“Why not?” he asked.
“I don’t want it going to his head,” I lied.
“Whatever.”
I pegged him with a dead-serious stare. “Don’t tell him.”
“Fine.”
“Do you think he’s really gonna compete in Switzerland?” I asked.
“I do.”
“You scared he’s gonna give you a run for your money?”
He tilted his head. “Seriously?”
“You two were pretty even when he was snowboarding daily. If he practices, he might actually beat you out there. How would you feel then?”
He contemplated my words for a long beat before he said, “Couldn’t get beaten by a better guy.”
Wow. The old Kason would’ve said something like, ‘That’s never gonna happen.’ But he didn’t. His honesty actually made me love him more.
After Kason left, I sat on my new sofa with my sock-clad feet on the ottoman. I’d been scrolling on my phone for hours, trying to get lost in the mindless videos. A video of my brother led to more videos of snowboarders pulling off amazing tricks, soaring through the air like they could fly. Another one popped up, and it was Thayer. And even though this video had my brother’s name hash-tagged, I could tell the difference between them any day. While my brother’s tricks were big and showy, Thayer’s were always flawless, pulling off every trick he attempted. Even back when they were young, he just always had what it took. I hated that he threw it all away once his mom died. She would’ve hated to know that he quit competing. She loved watching him and was always right there in the front row, eager to hug him when he finished. And, he never failed to seek her out first. I loved that about him. I was completely in awe of the love he felt for her. I could only imagine the void her death had left in him.
Maybe finding the right girl could fill that void. I wondered how his date was going. Had she been able to snowboard? Had she fallen on her ass? Did he plan to take her home with him? Ugh. Why did I care?
A text from Gino popped up on my phone.
Gino
How’s the new sofa?
Me
Comfy.
Gino
It would be comfier with me next to you.
Back when we started dating, he would have done something crazy like be on the other side of the door when he sent that text. Now I knew better.
Me
I guess we’ll have to find out next time you’re in town.
Gino
I tossed down my phone. I was used to being disappointed.
Thayer
Masie and I made it down the bunny hill twice before she asked if we were almost done. I realized quickly that she was more interested in spending time with me than learning to snowboard. It was nice to be wanted. Because I knew all too well what the alternative felt like.
“You seriously competed?” Masie asked over a beer in the lodge.
Our seat overlooked the mountain, and snow had started to fall. “Yeah. I took a year off, but I’m getting back into it.”