Page 26 of Lovers Like Us

“Stop here.” Ryke clutches my arm. And he means to literally stop. Fir trees flank a log hut, visible on the ridge’s highpoint. The hut covers an eight-person hottub.

My dad and Connor reach our spot on thetrail.

“Everything okay?” Connor asksus.

“Go ahead.” Ryke motions to the hot tub. “We’ll catch up in a fuckingsecond.”

I can’t even look at my dad, but I sense them nodding in agreement. When they leave, Ryke facesme.

I pull up the hood to my green Patagonia jacket. He wears a similar style but a darker shade of green. Right now, I don’t give a fuck. The media isn’t around to write up articles about our similarities, but even if they were, I don’t care anymore. Compared to what else is on my plate, it’sinsignificant.

I don’t care if you know how much I lovehim.

How much he means tome.

How much he influenced and shapedme.

I am who I am, and I’m not changing. I can’t change for anyone. Not even for my owndad.

“Look,” Ryke says, “you have to be honest with him, even if it fucking hurtshim—”

“No—”

“Moffy.” Ryke grips my shoulders until I stare him in the eye. “You can’t be afraid to hurt him. It’s going to fuckinghappen.”

It alreadyhappened.

I’m rigid and cold. “You know what I think?” I take a tight breath, my gaze hardening. “I think the Hales are a line of dominos, and when my mom or dad falls, my siblings topple withthem.”

Ryke doesn’trefute.

I nod a few times. “And I already pushed them down. I’mneverdoing itagain.”

“That’s your fucking choice, but I’m telling you that I’ll keep your dad and your mom standing. If you need to beupset—”

“I don’t.” I make a plan. I’ll be honest with my dad, but not enraged or overly emotional. I’m not coming at him with gunsblazing.

Ryke lets go of my shoulders. “They can handle alot.”

“But you know I still have the power to hit themwhere it hurts the worst. And they’llrelapse.”

Ryke brushes snow off his dark hair. “But here’s the thing, Mof. You’ll never hit thatplace.”

“How do youknow?”

“Because you’re the furthest fucking thing from callous and vindictive.” He gestures with his head to the hot tub. “My brother raised a goodman.”

I inhale stronger, and in a silent beat, a lot goes unsaid in our eyes. Less about my parents. More about him and me. And his aggression towards me dating abodyguard.

“Later?” Rykeasks.

“Yeah.” One thing at atime.

We rejoin Connor and my dad at the hot tub. Steam rises off the water, and my uncles decide to take a walk and make some phonecalls.

Leaving me and my dadalone.

Not saying much of anything, we shed to bathing suits and then quickly lower into the hot, soothing water. Snow flutters in the horizon, and I watch white powder cake on the mountainsides and frozenlake.