Maya played with her phone. Throwing a side look at him she said, “Leave it with me.”
Finn groaned.
“I’ll get to the bottom of it,” Maya continued. “But, seriously, Finn. You’ve, um, you’ve loved her—forever and you never said anything?”
Finn shook his head. “No, we knew we liked each other, but we made a pact not to mess up our careers by dating each other. We both thought it was the best thing at the time, and it worked, for a while.”
“Oh.” Maya’s brow furrowed. “What changed things?”
Finn shrugged. How could he explain that while he’d loved Sam since that first day, seeing her here, so close to achieving her dreams, had brought it all back. He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Sam in a way that he hadn’t done since they’d first met—in a way that took over his every last waking moment and all of his dreams too. And, in his opinion, that had been the beginning of this heartbreak. Because he’d started paying more attention to her then, more than he’d ever given her. He’d given in to his desire to be around her, and it had backfired. It had backfired because it had worked—it had seemed that she’d started liking having him around too, and then they’d ended up in the shower, and she’d lost the gold. He put his head in his hands and rubbed his eyes.
“I don’t know. I just know that it has.”
Maya pulled his hands down from his face and patted his arm as her phone pinged, but she didn’t pick it up. “What are you going to do?”
“Nothing.” Finn sounded even more miserable. “Absolutely nothing.”
Finn jumped up from the couch. “Anyway, that’s where my head’s at.” He grabbed the smoothie glass and rinsed it out before putting it in the dishwasher. Leaning on the counter with his two hands he dropped his head low. “Maya, you can’t tell anyone, okay? Not even Sam.”
Looking up he pressed his lips together and waited for Maya’s nod.
“Not a soul.” Maya stared at his hunched form. “Cross my heart.”
“Thanks,” Finn said. “And thanks for listening.”
“Anytime.” Maya gave a small smile. “But Finn?”
He looked up. “Yeah?”
“The Instagram posts?” She paused. “How do you want to do this now?”
Finn stood up, his hands on his hips. He stared at a spot behind Maya for a moment before replying: “We carry on with the plan. It’s important to Sam, so let’s get her this part of her dream.”
“Okay,” Maya said with a downturned mouth. “If you’re sure.”
“I am, Maya, it’s the least I could do for her.” Finn pushed his hands into his jeans pockets. “Look, I’d better go. I should get ready—it’s almost time.”
“Best of luck, Finn.” Maya picked up her phone. “I really mean that. This is your gold—don’t forget it.”
From the top of the slope Finn could see Maya in the crowd. Her satsuma coat was a great way to spot her. He smiled, wondering if she was aware of how visible she was. Scanning the crowd around her, he searched for Sam’s face, but she didn’t seem to be there. His heart sank in his chest. She wouldn’t stay away from his first Olympic final—his first chance at going for gold? He pulled his focus back as the crowds cheered and then hushed as the first competitor took off.
Finn watched, his breath tight in his chest as the young Norwegian landed his trick. A new kid on the scene, he was definitely one to watch, confident and strong and setting thebar high. His landing had been clean and his fist punch in the air made everyone cheer. The crowd buzzed, their energy rippling through the air as the score flashed up. Good, but not good enough. Finn breathed out.
Next up was Henri Duval. Known for his bold tricks, Henri took off and he didn’t hold back. The crowd seemed to hold their breath as one entity as Henri flew into the air. Finn gasped as the Frenchman flipped and rotated in the air. His cork 720 was perfect, but his landing wasn’t quite as sharp as it should have been. His knees buckled slightly, and the crowd were silent, watching as he regained his balance. He skied to a stop to polite applause. This wasn’t the moment the crowd had been waiting for—the gold was still up for grabs.
Finn’s mouth went dry as the next skier made his way forward. This was the one he really had to beat. Viktor Laurent already held two gold medals and had a reputation for perfection. He tore down the course, a blur of motion and power before he propelled into the air. Finn couldn’t tear his eyes away as Gabriel’s amazed voice rang out over the loudspeakers.
“A flawless cork 1080! And one, two, no three rotations! Laurent isn’t here to play—he’s here to win!”
The crowd erupted! Cheers and whistles vibrated through Finn’s chest as Viktor’s score flashed on the screen. He’d set the bar now, and it was high. Finn swallowed as his name echoed over the loudspeaker. Searching the crowd one more time for Sam, he made his way to the starting point. He couldn’t see her, but he had no choice. It was now or never. Pulling on his goggles, Finn narrowed his eyes and focused.
His skis cut through the snow as he raced down the hill, the cold whipping against his face. This was the moment he’d been waiting for—a chance to take home an Olympic gold medal. His heartbeat hammered in his neck as he reached the ramp and then the world fell away as he spun into the trick. The crowd fell silent, watching him defy gravity as he performed a double backflip, gripping his skis midair with a mute grab. His body twisted, his core tight as he navigated the flips with precision. The ground rushed up to meet him faster than expected, his breath bursting from his lungs as his skis touched down with a slight wobble. Recovering instantly, he kept his head high as he surged forward and finished with his arms above his head. He’d done it! He was sure of it.
Ripping his goggles off, then his helmet, Finn punched his fist in the air as the crowd cheered loud enough to set off an avalanche. His face lit up and the crowd roared again. The commentator could barely contain their excitement. “Finn Bradley, ladies and gentlemen! He has nailed it! That’s surely taken the gold! A risky trick but a brilliant one!”
He pulled off his skis and stared at the board. His score flashed. His heart leaped into his mouth. He’d done it! He’d taken the gold! Punching the air he looked around, hoping that Sam was there. And she was—she ran across the snow toward him, her arms wide and her smile huge. He flung his helmet away and ran into her arms and lifted her into a swing that made the crowd roar even louder.
“You did it!” Sam screamed as he put her down. “Finn!”
