Page 49 of The Cuffing Game
Noah winced.So that’s what it’s like to be on the receiving end of one of those.
With Kallie trailing behind them, Noah and Celine headed to the lift. A group of kids and their parents stoodin line, and Noah waited for a bouncy five-year-old with a unicorn helmet and her father to properly latch themselves in before grabbing ahold of the lift rope himself.
Once again, Celine was quiet for the entire ride up.
Frustration built up inside of Noah, not because he was mad at Celine, but because of their current situation. Celine’s shoulders were tense, and her eyes downcast. Noah had no idea why Celine was so guarded now. He wished they could just talk it out, both the good and the bad, like he did with—
Noah stopped himself from following that train of thought. Howdid he always end up thinking about Mia?
“Do you go skiing often?” he finally asked Celine when they had gotten off the lift. That seemed like a safe enough question to ask.
“No,” she said. “This is only my second time.”
“All right, so no black diamond slopes. Got it.”
“Definitely! It’s going to take all my concentration to just avoid hitting trees.”
Maybe that’s why Celine is being so quiet, Noah thought.She’s nervous about skiing.
A part of him knew he was being willfully naïve, but at the same time, now that he was observing her more closely, he noticed Celinewasunsteady on her skis. Her legs were even shaking a little.
“Remember to keep your skis parallel like French fries. And make a pizza with your feet if you want to stop.”
Celine laughed. “I know that much.”
“In all seriousness, anytime you want to stop and do something else, just let me know. I’m a fan of snowshoes, too. And sledding.”
“Sounds good.” Celine smiled at him, genuinely this time. Noah let out a sigh of relief. There she was.
By the time they finished skiing, Celine had laughed several times, even while falling on her butt. Noah was glad some of the tension between them was gone, but he was emotionally spent. His shoulders ached, not just from all the physical exertion but also the stress of having to carry the conversation. He wasn’t like Matías, who talked like his life depended on it. Conversations took effort for Noah, especially when they weren’t reciprocated.
They were on their way back to the rental cabin when Noah spotted something that made him do a double take. At the edge of the forest, Damien stood with his camera pointed into the woods. Noah followed his line of sight.
Underneath the cover of the snow-covered trees, Jack had his arms gently around Matías. The two boys sweetly smiled at each other, their foreheads touching for a couple beats. Then slowly, gently, Jack tilted Matías’s chin up with his hand, and they kissed. It was like watching a gay Hallmark movie.
Noah smiled. At least one date was going well.
Chapter Twenty
Mia
Mia had missed holding a camera.
The biggest irony of her film school experience so far was how little access she had to a camera that wasn’t on her phone. Only students who’d already taken certain classes were allowed to even touch the school’s equipment, which meant that as a freshman, Mia could only use the small, basic camera she had brought from home.
Her parents bought her this camera before they’d even allowed her to have her own phone. Since as far back as she could remember, she was the designated “family historian,” dutifully taking pictures and recording videos of every birthday party and family Christmas production. Mia figured this was probably how she first developed an interest in filmmaking, although her parents would never admit it themselves.
Now, as Shirin and Tiana skied down the hill, Mia relished all the different emotions and details she could capture with her own two hands. The girls’ conversationwas casual enough, but nothing was casual about Shirin’s lingering glances at Tiana whenever she thought no one was looking. Or the way Shirin bit her lip when their hands accidentally touched.
“Isn’t it weird how our families have never gone skiing together even though we’ve known each other for, like, ten years?” asked Tiana.
“Oh my gosh, yeah. I feel like we end up unintentionally just missing each other,” Shirin replied. “My family goes to Tahoe when you guys don’t go and vice versa.”
“I also feel like you guys go way more than we do. I’m barely holding my balance here!”
Tiana wobbled, and Shirin laughed.
Mia loved how Shirin’s normally serious face lit up whenever Tiana was around. Both girls were so happy when they were with each other. It was really cute.
