There's a knock at the door. My heart leaps—maybe it's Nick, maybe he's come to explain—
But it's Kelly, holding a clipboard and wearing her professional smile.
"Hi, Daria! Just doing the final feedback surveys. This is a new program, so we’re checking with guests. Do you have a minute?"
I let her in, answering her questions about the retreat experience. Everything's fine, I lie. The activities: great. Accommodations: perfect. Staff: professional.
"And your ski instructor?" Kelly asks. "Nick, right?"
My throat tightens. "He was very professional."
"Good. That's good." Kelly makes a note. "We work hard to maintain appropriate boundaries between staff and guests. I'm glad you had a positive experience."
The emphasis on "appropriate boundaries" is subtle but unmistakable.
She knows. Or suspects. And Nick's pulling away because he's been warned.
After Kelly leaves, I sit on my bed, staring at my half-packed suitcase.
Of course this wasn't real. Nothing ever is.
I'm twenty-three and naïve, and I fell for an experienced man who knew how to make me feel special. The age gap I thought didn't matter? It matters. He's thirty-five with a career and alife here. I'm fresh out of college, barely making rent, living in a different city.
We're from different worlds. And I was foolish to think a week at a mountain resort could bridge that gap.
I turn off the lights and climb into bed, but sleep doesn't come. I stare at the ceiling, replaying every moment with Nick, looking for the clues I missed. The signs that it was temporary. That I was temporary.
By tomorrow, I'll be gone. And Nick will move on to the next retreat, the next woman who needs to feel seen.
And I'll go back to being invisible.
Just like always.
Chapter 6
Nick
I've been a coward, and I hate myself for it.
Kelly pulled me aside with her concerns. "Nick, I need to ask—has anything inappropriate happened between you and one of the retreat guests?"
My silence was answer enough.
"I'm not judging," she continued, though her tone said otherwise. "But we have policies for a reason. Power dynamics, professionalism, liability. If something happened with a guest, especially with the age difference I've noticed—"
"Nothing inappropriate happened." Technically true. Daria wanted it. Consented enthusiastically. There was nothing inappropriate for two adults choosing each other.
But Kelly's pointed look said she wasn't convinced. "Just remember, you represent the resort. And she's very young, Nick. I'd hate for there to be any... misunderstandings."
The implication was clear. Back off, or there will be consequences.
So, I did what I thought was noble. I gave Daria space. Stayed away to avoid making things awkward for her, to avoid jeopardizing my job, to avoid all the complications Kelly planted in my head.
The age gap. The power dynamic. The fact that Daria has her whole life ahead of her and I'm just a ski instructor who'll never be more than that.
But watching her at dinner tonight and witnessing her smile fade, her shoulders hunch, watching her make herself small again—I realized something.
By protecting her from me, I'm hurting her. Just like staying invisible hurt her before.
