Chapter 2
Zeke
Thank God for stage makeup. It’s the only stuff thick enough to cover the fingerprints on my neck. I’m not even sure what I said last night that sent Derek into a rage, but whatever it was made him mad enough to leave a mark before leaving the apartment.
He didn’t come back, and I’m curious to know what lie he’ll tell about where he spent the night. Not that I mind his absence, of course.
My features distort into a wince as I blot the fingertip-shaped bruises with the makeup sponge.
Thankfully, as the host of Summit, the mountaintop resort at Ricochet Ridge, I stand outside all day, so I’m always covered from head to toe; the makeup is just an extra precaution.
My coworkers—at least the ones who see through Derek’s bullshit—are already vocal about how much they dislike my boyfriend, and I’m tired of getting lectures about how I can do better.
Maybe I can, but it’s not that simple.
As humans, we often judge others’ choices based on options those people never had.
I’ve lost count of the number of times those at Summit have told me to ‘just leave.’ But where am I supposed to go?
‘Save more money.’ But where am I supposed to get that money?
‘Work more.’ There are only so many hours in a week, and I already work most of them.
And my favorite, that only Rebecca has ever said to me—because she’s the only one who knows how bad it really is—‘Stand up for yourself.’ But that’ll only make things worse, and for now, I’m stuck.
I’ve already been homeless during a Montana winter, and I’m not eager to repeat the experience.
In fact, that’s how Derek and I ended up together in the first place. Desperation and the instinct to survive backed me into a corner I’d never have chosen otherwise.
When I met Derek, I was living in my car and sneaking into the theater on the coldest nights, seeking refuge.
Montana winters can be brutal, and there was a good chance I was going to freeze to death before the spring returned.
My parents were both gone; I had no one left, and at eighteen, there was no system to take me in. I had nothing and nowhere to go.
It’s been four years since Derek saved my life and put a roof over my head. He offered me what I’d needed most, and that’s not something I take lightly…even if accepting help doesn’t come easily for me.
Setting the sponge down, I open the Messages app on my phone only to see he hasn’t responded to the last several I sent. Briefly, I think about sending another, but by now, he’s either asleep or at work, and I don’t want to risk waking the beast.
Thanks to last night’s rough handling, my body protests as I continue getting ready, so it takes me a lot longer than usual to get dressed. My mind is still reeling, trying to figure out where I went wrong, but I come up empty.
I’m so out of it, I forget my coffee as I step into the frigid morning air, praying my car starts as I head to work. The thing is more beat up than I am, but it’s all I have left from my life before Derek, and I’m honestly not sure if that’s a good thing.
Fifteen minutes later, my old silver Camry slides into my usual spot in the employee lot of the Ricochet Ridge Ski Resort, and I make my way to the gondola that will carry me up to my destination.
Other than the theater’s stage, the restaurant is my favorite place to be. High above the tree line, with a view that stretches for miles upon miles on a clear day, reminding me that life is bigger than this mountain town, and somewhere in the distance, my dreams are waiting for me to grab them.
It’s a pleasant ride up this morning. Still cold, but the gondola cabins are heated, and it isn’t too windy yet, so the car doesn’t swing too violently. Some days it feels like falling is inevitable.
As I exit the gondola and make my way into the small employee lounge at the back of the restaurant, Rebecca greets me cheerfully.
“Morning, Zeke!”
I grab my manuscript and my phone from my bag, shove my backpack into my locker, and prepare to take up my post out front.
“Hey, Becs.” I force a smile, but she sees right through it, and I brace myself for what’s coming.
“You look like you didn’t get much sleep,” she notes.
Rebecca is technically my manager, but we were friends—I use the term very loosely since Derek doesn’t really allow me to have friends—before she got promoted.
“I was up late rehearsing lines,” I lie with a tight smile.
The lies roll off my tongue more easily these days, even though the taste they leave behind is more bitter than ever.
Most people have stopped trying to convince me to leave Derek, and although I can’t, I took some comfort in feeling like people were in my corner.
But I guess you can only expect them to stay in your corner if you’re willing to fight for yourself.
Her eyes scan my face like a heat-seeking missile, as if she can see the bruises on my neck through the many layers of fabric.
Eventually, she just nods.
I should be relieved that she’s not giving me her usual rant about my and Derek’s relationship, but her silence feels worse. Like she, too, finally realizes I’m a lost cause. While her nagging is exhausting and it makes me feel terrible about myself, it also lets me know she cares.
“You, uh, have any plans for Christmas?” I ask, feebly attempting small talk about the upcoming holiday.
“Yeah, actually. Kate and I are going to her parents’ house in Georgia this year,” she says, sadness tinging her tone.
“Is that a bad thing?” I ask, confused because Rebecca and Kate have the healthiest relationship I’ve ever seen.
They started as best friends, both dating guys at the time, then Rebecca’s boyfriend broke up with her, and Kate was there every second, helping her pick up the pieces, until they both realized they loved each other more than anyone else.
“No, not at all.” Rebecca stares out the window at the view beyond the glass. There’s more snow in the forecast. Finally, she sighs. “I just hate that you’re going to be here alone.”
“Becs, how many times do I have to tell you? You don’t have to worry about me.”
She rolls her eyes.
“I mean, you can tell me as many times as you want, Zeke, but that’s not really how it works, and it’s definitely not going to change the fact that I do worry about you.
” Feeling the hopelessness creeping in, she changes the subject.
“Don’t forget, we have that new guy starting today.
Can you show him the ropes? Victoria told me he’s being trained in all the positions as some kind of float employee or something. ”
Victoria is our head boss. The hospitality manager here at the resort. She rarely makes an appearance at the restaurant since her office is in the admin building at the base of the mountain, but she graces us with her presence every now and then.
“Oh, yeah, sure,” I agree easily. “You know I’ll do whatever you need me to.”
“Except leave Derek,” she fires back immediately. Guess she couldn’t stay silent that long.
“Becs,” I sigh. “Could we not do this today?”
I’m just not in the mood to deal with my reality. Especially because I know that if I don’t want a repeat performance tonight, I need to try to repair whatever damage I unknowingly caused last night.
I shoot Derek another apology text as I make my way to the host stand and start my day.