Page 95 of Sweet Ruin

“You’ve got to believe in yourself,” he replied. “That’s half the battle.”

I suspected there was more to skiing than self-belief, but I wasn’t the expert here.

“Okay, I’ll do my best. See you at the bottom?” The inflection at the end of my sentence was a clear indication of how uncertain I was about actually making it down there safely.

“That’s my girl,” he said. "Now, watch me closely so you can try to copy what I do.”

Wes took off down the slope again, doing the pizza shape he’d taught me. He made it look so simple, but watching him didn’t really teach me how to replicate it.

When he reached the bottom of the chairlift where Anna and Sawyer were waiting, he waved for me to follow him. With a resigned sigh, I pushed myself forward and prayed this wasn’t about to be another disaster. But the moment I tried to turn my skis into position again, I knew it was wishful thinking.

My skis refused to form the illusive pizza shape and took off straight down the slope. I was terrified as I picked up speed, but I was determined not to fall this time. I felt like I just had to survive for a few more seconds, and then maybe I would gain control. But I was going faster than I had before. Fast enough I was sure I’d really hurt myself if I fell. Panic set in. I kept trying to turn my skis, but they refused to budge.

I suddenly realized I was too focused on my skis. Wes had told me I needed to keep my eyes looking where I wanted to go. So, I glanced up, but as I did, I realized I was heading straight for a large orange sign, ironically labeled SLOW with a large exclamation mark for emphasis. There was no time to avoid it. Even a good skier might have struggled to swerve out of the way. All I could do was brace for impact, and I squeezed my eyes shut as I waited for the inevitable collision.

But the impact I felt was different than expected. A strong pair of arms wrapped around my waist, forcing me to an abrupt but comfortable stop.

“Whoa there, Crash. Are you okay?”

My breaths were coming in fast, and I was shaking with adrenaline. It took me a moment to realize I hadn’t slammed into the sign. I was still standing on two feet, and my skis were still beneath me. I’d stopped, and I was safe. But my relief disappeared as quickly as it had washed over me. That wasNoah’svoice.Noah’s arms.

I had to withhold a groan. Seriously? Hadn’t I embarrassed myself enough for one morning? I slowly opened my eyes to find Noah standing in front of me grinning. His ski gear was covered in snow, and I assumed he’d already been up the mountain because his hair was messy, like he had just removed his helmet. It was unfair how he could be so disheveled and still look so good.

“Having fun?” he asked. “I know you like to crash into things, but it’s not a great quality to have on the ski slopes.”

“How is it that there’s a whole mountain you could be on, and yet you somehow end up in the exact spot to witness my humiliation?”

His grin grew brighter. “Seems to me I was in the right place at the right time.”

He was still lightly holding me. I moved back from his grasp and went to take off my skis, but he kept a hand on my arm to steady me. “I suppose you’ve got some advice for how I can ski better?”

“Well, for starters, you’re supposed to avoid the slow down signs at the bottom of the slope,” Noah said. “But that’s just common sense. I’m afraid I can’t help you with the skiing part because I snowboard.” He nodded to a snowboard that was lying in the snow a few feet away. He must have dropped it when he’d come to my rescue.

“Oh.”

“And it seems like you’ve got enough teachers,” he said. “Although, you’d probably be better off with a professional instructor.” I glanced in the direction of my friends. They were all rushing toward us from the chairlift. They must have witnessed the whole thing.

Wes was a few feet ahead of the others, the look of concern clear on his face as he ran. As he approached, I thought he was going to reach out to me and check I was okay, but his outstretched hand was aimed at Noah, who was still holding my arm to steady me.

“Get off her, Hastings.” Wes roughly shoved Noah away.

“Wes!” I gasped. I’d never seen him act so aggressively.

Noah stumbled back slightly, letting go of my arm, but he barely batted an eyelid. Sawyer and Anna skidded to a stop when they reached us and glanced between the two boys. The tension in the air was thick, and it made me uncomfortable to see Noah and Wes standing off against one another this way. This was exactly what I’d wanted to avoid this holiday.

“I was saving your girlfriend from disaster,” Noah replied.

“You’re not even supposed to be here,” Wes snapped back.

“I was just walking past.”

“I mean in Aspen.” Wes’s expression was only growing darker. “In the house right next door to ours.” Clearly this was about more than just my collision with Noah.

“Lucky I am, otherwise there would be an Isobel-shaped hole in that slow sign.”

“Guys, stop!” I shouted over them, and they both turned to look at me. “Wes, it’s okay. Noah was just helping me.”

Wes’s eyes softened as he looked at me. Maybe he could see how desperately I wanted them to stop fighting. Maybe he remembered how much we’d been looking forward to a drama-free holiday. Maybe he could see how upset I was that he hadn’t even asked me if I was okay yet.

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