Rowan
ohmyfuckinggod! I’M SO EXCITED FOR YOU GUYS
Jessa
TWO DAYS LATER
The Lodge was surprisingly quiet this morning. The lobby was empty and we were gathered around the tree near the fireplace. I tried not to think about the small gift I’d picked up for Lukas. It was sitting upstairs in my room.
Eloise had asked if I wanted to still give it to him. I would drop it at the front desk later and ask for them to deliver it…maybe. I wasn’t sure yet. Keeping it felt like I was hanging onto something that was over, but the idea of not giving it to him sent a sharp pain piercing my chest.
I gave Eloise a shirt that had a picture of a raccoon on it and it said ‘in my defense I was left unsupervised’and she cackled. She’d picked me up a shirt that when I read it, I felt my cheeks heat and I laughed.
“Cliterature? Really?”
“I know how you like your spicy romances.” she said with a grin and a shrug.
“Val sent you the link to it, didn’t she?”
“I was sworn to secrecy.”
I let Mom read the shirt, and she laughed. Orion cleared his throat, and I ignored the sadness that was sitting heavy in my chest, and I waited for them to reveal to our parents that he’d proposed.
He opened his mouth, but Annalise didn’t wait. She held her hand out, and Mom jumped up, immediately pulling Annalise into a hug.
“Oh my gosh!”
I watched as Dad stood up, and pulled Orion into one as well, and I felt the smile slipping off my face, and I quickly pulled it back into place.
The ache of sadness spiked, but I still pushed it away. It was a happy day, and I could be happy for them—Iwashappy for them. I could be happy and sad at the same time.
THE NEXT DAY
Mom invited Zara to join us for breakfast. Apparently, Lukas hadn’t been around much.
“It’s always like this right before a race. We rarely see him because he’s always training.”
“Well, you’re always welcome to come hang with us if you need company,” Mom said.
Zara smiled and took a bite of her food.
“I have my trial with Brennan at the start of the year,” she said, indicating to her phone.
“Congrats,” I said, swallowing my bite. “He’s a bit of a hardass, but if he likes you, and I’m sure he will, he will be your biggest supporter.”
“Will…” she paused, swallowing. “Will I see you around the rink?”
And then it dawned on me, and I squeezed Eloise’s hand in mine under the table. Zara would relocate to my town. This also meant Lukas would be there—at least part of the time. His training schedule was flexible, and his parents were currently living in London for work. He would be spending time in my town, where I liveifBrennan picks up Zara. And he undoubtedly would.
“Possibly. I know Brennan’s daughter wants me to watch her perform.”
She gave me a small smile.
“Will…will you come to my trial?” she asked, her voice quiet and unsure.
“Text me the date and time and I will try and be there,” I said, hoping she couldn’t hear the tightness in my voice.
Zara’s smile grew as she nodded.
