Page 81 of Beautifully Complicated

Aiden glides up beside me and drops to his knees. “Are you okay?”

“Tell me again why I couldn’t stay at the house with Damien?” He’s the only other person in the group that’s never done this, but he got a free pass since he doesn’t want to get injured before the draft.

“Bennet’s there.” I turn to see Liam over my left shoulder.

“So?”

“So, they’re probably taking advantage of an empty house.” I turn to see Cam over my right shoulder.

“Ah,” I say.

“Okay, let’s go again.” Aiden pulls me to standing with the help of a push from Cam so I can give it another go. And promptly fall.

“This is futile,” I grumble as the group helps me to stand.

“I have an idea.” Cruz hops on his board until he’s standing directly in front of me, hands outstretched.

Glancing nervously at his boyfriend, Liam, I ask, “Do you know what this is about?”

“I have a guess,” he answers.

Figuring that’s as good as permission, I put my hands in Cruz’s.

“I ride with my right foot in front, so we’re like a mirror, and I’m strong enough to keep you under control. I’ll help you get a feel for how to ride.”

With Cruz to control our speed and guiding the motion of our turns, we make it the rest of the way down the hill without stopping. And I have to admit, Aiden was right. Once you get moving you don’t notice the cold.

I take another run with Cruz, who’s strength helps counter my lack of skill, and for my final run of the day Aiden takes his place, which is a little less productive since he’s not strong enough to muscle me into position, but just as fun since it’s the two of us together.

Later, when we’re all melting into the couches since we’re too sore for much else, Aiden tucks himself into my side, snuggling against me the way all the other couples are positioned. I can’t help but recall how he once mentioned living with three happy couples, and being surrounded by all this affection when he’s been alone must have been so depressing. It makes me a little relieved that a condition of him coming on this trip was that I join him, so that he’s not left out of these moments.

I kiss the top of his head, just because I can.

“I’m just saying, Kier survived and he’s old enough to be Aiden’s dad,” Jagger tells Damien from his spot on Cam’s lap.

“Hey,” Aiden objects. “Ten years is not old enough to be my dad.”

Jagger gives him a dismissive wave. “You know what I mean.” He turns back to Damien. “You’re missing out.”

“Better he miss out on snowboarding than a career.” Bennet rolls his eyes at Jagger.

“I do both,” Jagger says.

“Because you’ve been boarding your whole life,” Bennet retorts.

“If you go pro a team might have a clause in your contract that you can’t do things that bring unnecessary risk.” Cam kisses the back of Jagger’s neck.

“So I’ll stick to black diamond instead of double black diamond,” Jagger rationalizes.

“And when you break a leg?” Bennet prompts.

“Liam will bandage me up and Cam will get me back in playing shape,” he says.

“Liam is pre-med, and Cam is physical therapy,” Aiden whispers in my ear.

“That’s not the kind of medicine I want to practice.” Liam tells Jagger.

“Yeah, but don’t you have to learn the basics? Setting bones seems like it would be pretty basic.” Jagger says.

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