué haces?”
Mom’s voice pierces through the thick fog of my mind, bringing me back to a reality that pains me more than I’ll ever admit.
This has been the worst, most agonizing forty-eight hours of my life. Without Alara, I’m nothing. Without Alara, I can’t breathe. The problem is, I have no clue how to fix it, how to approach the situation without hurting both of us even more.
Turning around, I find Mom standing in the doorway to my room with her hands on her hips, frowning. “What are you doing?” she repeats.
“No need for the translation,” I say, with a pinch of humor that doesn’t make either of us crack a smile. Sighing, I look at my opened suitcase. “I’m packing.”
“Why?”
