Page 35 of The Season
“Hey, you used to be sponsored by a bunch of companies?” Eddie asks Liam. “I mean, you’re an Olympian, right? You guys get all the free stuff.”
My eyes widen in surprise, and I can’t help but look into the rearview mirror to where Liam sits scowling in the back seat. His frown deepens when he sees my eyes on him.
“Eyes on the road,” he snaps. “It’s icy today.”
I huff in annoyance at his command, but do as he says, since the roadsareparticularly bad this morning.
Still, I can’t help the gentle bubbling of excitement at this new piece of information. I mean, I knew Liam was an awesome snowboarder, since he’s a trainer and everything. But I had no idea he was that good. That he was Olympic-level good. There are so many questions I want to ask him. Like, where are his medals? When did he compete? Does he still compete?
But I can practically feel the irritation radiating off him from the back seat, cold as the ice crunching beneath my tires, so I stay silent.
“I’m still sponsored.” The words come out in a grunted whisper, barely audible over the rumbling of the engine. “At least, by a couple companies.” I can practically feel his teeth grinding. “I’ve got some extra goggles you can borrow.”
A relieved smile splits my face, threatening to reopen the cut on my lip. “Oh, wow. Thank you.”
Liam huffs. “Whatever. I’m not giving them to you. Just until you can buy some off one of the reps in a few weeks.”
It takes a moment for the meaning of his words to register, but when they do, the warmth that spreads in my chest is enough to make up for my faltering car heater.
Eddie said the reps only sell to other instructors. If Liam thinks I’ll be able to buy off them in a couple weeks, that must mean he thinks I’ll pass the exam. I take in a steadying breath and grip the steering wheel in an effort to tamp down the squeal of excitement threatening to burst out of me.
“Okay.” The word comes out breathy, pitched with excitement, but Liam doesn’t seem to notice. “Cool.”
* * *
I feelthe opposite of cool by the time lunchtime rolls around.
“I’m going to die,” I inform Matty, draping one arm over his shoulders for support as we trudge to the car. Well, I try to drape one arm over his shoulders, but he’s so tall that I just end up gripping one shoulder with my glove.
Matty gives a nervous chuckle, the sound deep and vibrating against me as he wraps his arm around my waist, shoring me up. “I’m pretty sore too,” he admits. “But it’ll be better next week. Trust me.”
I side-eye him dubiously. “Really?”
“Oh yah,” he says, with a level of confidence that is honestly surprising, given he’s just as new to instructor training as I am. “I’m sure.”
I’m just about to ask him what information he has that I don’t when he adds: “I mean, it’s like basic training, right? Where they try to see early on which of the new recruits are likely to break. To weed out the weak ones.”
I blink up at him in surprise and my foot sinks into a deep patch of snow, the movement sending me lurching forward.
“Careful.” Matty pulls me closer against his side, hauling me to my feet. “You’ve got enough bruises, don’t you think?”
I wave off his teasing, focusing instead on what he just told me. “Wait—you were in the military? What, like the army?”
With his shaggy hair and calm, slow smile, he doesn’t look like an army guy. At least, he doesn’t fit the stereotype embedded in my head after years of run-ins with guys from the military base near my town in Hawai’i.
“Marines,” Matty clarifies, his tone heavy with a mixture of pride and embarrassment that I don’t quite understand.
“Oh,” I say, searching for the appropriate response. “That’s, um…”
Honestly,surprisingis the first word that comes to mind.Unbelievableis the second. Because however intimidating Matty’s size might have been on first meeting him, everything else about him just screams relaxed surfer guy. Or it would, if we were in Hawai’i instead of Utah. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever heard him swear, or raise his voice…
“Neat,” I finish lamely, then instantly want to bury my face in the glove of my free hand.Neat? Really, Lily?
Matty just chuckles, that sweet, huffy laugh that rumbles from his massive chest. “It got me out of Idaho, I guess.” There’s the faintest hint of sadness with those words, making his earlier laugh fall flat. “But it wasn’t really for me.”
I give a hum of understanding, becausethatI can believe.
“How long were you in the Marines for?” I ask, hoping the question will make up for my earlier lack of enthusiasm.
