CHAPTER FIVE
The athletes’ dorms are quiet this morning. A few early-morning skiers and snowboarders wander back and forth, waiting until the mountain opens and practice can begin. There’s an event today, the slopestyle, and the air tingles with excitement. There’s an event every day, but this one is different. It’s part of our team. And while most of our fans are out rooting for the variousathletes taking part in the qualifiers this morning, those diehard of us — the family members — will take up perches at the athlete compound. As more events finish, more space becomes available for boarders. Knox and many of the seasoned guys will stay here rather than make the trip to the hotel every day. The views aren’t as good and the chairs not as comfy, but it’s less travel for them. It’sa perk of being around longer than anyone else.
I shouldn’t be anywhere near the athletes’ building. I should be back in my nice warm bed at the hotel, mummied in between the covers. Or I should be in Knox’s room, my head lying on his chest as we both sleep the last few minutes until wakeup time. Except the world I live in sucks and neither of those things happened.
This morning when I slowlypeeled my eyes open ready to make a mad dash back to my room and leave the scene of the crime before Knox could wake up. I rolled over only to discover he wasn’t there. This time he did the sleep and flee. And we were in his room! I’ve spent the last two years thinking Knox didn’t remember our first foray between the sheets. Spending the rest of my life thinking he regrets what we did last nightwill be even worse.
I’m going to become a nun.
First I’ll have to become Catholic.
To make myself even more pathetic, I waited more than twenty minutes for Knox to come back. I kept thinking it would be one of those situations where he snuck off to get us a cup of coffee. He was in the snack room working on a surprise for me.
But Knox never came back.
There was never any coffee.
After Islowly redressed, giving him plenty of time to return and call me a fool for doubting him, I cabbed it back to my hotel, took a quick shower and dressed for the day. I planned to stay in my room, watch some foreign TV, and eat lunch off the room service menu, but Marley had different ideas. She stopped to wake me up and was pleasantly surprised to find me already “ready to greet the day.” Those areher sugar-laden words, not my own.
I was not ready to greet the day.
There were a lot of false promises made, but I can’t be faulted for all of them. I needed to get Marley out of my room as quickly as possible so she didn’t question what my problem was or notice my bed wasn’t ruffled from sleeping in it last night. I lied my way out of breakfast with her and my brother, but only because I’dpromised to meet her right here at the small athletes viewing room, on the dot, at nine.
It’s currently 9:32 and either she went looking for me or the lovebirds are taking longer than planned at breakfast. I didn’t want to share a cab because cab time means time for her to ask questions. The less questions the better.
At least somebody is happy.
“Well, look who’s here. I thought your brotherwas done competing.” A tall, scruffy dirty blond haired member of my brother’s snowboarding team drops into the large leather chair next the couch I occupy.
“Cyrus.”
“That’s all I get? Cyrus?” He widens his eyes and lifts an eyebrow, leaning back in his chair as if I’ve somehow offended him.
Fine. I may have been a little harsh. “It’s important to support all the teammates, right? My brotherand Marley will be here in a few minutes.” They better be here.
I actually don’t have anything against Cyrus. He’s a pretty cool guy. This is his second gold-medal event on the snowboarding team. Four years ago he took home a bronze medal for the American team.
“Are you always here?” he asks.
I take that back. He’s super annoying. “Supporting the team, remember?”
“Yeah. I heard you. I don’tthink you have to be quite so dressed up to support the team. Why don’t you get out and have some fun? Explore the city.” He kicks his feet up on the table like he’s given me some life-altering advice.
It’s annoying. Plus, he pointed out I’m dressed up.
“We’re supposed to keep a professional presence to support and make the team look good.” It’s definitely the single reason I put more time andconcern to my looks today. I’m sporting a pair of dark wash skinny jeans with black tall boots and the long sleeve V-neck T-shirt I accidentally ordered a size too small. You never know if they’re going to be cotton or not. It’s not my fault itshrunk.
“Why aren’t you practicing?” If he gets to ask random questions, then so do I.
His face immediately lights up, his lips stretching from ear toear. “See the girl in the green pants?”
“Yeah.” I squint to make her out in the growing crowd of snowboarders. A big orange board as tall as her leans against her side.
“That’s Charlie. We’ve been best friends since as far as I remember. It’s her first gold-medal event.”
“I see.” I stick my feet on the coffee table, mimicking his position. “And you’ve been in love with Charlie for how long?”
His eyes narrow, and he drops half of his smile. “I am not. She’s my best mate. And I’m here to support her.”
