Page 105 of Fall Apart

I still can’t believe I was ok with giving up this part of my life that meant so much to me for so long. Somehow, Lizzy working her way into my life has brought me closer to my family, to my mom, to so many good memories I blocked out for so long. So when Tanner and V said they wanted a winter wedding in Jackson, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my spare time back in my hometown.

“Yes, I trust you. But aren’t there better ways to show that? I don’t think this is what Tanner and V had in mind when they said we should go enjoy the day without wedding stuff together.” Lizzy’s voice cuts through the cold, frosty air at the top of the mountain peak.

“You’re such a brat,” I tease. Even through her goggles, I can feel her glare when she drops her head. I shuffle closer to her on my skis, putting my hands on her hips. She looks up at me and her little blonde slut strands that drive me wild float in the light wind. “But trust me, you got this.”

She nods and looks down at the run again and I can tell by her posture that she’s ready. But just for good measure, I poke my bear.

“Besides, you can’t let Grace and V keep holding this over you.”

Yep, that did it. She whips her head at me and let the long, blonde braids I did for her this morning flick over her shoulder. This time, I know without a doubt she’s glaring at me. “See you at the bottom.”

She takes off down into the rocky chute and my heart freezes in my chest as she takes the first turn. It’s dangerous. Deserving of its title as one of America’s scariest ski runs. She’s not the most graceful, but she still nails it and gets down the run. I’ve never felt more alive on the slopes, watching her, knowing she trusts me, seeing just how determined she is. My perfect, untamable Lizzy.

“Oh my god.Are you going to be a brat all day?” I look at Lizzy in the stall next to me, smirking back while she gives me a death glare.

“Seriously, this sucks. I don’t know how you have half your body covered in tattoos.” She winces as the tattoo artist working on her finishes the outline of the Teton mountains on her ribs, the same place Veronica got hers done.

I chuckle to myself, prompting the tattoo artist working on my chest to scold me.

“Well, you’ll finally be able to show off your first tattoo to the rest of the gang.”

She gets up from the bench after her tattoo artist cleans up and bandages her freshly inked piece. I haven’t even seen it on her, but I already know I’m going to be obsessed with it every time I see it, reminding me of how much she trusts me.

Honestly, I'm surprised it was this easy to get her into the little tattoo shop in Jackson. But when she’s determined to do something, she does it and I love that.

She walks over to my stall and saunters towards me.

“Nope. Turn around. I already said you don’t get to see it until tonight.” I smirk at her and she rolls her eyes.

“Come on, just a peek,” she pleads, clasping her hands together.

“Nope. That was the deal.” I lift a finger, circling it in a turn around gesture.

She huffs. “You’re no fun.” She begrudgingly turns away, sitting in the open chair in the stall.

I’ll admit, it’s killing me not to let her see it right now. The second I had the idea for this tattoo in the center of my chest, I knew I wanted it. I couldn’t think of anything else that reminds me of her more.

“All done.” The tattoo artists cleans and wipes down my chest, handing me a mirror.

Lizzy looks back in surprise. “Wait, yours barely took longer than mine and you said it was way bigger?”

I shrug and laugh. “Yeah, well I’m not a fidgety brat. Goes a lot faster.”

She turns away while I hold up the mirror, admiring the broken heart in the center of my chest. Down the center of the heart is an open tear, covered with a bright pink bandaid, because that’s exactly what Lizzy was to me, helping me repair so many old wounds.

I feel my lips curve into a smile when I see it, the perfect reminder ofmy princess. The one that I want to spend the rest of my life with.

“I still can't believeyou and Lizzy are a real thing.” Tanner pats me on the back.

I clink my stubby yellow beer bottle to his. A warm smile spreads across my face and I don’t miss the way Tanner, my dad, or my grandpa watch me. “Yeah, but she’s perfect. I think you’ll be seeing a lot more of her.”

Tonight’s their last night in town before going on a three week ski honeymoon with their dog, Rex, in their Sprinter van. So when he said he wanted everyone to get together at the old dive bar down the street from his cabin, it was an easy thing to say yes to.

My grandpa, Samuel, claps me on the shoulder. “As long as that means we’ll be seeing more of you smiling like this, that sounds perfect. And your grandma thinks Lizzy is a hoot.”

“Thanks, Grandpa.” I pat him on the shoulder and look around the bar. Grace is sitting at a table, chatting with TJ, who was nice enough to let Tanner and V use his house and guesthouse here in Jackson to host their small, cozy wedding.

My grandma and V’s parents are talking at another table with Lizzy’s parents who came out for the occasion. I have to admit, the last six months working with him have been every bit of the change I needed. And I’m so happy to see that Lizzy and him are closer now, with Lizzy working two days a week for JSC.

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