“VOX!” I yell.
He jerks his head up at the sound of my voice, and his smile fades, making my gut churn.
“I’m not your problem today,” he fires, moving to get in line for the lift right as Tasha, Trent, and Randolph Fuller himself come into view.
Dropping my voice as I approach him, I grab his arm. “Hey,you’re not aproblemany day, but you can’t tell me that shit you just pulled wasn’t you acting out.”
“Ha!Acting out?I’m a professional snowboarder, Connor. What I just did was myjob.”
Vox squares up to me in an attempt to piss me off further. Instead, he eases my ire with his proximity. Having him in my space means he isn’t in anyone else’s…it also means he’s not risking life and limb on the side of this mountain.
“I need you to come with me,” I tell him in a spur-of-the-moment decision. “Please.”
“Connor, you’re really?—”
“Helluva ride, man,” Trent interrupts, slapping Vox on the ass as he stops his board behind him. My jaw clenches at the contact, and a low growl rumbles in my chest.
Vox hears it, and his eyes flash to mine in warning.
I clear my throat quickly to cover the sound in case Trent’s hearing is as good as Vox’s.
Trent moves his hands to Vox’s shoulders and continues his praise. “Dude, I was still tipping in, and you were halfway down the fucking mountain. How are you so goddamn fast?”
Before Vox can answer, Angel comments as well. “Forreal. I’m glad we’re on the same team, and I’m even more glad I’m not racing against you in any of the individual events.”
Fuller joins us last, and I’m vibrating with anger.
“Was that fast enough for you, Coach?” Vox says. I bristle at the title, even though Fuller and Montoya are also Vox’s coaches…not just me.
“Your speed isn’t the problem, Vox. Never was,” Fuller answers calmly.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.I need more control,” Vox says in a bratty tone.
Unable to stay quiet any longer, I turn on Fuller. “If you knew speed wasn’t the issue, why take him on that slope at all?You had to have known he was going to go straight for the fall line.”
Fuller straightens up and crosses his arms. “Ithoughtputting him on a pitch that steep would make him cautious. Slow him down and forcehim tofindcontrol,” he says defensively, arguing as if Vox isn’t standing right next to me.
“You can’tforceVox into anything! He’ll only work harder to prove you wrong and put himself in danger in the process! What you did was fucking reckless!” I shout.
Suddenly, a hand tugs on my biceps.
“Hey, Lang, relax,” Vox says in an attempt to calm my ire. “It was a fun ride. I know this mountain like the back of my hand. That wasn’t my first run onWaterfall’spitch, man. I’m all good.”
“Unstrap. We’re leaving,” I command.
“You can’t just pull my athlete in the middle of training,” Fuller argues.
“I can pullmyathlete any goddamn time I want to. If you have a problem with it, take it up with Grey. Let’s go, Vox,” I snap, turning on my heel and walking back toward the snowmobile.
Thankfully, we’re currently at base village, so everything is connected.
Looking over my shoulder, I see Vox eyeing me warily as he unstraps one of his boots. Using his freed foot, he propels himself along the ground until he reaches me.
“I’m pretty sure I’m pissed at you, but also, that was really fucking hot, so now I’m confused,” he says.
I’d laugh if anxiety weren’t coursing through my system like whitewater rapids.
“Go change. Meet me at my place in half an hour.”
