"Élise."
She doesn't look up.
"I'm not like your father."
"Then prove it. Don't race."
The calendar flashes in my mind. Five days. Lenzerheide. The Super-G globe. Everything I've been working for.
"I can't. And it’s not just about you."
She nods. Not surprised. Just tired. "Then I'm moving out."
"When?"
"Today. While you're gone."
"And if I come back? If I win—"
"Don't." She finally looks up, eyes red. "Don't make this about winning. That's the whole problem."
I open my mouth. Nothing comes out.
She closes the laptop. Stands. Walks past me into the bedroom.
And I just stand there, in the middle of the flat that suddenly feels too small and too empty at the same time.
Chapter 18
Chasing the Shiny Thingy
Playlist:
Christina Aguilere: The Fighter
Cher: Strong Enough
Lenzerheide, Switzerland, March 20
NICO
I step off into the crisp Swiss air, knee stiff, brace tight under my track pants. The altitude hits immediately, thinner, colder, sharper than Reiteralm. My lungs work harder. My knee protests.
Coach Leitner is already on the ground, clipboard in hand, scanning the venue like he's calculating risk. The team doctor is two steps behind me, hovering, not saying anything but not leaving either.
"How's it feeling?" he asks.
"Fine."
"Nico."
