Page 19 of To Her

Geri

T he next few days passed with me doing what I did best: avoiding anything that might make me feel things.

I had messaged Matt back saying sure, I would love to visit, but I was away working the snow season. Was I going to visit him? Probably not, but I also had an issue with being attached to things I shouldn't be.

I had slid back into the easy friendship I had with Con.

I had three days off coming up, mostly because Louise and Jenny were coming for a ski trip.

They had a place in Lakeview for the three days with Nick, Alex’s friend.

Louise had hit it off with Nick and they were now seeing each other.

Jenny had tagged along as the third wheel, so I had volunteered as tribute to be her date for the three days they were here.

Getting the three days off had been hard, but I had managed.

Con told me he would take one off too and come to ski down in Lakeview with us.

I was both happy and sad. I had sort of avoided him a little bit since that night, not fully, but I had been a little bit more aloof than I normally am.

Work had been busy as I had agreed to do double shifts so I could get ahead of time for the days off, and Cam hadn't spoken to me since that night in the bar.

Alex had messaged me saying he wished he had come with Louise and Nick, but he wasn't able to get off work, and I was severely glad.

My life was complicated enough. Honestly, I needed time away from all men before I did anything silly, but I was a sucker for punishment.

I knew I had an issue, but refused to address it.

"You look like death warmed over," Lily commented as I dragged myself into our room after my third double shift in a row.

"Thanks," I muttered, collapsing face-first onto my bed. Every muscle in my body ached, and my feet felt like they might actually fall off. "Just what a girl wants to hear."

"I'm serious," she said, setting aside the book she'd been reading. "You're working yourself into the ground. What are you running from?"

I turned my head just enough to glare at her with one eye. "I'm not running from anything. I'm running toward three days off."

Lily snorted. "Sure. And it has nothing to do with Con's brother telling you that Con's in love with you."

I sat up so fast my head spun. "How do you know about that?"

She gave me a pitying look. "Geri, everyone knows. Cam isn't exactly subtle, and he told like half the staff."

"Great," I groaned, flopping back down. "Just what I need—everyone thinking I'm some heartless bitch stringing Con along."

"Is that what you're doing?" Lily asked, her tone neutral.

"No!" I protested. "I didn't even know he felt that way until Cam told me. And I'm still not sure I believe it."

"Why not? Con's a great guy, and you two are practically joined at the hip."

"We're friends," I insisted. "Good friends."

"Mmhmm," Lily hummed, clearly unconvinced. "And that's why you've been avoiding him since Cam spilled the beans."

I sighed, rolling onto my back to stare at the ceiling. "I haven't been avoiding him. I've been working."

"You volunteered for those shifts, Geri. You could have spent that time with him."

She wasn't wrong, and we both knew it. I had been using work as an excuse to put some distance between Con and me while I figured out how I felt. The problem was, I still had no idea.

"It's complicated," I said finally.

"It always is," Lily agreed. "But sometimes, it's only complicated because we make it that way."

I didn't have a response to that, so I changed the subject. "My friends are coming tomorrow. We're going to Lakeview for a few days."

"I know," she said. "Con mentioned it. He seems excited."

Of course he did. And of course he was. Because despite my attempts to create some space, we were still friends, and he still cared about me. And I still cared about him. That was the problem.

"Yeah, it should be fun," I said, trying to sound enthusiastic. "Louise and Jenny are great, and I haven't seen them in ages."

"And Con's going too?"

"For one day, yeah. He couldn't get more time off."

Lily nodded, a knowing smile playing at her lips. "Well, have fun. And maybe use the time to figure out what you actually want, instead of just running from what scares you."

I threw a pillow at her, which she caught with a laugh.

"I'm going to shower," I announced, grabbing my toiletry bag. "I smell like the restaurant."

"Can't argue with that," she teased.

Under the hot spray of the shower, I let my mind wander. What did I want? It was a question I'd been avoiding since Cam's revelation. Did I want Con? Did I want to risk our friendship for something more? Did I even believe what Cam had said?

And then there was Matt's text, and my noncommittal reply. Part of me still wondered about him, still felt that pull despite everything. And Alex, who was thankfully not coming on this trip, but who still messaged me daily as if we were in a relationship, which we definitely weren't.

My love life was a mess, and I knew it. But addressing it meant facing feelings I wasn't ready to face, meant making decisions I wasn't ready to make.

So instead, I focused on the immediate future: three days in Lakeview with my friends, skiing, drinking, and hopefully not thinking too much about any of this.

By the time I emerged from the bathroom, Lily was already asleep. I packed quietly for my trip, laying out clothes for the morning, and set my alarm. Despite my exhaustion, sleep was elusive, my mind racing with thoughts of Con, of the tangled web I'd somehow woven for myself.

When I finally drifted off, my dreams were a confused jumble of faces and feelings, leaving me restless and unrested when my alarm blared at 6 AM.

I dragged myself out of bed, dressed in the outfit I'd laid out—jeans, a warm sweater, and my heaviest boots—and grabbed my pre-packed bag. Lily stirred as I moved around the room.

"Have fun," she mumbled sleepily. "And talk to Con."

"Go back to sleep," I replied, ignoring her advice.

Outside, the morning was crisp and clear, the sun just beginning to peek over the mountains. I made my way to the meeting point we'd agreed on, a coffee shop in the center of town. Con was already there, nursing a large cup and looking annoyingly awake and cheerful.

"Morning, sunshine," he greeted me with a grin. "You look like you could use this."

He pushed a second cup toward me—coffee, milk and sugar, just how I liked it. The gesture was so thoughtful, so typically Con, that I felt a pang of guilt for avoiding him.

"You're a lifesaver," I said, taking a grateful sip.

"I know," he replied, his eyes twinkling. "Ready for three days of freedom?"

"God, yes," I sighed. "If I have to remake one more bed with hospital corners, I might actually commit murder."

Con laughed, the sound warming me more than the coffee. "Mrs. Harrington would be your first victim, I assume?"

"Without question," I confirmed, finding myself smiling despite my exhaustion and conflicted feelings.

This was why I valued our friendship so much—the easy banter, the way he could make me laugh even when I was determined to be in a bad mood. If what Cam said was true, if Con did have deeper feelings for me, would we lose this? Would everything become complicated and awkward?

"Earth to Geri," Con said, waving a hand in front of my face. "You still with me?"

"Sorry," I said, shaking off my thoughts. "Just tired. Three double shifts in a row was maybe not my best idea."

"You think?" he teased. "But hey, now you've got three days to recover. And I hear Lakeview is beautiful this time of year."

"You've never been?"

He shook his head. "Nope. Always meant to, but never got around to it. I'm glad I get to see it with you—I mean, with all of you."

The slight stumble in his words made my heart skip a beat. Was that a sign? Or was I just hyperaware now, looking for confirmation of Cam's claims?

Before I could overthink it further, the door to the coffee shop burst open, and Louise and Jenny tumbled in, bringing with them a wave of cold air and exuberant energy.

"Geri!" Louise squealed, throwing her arms around me. "God, I've missed you!"

"Me too," I said, hugging her back tightly. It was true—I had missed my friends, missed the uncomplicated relationships we had.

Jenny hugged me next, then both of them turned curious eyes to Con.

"And you must be the famous Con," Louise said, extending a hand. "Geri's told us so much about you."

Con raised an eyebrow at me as he shook her hand. "Has she now? All good things, I hope."

"The best," Jenny assured him with a wink in my direction that made me want to sink through the floor.

Great. Just what I needed—my friends playing matchmaker.

"Where's Nick?" I asked, desperate to change the subject.

"Waiting in the car,” Louise replied. "We should get going if we want to make it to Lakeview before the morning rush."

We gathered our things and headed out to where a large SUV was idling at the curb. Nick was behind the wheel, waiting for us. After a round of introductions and some Tetris-like manoeuvring to fit all our bags in the trunk, we were on our way.

I ended up in the middle row between Jenny and Con, with Louise up front with Nick.

As we pulled away from Alpine Ridge and headed toward Lakeview, I felt a mix of relief and anxiety.

Relief to be away from the resort, from work, from the knowing looks of the staff who apparently all knew about Con's feelings.

Anxiety about what the next three days might bring, about being in close quarters with Con, about my friends' obvious attempts to push us together.

"So, Con," Louise called from the front seat, turning to face us. "Geri tells us you're quite the snowboarder."

Con shrugged modestly. "I'm alright. Been doing it since I was a kid."

"He's being humble," I said, surprising myself by jumping in. "He's amazing. Does all these jumps and tricks that make me nervous just watching."

Con looked at me, a soft smile playing at his lips. "And Geri's a natural on skis. Picked it right back up after years away."

"You two ski together a lot?" Jenny asked innocently, though I could hear the subtext in her question.

"When we can," Con replied. "Our schedules don't always line up, but we try to get out there a few times a week."

"That's nice," Louise said, her tone suggestive. "Having someone to share your passions with."

I shot her a warning look, which she pretended not to see.

The conversation moved on to plans for our stay in Lakeview—which slopes we wanted to hit, where we'd eat, what we'd do in the evenings.

I let the chatter wash over me, contributing occasionally but mostly just enjoying the familiar dynamic of my friends and the beautiful scenery passing by outside.

Con's leg pressed against mine in the cramped backseat, a constant reminder of his presence. I didn't move away, telling myself it was because there was nowhere to go, but part of me knew that wasn't the whole truth.

As we wound our way down the mountain toward Lakeview, I found myself stealing glances at him—the strong line of his jaw, the way his eyes crinkled when he laughed at something Nick said, the casual confidence in his posture.

He was attractive, there was no denying that. And kind, and funny, and supportive.

So why was I so afraid to consider the possibility of something more between us?

The answer came unbidden, rising from the depths of my mind where I kept all the things I didn't want to think about: because everyone I've ever loved has hurt me.

Because trusting someone means giving them the power to destroy you.

Because I've been broken before, and I'm not sure I could survive being broken again.

I turned to look out the window, blinking back unexpected tears. The mountains blurred before me, their snow-capped peaks hazy through my watery vision.

"You okay?" Con asked quietly, his voice pitched low enough that only I could hear.

I nodded without looking at him, not trusting myself to speak.

He didn't push, didn't demand an explanation. He just reached over and squeezed my hand briefly, a gesture of support and understanding that made my heart ache in a way I couldn't quite define.