Page 61 of Ski You Later
Someone nearby passes her a joint, and she shakes her head before passing it to Landon. He must really be into her because he also passes on it and decides instead to lean back into her orbit.
I see that Xander notices her as well, catching glances to the side so he can keep looking at her. This doesn’t go unnoticed by Aurora who glares daggers at the youngest Huxley brother. Frankly, I have no idea what’s going on with those two, but I make a mental note to inquire about it later.
I make another mental note to ensure that Roman goes nowhere near this goddess looking woman. One cheating boyfriend is all I need in my lifetime.
Not that I think Roman would ever cheat on me, he has to be actually dating me in order to even cheat. That puts even more fear into my system, and I start to look around for the tall piece of muscle that I call my boyfriend.
The whole train of thought jars me a little, since the easy-going nature Roman’s been displaying around me lately, made me forget we aren’t actually dating. I guess that’s what I asked of him though, to make sure there is no doubt my cousin or family could ever question us.
But a bigger part of me knows him, and I know that he doesn’t do things unless he wants it. So, either he really wants to help me out with my problem, or he’s just as interested in me as I am in him.
Leaning forward, I tap on Xander’s arm and gesture for him to come toward me. His drunken state easily forgets about his previous conversation, as he staggers into my side, and I have to use all my strength to support him. “Where’s Roman?” I yell in his ear as he sputters spittle in my face and asks me to repeat myself.
After hearing me a second time, he throws his head backwards in a scoff as he responds. “That little bitch is in his room because he’s convinced that people are going to try and steal his stuff.”
A small smile pulls at the corner of my mouth, because that’s a very Roman like thing to think when a party is happening. “I’m going to try to get him to come down.” I yell back to him over the music and Xander just laughs, wishing me luck with my mission.
As I squish my way inside and to the back staircase, I pass by all the athletes milling about on the stairs. More people are lounging against the walls on the second floor when I get up there, and I spot Rhys with a girl at the end of the hall. We make eye contact as I head his way, and he immediately walks towards me.
“Can you go and get him out of our room. I can only do so much in a hallway, and he’s just sitting in there reading.” It takes me a second to process this since he quickly whisper-yells it all in my face, but I nod at him and suppress a giggle. I pat Rhys reassuringly on the arm as I promise another one of my boyfriend’sroommates that I’ll get him to come out.
Knocking and asking if I can come in, I hear the sound of footsteps approaching from the other side of the door. “For the last time, we share a room. You can’t just kick me out of our room because you want alone time with her.”
Putting my hand over my mouth to suppress a laugh, I knock lightly against the door once again. “Oh, believe me, I wish that was the case.” I wouldn’t say I’m drunk, but I’m definitely tipsy as the words flow freely out of my mouth, and I don’t regret them.
The door cracks open slightly at my words and Roman peers down at me with suspicion. Once he doesa glance of the rest of the hallway, he opens the door fully and ushers me in quickly.
“What’s the rush?” I can’t help but chuckle as I enter his room, and turn around to see him locking the door behind me.
“I don’t want anyone just waltzing in and making a mess of the room I just cleaned”. Looking around the space, two sets of bunk beds are pushed up against each wall, leaving the floor and beds covered in the gear from the guys. Race suits are laid flat, helmets are placed along the windowsill, and everything sits organized on everyone’s beds. It looks as if a mess of boy exploded here and was then promptly organized.
“Did you clean this all up?” The idea that he has been spending his time picking up after his roommates sobers me up instantly, a guilty feeling creeping into my chest.
“No, no. I cleaned this up hours ago. I’ve just been reading and trying to ignore what’s going on downstairs.” He plops onto his bottom bunk, and a sense of loneliness weighs his shoulders down as he leans against the wall.
I plop down beside him, putting my back against the same wall as I lightly tap his knee with mine. “Youknow, you can always come downstairs and join us,” I say and try my best to keep my tone light.
He looks side long at me, hope flaring in his gaze before it immediately sputters out. “No, they don’t want their team captain down there,” he says with finality.
“That’s not true at all. A bunch of people want you down there!”
His gaze is as disbelieving as his words as he looks down at me. “Yeah, like who?”
“Rhys, Xander and Landon, all missed you,” I counter immediately.
He smiles easily at this, breaking eye contact as he looks away. “I can guarantee the only reason they want me downstairs is so they can have this room to themselves.”
I frown at the likely truth to his words and decide that it’s time to be honest with him. “I wanted you down there,” I whisper and feel fear spear through me as his gaze whips my way.
Neither of us move for a second, as if he didn’t believe his ears and wants to make sure he didn’t imagine it. “You did?”
I nod back at him, not breaking eye contact with him as I sense his body move toward me.
The couple drinks I’ve had evaporate in my stomach as I feel a tension build between us. It seems like everything we’ve been through has been breadcrumbs leading us to this moment and it feels so right in my gut.
We’re a hairs breath apart now and I close my eyes as I feel his hand snake into my hair. The slightest brush of his lips touches mine just as the bedroom door slams open.
Both of us jolt apart, shock and confusion splay out on both our faces as we whip our gaze to the door. Xander stumbles in with a key in hand and points his finger directly at his brother.
