His arms wrap around my middle out of instinct, and we both go down together.
“Oof,” I say, landing on my solid pillow.
Baylor grunts. “Wow. Graceful.”
“You were in my way!”
“Your way of what exactly? Getting another face full of snow? By all means, go ahead.”
I narrow my eyes at him and smack him in the chest. I try to wiggle myself off of him, but his arms around me tighten. “What are you doing?”
“When are you just going to admit I’m right?”
“In your dreams.”
His goggles lift from the wicked grin that raises his cheeks. “You do a lot more than that in my dreams.”
My mouth drops open, and I smack him again. “Ew!”
His stomach flexes under me with a laugh.
I fight his grasp on me, but he doesn’t budge. “Let go, Baylor.”
“Not a chance. Not until you admit you’ve never boarded in your life.”
“I already told you that I have! Why are you obsessing over this?”
“Because when you come out here without any experience and start on this kind of hill, you’re not only putting yourself in danger, but you’re also putting others in danger!” His arms squeeze me tighter to make sure I’m paying attention.
I can’t see his eyes, so all I can do is watch his lips as he scolds me.
“I didn’t realize.”
“Yeah, because all you were thinking about was yourself. Like always.”
He finally releases his hold, and I sit back on my knees. “Ihaveboarded. Once.”
“Once?” Baylor pushes up onto his elbows. “That doesn’t count as experience! Are you crazy?”
“You don’t think I know that? That I don’t regret coming up here? I’m under no impression that I’m going to get down this mountain safely. I’m terrified, okay? Are you happy?”
“Not exactly,” he grumbles.
I dart my eyes to him, surprised to find that he’s not gloating at all. “You’re not?”
He pushes his goggles up so they’re resting on his forehead. His piercing green eyes are even more vivid, surrounded by the bright white snow. “Well, I didn’t want you up here from the beginning. But a part of me was kind of hoping you’d prove me wrong. I would’ve loved to eat my words actually. To see you tear it up out here. Why did you lie to everybody?”
“Isn’t it obvious?”
His eyebrows rise as he waits for an explanation.
“You! You’re always—ugh! You’re always ruining everything!”
“You’re kidding, right?”
I cross my arms as I sit back on my heels.
“Who’s the one stuck on the side of the mountain right now, making it everyone’s problem?”
