“I should be getting compensated for pain and suffering,” Adrien says, reaching for the radio and turning it on, bringing forth the sound ofWicked Game, once again through the speakers.
Sergio smiles to himself, knowing that the next hurdle of his day ends with Adrien’s freedom, making his comment inconsequential. Besides, how can he be upset when this all too familiar song is accompanying the perfect moving picture Sergio has in his head of Jeremy gliding across the ice.
On the chairlift and enjoying the gorgeous view of the mountains and the trees covered in pristine white snow, Sergio is feeling confident. Not in a Sergio of old sort of way. For the first time in his adult life, his confidence isn’t coming from how many people are fawning over him. This confidence is more aligned with that of a well-practiced figure skater whose muscle memory knows their routine so thoroughly that they could never trip up.
He swings his legs, causing the chairlift to rock, and he hums a very familiar tune about falling in love at the wrong time with the wrong person. Except it’s no longer the wrong time, and Jeremy has never been the wrong person.
“You’re oddly chipper right now,” Adrien says, eyeing him out of the corner of his eye.
“Am I?”
“Yes.” Adrien laughs. “You’re kicking your feet like Henry and humming along to some tune in your head.”
“I am? Huh, I hadn’t noticed.”
“Yeah, you are. And if I didn’t know better, I’d think you had a crush on someone like some junior high school kid.”
“Would that be so hard to believe?”
“Yes!” Adrien laughs harder this time.
Feeling happy and with Jeremy now firmly living in his brain, Sergio shrugs. “I’ll prove you wrong one of these days.”
“I seriously doubt that,” Adrien says with a roll of his eyes that lands them to look off into the trees. Once looking away, his features shift to his usual look for this moment of deep contemplation.
Sergio pulls out his camera and snaps a picture of his brother’s forlorn yet handsome profile. “For Daphne,” he says as he shows it to him.
Adrien’s smile is sad as he looks at the screen. “Thanks. That’s a good one.”
“You miss her, don’t you?” Sergio asks, wondering how Adrien does it. Maintaining a long-distance relationship can’t be easy. Hell, Sergio has days when he struggles with longing for Jeremy when he’s only a quick jog across the property. But then again, the situation isn’t quite the same. At least Daphne and Adrien have well-established and reciprocated feelings that are ever-present, no matter how many times Sergio screws up his own day.
Adrien shrugs. “I don’t know,” he says with a sigh. “We spend so much time apart that I think I’m always missing her. It’s kind of our standard.”
“It doesn’t have to be.”
Adrien looks at him, his expression blank and tired. “Don’t tell me you have a solution.”
“I think I might,” Sergio says, knowing exactly what he needs to do. He’s been doing it for months at this point ,when he makes it to the slopes without some disaster before breakfast.
He braces himself for the end of the lift coming and dismounts effortlessly. Together they ski to the start of the slope. Then, high above the world with the perfect view of the Adirondacks and the lakes below, Sergio turns to look at his brother. “Adrien. You know I love you, but I think it’s time for you to stop working for me.”
“Are you firing me?” Adrien’s face lights up with a genuine smile.
“Afraid so,” Sergio says and gives his brother a firm, long hug. “It’s time for you to finish your book and live your own dream. Thank you for helping me achieve mine.”
“It was nothing.” Adrien scoffs.
“No. It was really something,” Sergio says. He thumps Adrien’s back three times, then pulls away. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”
Adrien gives a half-smile. “You could have. But I’ll take your compliment anyway. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” Sergio says, then turns to look down the mountain. “Race you to the bottom?”
“You’re on, brother.”
“Did you guys have fun?” Holden asks them as Adrien narrowly beats Sergio to the bunny hills.
“We sure did,” Sergio says, skiing past Holden. He then calls over his shoulder, “I fired my brother,” right as Henry is calling out to him.
