“What about security?” my mother asked.
“I’ll call Kincaid and let them know I need personal security,” Kason said.
“I don’t want you to have to do that,” I said.
“Well, that’s too bad. I’m doing it. Besides, after winning the medal, I’m sure I’m gonna be swarmed by adoring fans everywhere I go anyway,” he said, whipping out his phone and texting whoever he needed to contact about security.
I stared at my brother, loving him a little bit more than I already did. Because, even though he’d won the medal, we all knew there wouldn’t be any swarms of adoring fans anywhere other than the mountain, and even then, he could handle it. This security was all for me, and I appreciated it more than he’d ever know.
9
THAYER
I took a detour after class and found myself knocking on the McCloud’s side door before opening it like I always did. But this time, it was locked. I dragged in a deep breath. Of course it was. They were on lockdown now that the guy was still out there. I knocked and waited with my hands in my pockets.
Mrs. McCloud peeked through the window before a smile spread across her face, and she opened the door. “Hey, Thayer.” She looked over my shoulder as if expecting Kason to follow me in.
“He’s with Shay,” I explained as I stepped inside and closed the door behind me.
“Oh,” she said, likely confused by my solo visit.
“I just wanted to check on Giselle.”
“Oh, she’s out with her father.”
I exhaled a shaky breath, almost relieved that she wasn’t there. It had been an impulsive decision to go check on her. But the thought of what life would’ve been like if I’d lost someone else I cared about had been on my mind. We may not have been close recently, but it didn’t stop the emptiness I felt thinking about it. “That’s okay. I just wanted to make sure she was okay. How’s she doing?”
“It’s going to take some time, but you know Giselle. She’s tough. She’ll get through it.”
I nodded, knowing what she meant. Giselle was one of the toughest people I knew, but coming back from something like that definitely wouldn’t be easy.
“She’s thinking about going to Park City.”
My eyes widened. “What?”
“Kason didn’t mention it?”
I shook my head.
“He told her it would be good for her to get away, and she’s considering it.”
“Wow,” I said, surprised she’d want to leave the safety of her parents’ home so soon—not to mention spend five days with us.
“Yeah, Kason’s looking into getting a security detail so that she feels safe.”
“That’s a good idea.”
“How are you doing?” Mrs. McCloud asked.
“What do you mean?”
She tipped her head. “Thayer, I haven’t forgotten. It’s coming up on the one-year anniversary.”
I dragged my hand through my hair, needing a minute so I didn’t fucking break down in the McCloud’s kitchen. Most people didn’t mention my mother. So, it hit hard when someone did. I understood people avoiding the subject. Why would anyone want to risk fucking with my mood? Mrs. McCloud was different. She and my mom had been close. She’d lost a friend. But she had no idea what it felt like to have her lifeline ripped away. The emptiness that ensued was fucking brutal. I had no real family left. And, when I gave myself time to think about it, like really think about it late at night when I was all alone, it hit me deep in the gut. It’s probably why I stayed so tight with Kason. I couldn’t risk having no one who gave a shit about me.
“Thayer?” Mrs. McCloud prompted.
I shrugged in response to her question, because it was all I could do.