“We could watch a movie or something while they’re out,” Shay said to me.
I tilted my head. “I’m kinda beat.”
She forced an understanding smile. “Yeah. Of course. Get some rest. If you change your mind, I’ll be downstairs.”
I nodded, appreciating her offer but knowing once I was inside that room, there was no chance I’d be leaving it. I hadn’t been lying when I said I was beat. I just left out the fact that I was also overwhelmed, overstimulated, and terrified of my own shadow.
Thayer
We stumbled into the house a little after one. Snowboarding, then drinking in the lodge, had proven to be a lethal combination.
“Shhhh,” Kason said, closing the door quietly behind us. “Let’s not wake the girls.”
The security guard, who’d remained at the house with the girls, ignored us. I wondered if he was silently cursing his job.
I glanced at the stairs, knowing that Giselle was likely sound asleep upstairs. Once Kason got into his room, there was little chance she’d be able to sleep. Kason was a loud drunk.
To be honest, I was shocked she even agreed to come on this trip. She’d kept her headphones on the entire plane and car ride, then disappeared upstairs as quickly as she could. For her, this trip was not about having fun. It was about escaping Colorado.
“I’m exhausted,” I said, shedding my coat and hanging it on a coat hook by the front door. “What time are we heading out in the morning?”
“Let’s aim for eight. Lifts don’t run until then anyway,” Kason said, before disappearing upstairs.
“Want a beer?” Jesse asked on his way over to the fridge.
“Nah, man. I’m beat. I’m gonna sleep this off so I’m ready to shred in the morning.” I hadn’t tried any tricks on the mountain, but I’d eyed the jump, knowing I’d attempt some in the morning, and hoping like hell I didn’t break anything.
“I’m stoked I’m getting a front row seat to Thayer Caruthers’ comeback tour,” Jesse said, twisting off the cap and taking a pull of his beer.
“I just want to get out there and see what happens.”
“There’s no doubt that Kincaid’ll offer you a sponsorship deal if you’re serious.”
“I think that ship has sailed.” At one time, it was me who had sponsors watching. Now I was just a has-been.
“Dude, you’re as rad on a board as Kason. You just gotta shake off some of the rust.”
I held my hand to my heart. “Jesse? Are we having a moment?”
“Fuck off.”
“And just like that, the moment’s over,” I said.
Jesse laughed as I took off for the stairs. “See you in the AM.”
“Night.”
I headed down the second-floor hallway, where Shay’s soft laughter trickled out from behind the closed door on my right. I shook my head and kept moving. The open door on the left belonged to Jesse, who’d likely pass out on the sofa and never make it upstairs. I noticed Giselle’s door was closed at the end of the hallway. I moved toward the room next to hers. It was the smallest one, but I didn’t need more than the queen-size bed and dresser.
As soon as I stepped over the threshold of my room, I heard a whimper. I froze, listening to see if I heard it again or if I’d imagined it. I didn’t hear it again, so I figured it was nothing. I took two more steps into my room when another whimper stopped me. I backed out of my room and went to Giselle’s door, pressing my ear gently against it. When I heard another whimper, I clutched the knob and cracked open the door, surprised to find it unlocked.
Giselle lay in the center of the king-sized bed, curled into a ball on her side, facing away from me. As if she was crying—or worse—terrified, another whimper escaped her.
I closed the door quietly behind me and crept over to the bed. I stood there staring down at her, having no idea what I should do. Scratch that. What I should’ve done was turn around and get Kason. But then, I’d need to explain why the hell I was in his sister’s room to begin with.
Another whimper escaped her.
Fuck it.
