Alex had barely looked up from his phone when we’d gotten ready earlier.
The chairlift swept us up the mountain, trees and snow and sun all blending into something postcard-perfect. We sat in companionable silence, our arms brushing lightly every time the wind rocked the chair.
At the top, he glanced down the slope and then back at me. “You good with blues?”
“Yeah, blues are perfect.”
We pushed off together, and right away I noticed the difference.
With Alex, skiing felt like keeping up. Like chasing.
With Holden, it felt like moving together. Like flying.
He wasn’t showing off or rushing ahead. He stayed just a little ahead of me but always turned to check onme, slowing when I needed to slow, adjusting when I wobbled.
And when I caught a patch of ice and yelped, he was there instantly, skiing backward for a few seconds just to make sure I was okay.
We coasted to a stop at the bottom, and I looked over at him, heart pounding—not from the run, but from him. From how easy it had been. How fun.
“That was actually really great,” I said, trying to sound casual and not emotionally overwhelmed.
Holden gave me a wry smile, one brow raised. “Actually?”
I laughed, still breathless. “It was a little different from my earlier runs today.”
“So you’re saying I’m the superior ski partner?” he asked with a knowing smile.
“You are,” I admitted. “But don’t let it go to your head.”
“No promises.” He raised both hands in mock surrender, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.
His eyes locked with mine again, and just like in the lodge, I couldn’t look away. There was something in his gaze that made me feel like we were the only people on the mountain.
The moment stretched between us, quiet and electric. Like we were standing on the edge of something big, something that could change everything if we let it.
But it couldn’t be a moment. This was Holden.
Holden, who happened to be my boyfriend’s cousin.
Holden, who wasn’t mine to fall for.
And yet, standing there with him, heart racing and breath caught in my throat, I felt like I was poised at the top of a run I wasn’t ready for, terrified to push off, but even more afraid I already had.
Chapter 13
Holden
December 21st
I wasn’tthe kind of guy who went to movie nights. Especially not resort-sponsored ones where everyone cozied up under blankets and drank hot cider and pretended life was some perfect Hallmark movie.
But I also wasn’t the kind of guy who spent all afternoon skiing with someone like Belle.
And now I couldn’t stop thinking about her.
The way she laughed when the wind whipped her hair into her face. How she leaned into the turns like she wasn’t afraid of falling. The way her eyes had lingered on mine just a little too long at the bottom of the last run.
That look haunted me. It was like an invitation…but also a warning.
