Page 45 of First Echo

What had just happened in there?

The image of Brooke was seared into my mind—standing there in just her sweatpants and bra, her back turned to me at first, then the slow turn that revealed the lean muscles of her abdomen, the defined shoulders, the unexpected size of her arms. I hadn't been prepared for that. For any of it.

"Are you staring at me?"

Her voice echoed in my head, playful and confident. So different from the guarded, sarcastic Brooke I was used to. And I had stared—I couldn't deny it, though I'd tried. Something about seeing her like that had short-circuited my brain, left me speechless in a way I'd never experienced before.

I moved down the hallway without any clear destination, just needing to put distance between myself and whatever had just transpired in that room. The resort's plush carpet muffled my footsteps as I wandered, my thoughts in complete disarray.

"It's not like I like her," I whispered to myself, the words sounding hollow even to my own ears. "I don't. I can't."

I couldn't like Brooke Winters. That made no sense. First of all, she's a girl. I like boys—I've always liked boys. I have a boyfriend, for god's sake. Girls don't look at other girls the way I looked at Brooke tonight. They just don’t.

And beyond that, she was... she was Brooke. Quiet, sarcastic, judgmental Brooke who read too much and spent too much time alone and looked at me like she could see straight through all my carefully constructed walls.

Brooke who had punched my brother.

Brooke who had taught me to snowboard with surprising patience.

Brooke who had shown me who she really was tonight at that bar—thoughtful, funny, surprisingly wise.

Brooke whose smile, when it was genuine, made something flutter inside my chest that I didn't have a name for.

"Stop," I hissed at myself, coming to a halt in the middle of an empty corridor. "Just stop."

I ran a shaky hand through my hair, trying to ground myself. This was ridiculous. I had a boyfriend—Sam, sweet, dependable Sam who everyone adored. I had friends, popularity, a clearly defined place in the world. I couldn't throw all that into chaos just because seeing Brooke half-dressed had made my pulse race and my mouth go dry.

It was nothing. Just surprise, that's all. I hadn't expected her to look like... that. Hidden beneath her usual baggy clothes and standoffish demeanor was a body that spoke of discipline, strength, hidden capabilities. It was natural to be startled by the revelation, natural to feel... something.

But not this. Not this confusing storm that had my thoughts spinning and my heart racing like I'd run a marathon.

I needed fresh air. That was it. Too much time in this stuffy resort, too many beers at the bar earlier. Clear my head, and everything would make sense again.

I made my way to a side exit, pushing through the door into the crisp night air. The cold hit me immediately, biting through my thin sweater, but I welcomed it. The sharp sting of winter against my skin was clarifying, pulling me back to reality.

The resort's exterior lights illuminated the snow-covered grounds, casting long shadows across the pristine white. I wrapped my arms around myself, watching my breath form clouds in the frigid air as I walked aimlessly along a shoveled path.

Brooke's smirk flashed in my mind again—that knowing look when she'd caught me staring, the confidence in her voice when she'd said, "Listen, I'm not judging you.I’d stare at me too."

A fresh wave of heat washed over me despite the cold, remembering how close we'd stood in that moment, barely a breath apart. How I could smell the faint scent of her shampoo, something clean and subtle, nothing like the expensive perfumes my friends and I wore. How her eyes had held mine, dark and questioning, as if trying to read the confusion written across my face.

Why couldn't I stop thinking about it? Why couldn't I—

"Madeline?"

I nearly jumped out of my skin at the sound of my name. Turning, I found Victoria standing a few feet away, a puzzled expression on her face. Sophie and Audrey were just behind her, all three bundled in their designer ski jackets.

"What are you doing out here without a coat?" Victoria asked, looking me up and down with obvious concern. "You'll freeze to death."

I forced a casual smile, trying to gather my scattered thoughts. "Just needed some air. What are you guys doing?"

"Heading back from the bar," Sophie explained, her dark hair dusted with snowflakes. "They had this amazing hot chocolate with peppermint schnapps." She grinned mischievously. "Theschnapps part wasn't exactly on the menu, but Julian convinced the bartender."

At the mention of my brother, I stiffened slightly. "Julian's with you?"

"He was," Audrey replied, adjusting her pink beanie. "He and Sam went back to their room like ten minutes ago. Julian's jaw was bothering him."

"His jaw?" I repeated, then remembered with a jolt—Brooke had punched him. In my emotional whirlwind, I'd almost forgotten the incident that had started this strange evening.

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