Page 90 of Sweet Ruin

“Okay,” he said. “But still, I’ll try and be better.”

“I don’t want you to try and do anything,” I said. “If you’re feeling upset, I want to know.”

“Deal.” He smiled. “Now, I’ve distracted you from studying long enough. The sooner we get through the English test tomorrow, the sooner it will just be us and the mountains.”

“Yeah, I can’t wait.”

He placed another kiss on my lips and grinned at me. “Kick butt on your test tomorrow.”

I laughed as he started to walk away. “You too.”

He continued down the corridor, and I smiled as I watched him go. I couldn’t wait for our trip, and Wes seemed so eager for it too. It was going to be good for us to get away from Noah, and I really hoped this trip would help Wes finally realize I wasn’t going to change my mind about us. A small part of me still worried though that, trip or not, we were going to be stuck in this perpetual struggle forever.

CHAPTERTWENTY-SIX

It was such a relief when Christmas break finally arrived. My English final went pretty well, and I was glad all the studying I’d put in paid off. Once it was over and the bell rang to signal the end of the day, a huge cheer filled the room. We could hear similar celebrations from the classroom next door, and even Mr. Brenner seemed happy school was over for the semester.

I officially finished off my week by submitting the business management assignment I’d been working on with Noah. I was glad we’d been able to polish it off without meeting in the library again. I’d been doing my best to avoid him for fear Wes’s concerns might return.

As soon as I’d handed it in, my thoughts went to the mountains. I was so excited about the ski trip and even more excited to get back to Rapid Bay after that. My mom had been so busy with the café over the last few weeks, and she always sounded so tired when we spoke on the phone. I had to wonder if she was still staying up late stressing about finances. She needed a break. And after weeks of studying for finals, fretting about college applications, and, of course, the ongoing tension between me, Wes, and Noah, I was more than ready for a break myself.

We flew out to Aspen on the Montfort family jet first thing the following morning. I thought I might eventually get used to seeing expensive homes after spending time at my father’s properties and even Luther’s family villa in Weybridge, but when we arrived at the Montforts’ ski chalet, I was speechless. I hadn’t heard much about the place, but Wes and Sawyer had spoken about it like we were headed to some quaint cabin in the woods. We might have been surrounded by trees, but this was no cabin.

The house was at the end of a peaceful cul-de-sac lined with other massive homes, but none were as big as the Montfort’. They were all made of silvery stone and dark wood with huge glass windows that overlooked the towering snowy mountains. As we got out of the car, I was struck by the freshness of the cool winter breeze, and I gaped up at the tall peaks. I was still coming to terms with how beautiful this part of the country was. I loved the tall pine trees dusted in snow and the soft white blanket that covered everything in sight. The sky seemed so much bluer here, and the air tasted so much cleaner.

Most of all, I loved the rocky peaks that surrounded us and the way they jutted into the sky. I’d always thought of myself as a beach girl, but I was being easily charmed by the mountains. The only thing that might take some getting used to was the cold. I was wrapped up in my warmest jacket, but I could still feel the nip in the air.

“Gosh, I love it here,” Cress said as she jumped out of the car beside me. There was a wide smile on her face, and her eyes sparkled as she looked out at the view. The house was up a gradual slope and had a gorgeous outlook across the resort.

“Me too,” Anna said, coming around the back of the car to join us. “We have to put up with Sawyer, but it’s totally worth it.”

“I heard that,” Sawyer shouted from the other side of the vehicle.

Wes got out of the driver’s seat and came to place an arm over my shoulders. Maybe I would be able to put up with the cold if he kept close to me this way.

“You want to see the house?” he asked.

“I’m still trying to get over the view,” I said, making him grin.

“Well, it’s just as good from inside. And it’s warm too.”

“You probably should have led with that.” I laughed. “Let’s get inside.”

Wes insisted he and Sawyer could grab the luggage, so I followed Anna and Cress into the house. The entrance opened onto a large kitchen living area, and all of us stopped as we saw the huge windows that stretched across the entire back wall of the room. Beyond lay a view unlike any other I’d ever seen before.

The house was elevated, so it felt like we were hovering above the trees with the whole valley stretched out beneath us. We could see the town, which was currently in the shadow of the mountains that stood behind it. Just off the living area on the other side of the window was a large deck that was basked in sunshine. If the weather stayed like this, I could easily picture myself sitting on the long comfy sofas out there, snuggled under a blanket, with a hot chocolate as I admired the view.

“Can you see why we like it here so much?” Anna asked.

“Uh, yeah.” I gasped. “This place is incredible.”

“So beautiful,” Cress agreed. “I could stay out here forever.”

When the twins entered the house, Sawyer was muttering curses under his breath while he attempted to drag Anna’s bag inside.

“I thought you were the strong twin, Sawyer,” Anna joked. “Perhaps I should have asked Wes to get my bag.”

Sawyer’s face only grew darker. Wes chuckled and shot Anna a wink before gesturing for me to follow him. He led us up a set of stairs, lugging my duffel bag with him, and showed me to my room. We each had our own bedroom, which I thought Cress would be particularly pleased about seeing as I was always up at the crack of dawn while she loved to sleep in. No matter how quiet I was, I often woke her up while I was getting ready for my morning runs.

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