Page 44 of Ski You Later (Alpine Glow #1)

I don’t know how I got so lucky.

Now this practice would only be applicable if the recipient has received blunt force trauma to the…

Oh shoot, I wasn’t reading any of that. Groaning loudly into the living space, I go back to the top of the page and try my best to focus. While the professors are very willing to give us extensions on our assignments, those due dates approach faster and faster every time.

Aurora must feel the same as I watch her furiously erase the work in front of her. Cursing at her textbook as she reads the back and realizes everything, she did was wrong. I stifle my chuckle, but her gaze whips towards me before I can get away with it.

“What’s so funny? Last time I checked, your paper is due in five hours.”

I chance a look at the clock and hang my head in defeat. Even though I’ve been working on this thing all week, it won’t meet the usual standard by which I hold myself.

Aurora must see the defeat on my face, our roles quickly reversing as I watch her start to laugh. “Shut it,” I grumble in her direction, and put my head in my hands.

“Oh, Roman. Please come over! Want to sit on the couch and watch my doodle for a couple of hours.” She puts on this high-pitched, sarcastic voice and drags out each of the words.

“You’re a bully. I hope you know that.” I lean back in my seat, glaring at my best friend on the other side of the couch. “And he wasn’t just watching me draw, we were watching a movie,” I grumble under my breath.

She pins me with an incredulous look. “Honey. I don’t know exactly what was going on, but neither of you were looking at the screen.”

I can’t help the slight lift of my lips, knowing that he spent over an hour just sitting with me, watching me draw. My sketch flowed easier, and I had no issue thinking of his face shape since I could always turn around to correct it.

We haven’t hung out since that night, as my pile of homework is getting dangerously high right before the race this weekend. As I was organizing my schedule, I couldn’t help but stop short when I saw that Julian’s wedding was the week after.

The panic that usually filled my chest whenever I thought about the event is nowhere to be seen. I even reread the calendar just to double-check and found that I wasn’t afraid.

Taking a break from my homework, I pull out my phone to check my messages.

Roman: What are you up to, gorgeous?

Just the message that pops up makes me smile before I even get the chance to blush at his words. I’ve essentially banned him from my house for a couple of days, my academic workload taking precedence.

Rhodes: I am finishing up my paper now, and then I have another assignment about all the different knee joints. I follow up that message with an upside-down smiley face and pretend that I’m not eagerly waiting for him to respond.

Roman: The guys and I are prepping our skis for travel. Have you travel-waxed your skis yet?

If he means, have I found time to take all six pairs of skis, sharpen them, properly clean the base of them, and then drip hot wax on the bottom to protect it during travel. Then, no. No, I have not .

I put as much flirty sarcasm as I can into my responding text, asking him when I would’ve had time to do all that and go back to my work. After focusing for another twenty minutes, Aurora slams her book and stomps to the garage.

“I’m sick of this shit. I’m going to go prep my skis,” she grumbles as she storms off. I wish her luck as I return to my paper and struggle to absorb the most boring sentences.

After a couple more minutes, I shut off my music in order to focus better and hear the distinct sound of voices coming from the garage.

“No, those aren’t the ones she’s going to race with.”

“I think I would know what skis my best friend is using,” Aurora counters.

“Don’t you remember she’s trying this brand!”

“No. I think you’re wrong.” I hear her state.

“Frankly, I don’t care what you think. I know you’re wrong.” Either they think I’m stupid or listening to music because they progress from hushed voices to straight up yelling at the end.

I knew that eventually they were going to have their moments. The both of them simply have too conflicting of personalities to get along at all times .

Opening the garage door fully, I see Aurora squaring up to Roman. Not one trace of fear is on her face as she stands her ground. It’s honestly hilarious watching Roman argue with her, since she’s the most stubborn human being I know, and he really doesn’t know what he’s in for.

As I watch Aurora prepare for her next rebuttal, I think it’s time to stop this before he gets hurt.

“You’re actually both wrong.” My voice rings out, and they both freeze like deer in the headlights.

I can’t help but laugh as Roman tries to hide behind Aurora, causing her to step away from him without a second thought.

“Rora, could you give us a second?” I ask and make my way towards them both. She pats Roman’s shoulder twice with probably the most comfort she will ever give him and then heads back in the house.

Roman still hasn’t said anything as he rests his body against the tuning table set up in our garage. “What are you doing?” I stalk closer to him as I try to keep the smile off my face.

“I just came to say hi. See how you were doing, you know.” The end of his statement comes off as more of a question, and I can’t help laughing at how frazzled he looks.

“Huh. So why do you need my skis? ”

“No reason.” He responds instantly.

“Roman Huxley. Are you going to tune my skis for me?” I’m right in front of him now, arms crossed with my hip jutting out.

I love the flush that spreads across his face, as if he should be embarrassed about his kindness. Before he can make himself any more flustered, I lunge forward and wrap my arms around his torso. Pushing my face into his strong chest, I don’t feel ashamed of the big breath I take while in his arms.

His huge arms quickly hug me back, encasing me in his smell and making me safe. “I just wanted to help,” he says softly into my hair.

It has just been such a long journey for me, and I never thought I would be able to trust a man again. But I know without a doubt, as Roman holds me in his arms, he would never do anything to hurt me. “That’s all you’ve ever done for me, Roman.”

Aurora, Charles, Isla, Liam, and I take over the living room as the team goes about their afternoon.

Everyone raced their best today, but only a select few from our team even managed to make it into the top ten.

There are double the racers at this race, and we all need to give it everything we have.

Our last race of the weekend is the slalom discipline tomorrow, and a select few are itching for the win.

I managed to submit a subpar paper last night, as well as whipping up a decent assignment alongside that. Aurora has math problems spread across the whole space, her tempers at an all-time high, and I can’t afford to anger her when I need her to look over my work.

Charles, Liam, and Isla are all in the same intro class, looking at each other’s work and finishing up their last report.

We’re staying in an identical condo as last time but located on a completely different hill. The second race is always more relaxed since everyone’s too busy to be stressed at this point in the year.

The students lucky enough to have no homework spend their time downstairs, having some drinks as they prep their skis. I know Roman’s down there with his roommates, and I’m not ashamed of the way I replay that moment in my head.

Stopping by my friend group, he let me in on his plans for the next couple of hours, and kissed me sweetly before he left. For someone so quiet, I couldn’t be more pleased with the amount of communication he has with me .

A pencil harshly tapping me in the forehead breaks me out of my trance, and I can’t help but glare daggers at Aurora. “School now, Roman daydreams later,” she says without looking up from her work and immediately returns to chewing on the back of her pencil.

Wiping the slobber off my forehead with a groan, I try my best to focus on what’s in front of me.

While everyone assumes I’m also working on homework, I smile mischievously to myself as I put the finishing touches on my project.

After editing the last piece, the door to the living area burst open again, and noise erupts in the space.

Landon and Xander are howling at something random, shoving each other as they make their way to the kitchen. It must have been funny because Rhys saunters in afterward, a small smile on his face, which for him is hysterical laughter.

I can’t stop the way I keep watching, waiting for the fourth in their little group to make his appearance.

They must’ve been doing something separately because it has been over five minutes of me looking up every time I hear the slightest noise.

I must be craning my neck very obviously because I can’t help but hear Aurora mutter hopeless under her breath .

Ignoring her completely, I smile as Roman’s form enters the room. Rubbing his hands through his hair with a scowl, he storms past our area, and keeps his head down as he goes upstairs.

We all watch him go, and I turn back to see everyone looking at me. Various levels of confusion and alarm are on their faces, and I can’t help but feel the same emotions in my chest.

“Rhodes, this is your problem now!” Xander’s shouts from the kitchen and I turn to see him pointing his spoon towards the stairs.

“Yeah, that’s what I get for falling for the moody one,” I tell the team. Smiling as my friend’s snicker, I quickly grab my project off the table and rush up the stairs. All the doors are open except the one at the end, leading me to believe that is where I need to go.