36. Sable
“ You’ve got this,” Heath encouraged me.
“I don’t think I got this,” I muttered.
The mountain loomed before me, its powdery white slopes stretching endlessly into the horizon. It wasn’t one of the biggest or steepest runs—Heath had made sure of that—but it was definitely not the bunny hill, either. I stood at the top, my skis awkwardly clinging to my boots, and my stomach twisted into knots as I stared down the slope. He’d been teaching me how to ski for four months now, and I felt like I was ready to take on a more daring slope.
“Come on, Bambi, you need to show everyone what a good teacher I am.”
“It’s always about you, isn’t it?” I groaned. “Can we retire that nickname already?” I didn’t want him to do that, not at all. I loved that he called me Bambi.
“Never.” He leaned closer. “But if you nail this, I might consider giving you a promotion to something cooler. Like Mountain Goat.”
“Christ!” I gave him an incredulous look.
“Hey, goats climb mountains,” Juno chimed in from behind me, adjusting her goggles. “They’re badass.”
“You’ve got this, Sable!” Natasha called out from where she stood with Casey and Mackenna, a little farther down the hill. They were all bundled up in ski gear, clapping and cheering like I was about to take off for the Winter Olympics.
Ben stood off to the side, leaning on his ski poles with a quiet, calm presence. “Don’t think about the fall.” His deep voice carried over the snow. “Think about the ride.”
“Great advice, Ben,” I mumbled, trying to keep my knees from buckling.
“Do you want me to give you a little push?” Juno asked mischievously.
“Don’t you dare.” I held onto my ski poles like a lifeline.
“Don’t worry, Bambi. You can do this. Just lean into the turns and trust yourself. I’ll be right with you the whole time.”
I took a deep breath, feeling the cold air sting my lungs. Trust yourself , I thought.
Easier said than done.
When I finally started sliding forward, it was more of an awkward shuffle than anything else. The skis felt like foreign objects strapped to my feet, and I half-expected to faceplant before I even got going. But then gravity took over, and I started moving faster .
“Okay, okay, okay,” I murmured under my breath, my knees wobbling as the slope grew steeper.
“Bend your knees!” Heath called from beside me.
“Relax your shoulders!” Natasha added.
“Don’t die!” Juno yelled, laughing.
“Not helpful, Juno!” I shouted back, but I couldn’t help laughing, too.
The wind rushed past me, cold and biting but exhilarating. I tried to remember everything Heath had taught me about turning and leaning into the skis, but honestly, most of it went out the window as I focused on just staying upright.
My heart pounded, and I felt like I was hurtling toward certain doom. But then, it clicked.
I shifted my weight, and the skis obeyed. I turned, sliding smoothly to the right and then back to the left. The fear that had gripped me so tightly began to loosen, replaced by…excitement.
“I’m doing it!” I yelled, laughing as the realization hit me. “I’m actually doing it!”
“You’re skiing, Bambi!” Heath roared.
I could hear the cheers from Natasha, Casey, Mackenna, and Ben. Juno zipped past me on her snowboard, giving me a thumbs-up as she flew by.
Show off!
By the time I reached the bottom of the hill, my legs were trembling, my face was frozen, and my lungs were burning. But I was smiling so hard my cheeks hurt.
I came to an ungraceful stop, half-skidding into Heath, who caught me with a laugh. “I did it!” I threw my arms around his neck.
“You did it.” He held me close.
I felt like I’d just won an Olympic medal, climbed Mt. Everest, or done something equally impossible. The rush of pride and adrenaline coursing through me was delicious.
“You looked so sexy coming down that slope, babe, that now I need to fuck you,” Heath said huskily, his voice soft in my ear.
I pulled back slightly, still holding onto him. “I think that’s a great idea.”
Behind us, the others were clapping and cheering again. Natasha was laughing, Mackenna was still filming on her phone, and Casey was holding up what looked like a thermos of hot chocolate in celebration. Ben nodded appreciatively, his ski poles planted firmly in the snow.
These people—this group of friends who had somehow become my family—were here for me. They cheered me on, lifted me up, and made me feel like I belonged.
I turned back to Heath, my arms still wrapped around him. His blue eyes were earnest and full of love, and I basked in their warmth.
“I love you.” He brushed a stray strand of hair from my face.
I believed him.
Maybe I didn’t win an Olympic medal today, but I’d conquered something bigger—my fear. And I had done it with the people I cared about most standing by my side.
“I love you, too. Now, what was that about fucking me hard?”
Thank you so much for reading Against All Odds .