Page 14 of Ski You Later
Xander wasn’t done talking yet because he starts waving his hands in the air as he speaks. “Don’t worry one hair on that pretty little head of yours; you can hang out with us until he shows up!” He says this with such enthusiasm that a genuine smile pulls at my lips.
We may not be friends, but the invite is kind, nonetheless. Landon crosses his arms over his chest ashe stands beside Xander. The guy looking as imposing as one can look in a giant fluffy hoodie. I can tell that he doesn’t want me to join, sending Xander a warning with his eyes.
But he promptly ignores Landon as he puts his arm around me and steers us towards the couch. It’s not another minute before a grumbling Landon trails one step behind us both.
“Ignore him, we were going to play a kart racing game, but he can wait until Roman gets here.”
I stop dead in my tracks, Xander and Landon almost walking into me as I quickly turn around. “Hold up, a racing game?”
I can’t help the fit of giggles that takes over me as I win the cup for the second time today. After winning the first four races, a furious Xander had to excuse himself from the room. Angry grumbling sounded from the bathroom down the hall, and Landon and I couldn’t hold back our laughter.
I decided that I would skip my class today in favour of making more friends on the team. And who knows, if this goes well, I bet either of them wouldn’t mind being my fake boyfriend for this wedding.
As we finish the second round, I’m right in front of Xander’s cart on that last lap. Being the sneaky girl that I am, I screen peak at the exact time he throws his green shell. With only a second left, I dodge left and cross the line in first place.
“DAMN IT,” Xander roars from beside me. Standing up fully, he points his finger in my face and puts all his rage into his words. “Who trained you, woman!”
This pulls a gut clenching laugh from my stomach as his anger brings me immense joy. Xander immediately laughs along with me, throwing himself on the couch as he puts his hands on his face. Turning to the side, I see Landon wearing an easy smile as he looks in my direction.
“The king has been dethroned,” Landon announces. He turns to face me, holding two remotes as he pretends to bow down.
I sink back into the couch, dusting off my shoulders in a show of supremacy. Xander snatches the remotes out of Landon’s hand, and starts another round of races without asking either of us.
It’s nice to find myself eager to keep going, not having to stress if I’m overstaying my welcome. Theseguys might be childish and odd, but they have been so nice while I wait for Roman.
Halfway through this round, Xander’s beating me by a couple of points, and I find myself furrowing my brow in concentration. There aren’t any barriers in this circuit, and I can’t risk losing my pretend title.
I catch Xander’s foot reaching across Landon, the intention to kick the remote out of my hand being evident. The second I enter the straightaway, I smack Xander’s foot away and laugh at the pained sound he lets out.
“What the hell is all the noise?” Roman’s voice carries from the kitchen, and the sound of his footsteps gets louder as he approaches.
I can see him come to a grinding halt in my peripheral vision, but my main focus is on the race in front of me. Xander’s racing with one hand, the other reaching across poor Landon to try and snatch my remote.
“Rhodes, what are you doing here?” His voice sounds curious and confused, but I can’t afford to look at his face with only two corners of the race remaining.
“Oh, I just came here to talk to you, actually.” Xander’s right in my face now, and I shove him away as my car crosses the line before his. Landon cheers, happythat Xander’s getting a taste of his own medicine, as Xander dramatically flops across us both.
“Rhodes, how could you! I let you into my home, and this is how you repay me!” Xander yells and then pretends to cry. Making sure every one of his sobs is loud and drawn out.
A hand appears in front of my face, and I look up to see Roman extending it towards me. He must be used to Xander’s dramatics by now because he completely ignores him.
His calloused palm scrapes against my skin as he helps me to my feet, and Xander decides to dramatically fall on the floor.
“Roman, get this she-demon out of the house.” He throws his arm over his eyes, the other pointing towards the front door.
“Want to talk in my room, or we can go outside if you’re more comfortable with that?” I let him know that his room is perfect, and he doesn’t let go of my hand as he leads me away.
Before we leave the living room, I turn and pretend to tip my hat to Xander and Landon. “It has been an absolute honour, boys.”
They both stand up, bowing at the waist as Roman tugs me away from them. As he leads metowards the stairs, I can’t help but think how I just now became friends with two guys I’ve known my whole life.
The thought makes me smile as I stop and grab my loaf I left on the kitchen table. He leads me up the carpeted stairs and turns into the first bedroom.
Walking into the cleanest room I’ve ever seen comes to me as no surprise. I take in the small space and wonder how he calls this place his room. He leaves the door open as he walks towards the desk, and I take in the whole space.
While the bedspread and chair are both dark blue, everything else is shades of cream or tan. The desk, dresser, and bedside tables are all neutral colours, with a few items scattered about. Based on the vibe of the space, I know their placement is intentional, and he would be annoyed if anything were to be moved.
Roman pulls the chair out from his desk and motions for me to sit; he then rests at the end of his bed and faces me. He doesn’t say anything, just reclines his arms back on the bed as he waits for me to start.
