Five
Saint
Footsteps thundering down the stairs wake me. The guest room I’m staying in is the first room on the lower floor, closest to the stairway, so unfortunately, I hear everyone’s comings and goings.
Stretching my arms over my head, I start to roll over but fall off the edge of the bed, and before I can catch myself, I hit the floor.
This isn’t the first time since I’ve been staying with the Evergreens that I have overestimated my allotted bed space.
I miss my king-sized bed at home. It’s much more accommodating for my six-foot-four frame, but with the renovations my newly acquired home is undergoing, I can’t stay there.
Pulling myself up off the floor is more difficult than previously, since I was more rested last time this happened.
Last night, I tossed and turned all night, caught between excitement and the dread of Winter being here.
It’s been a few years since I saw her last, and she’s only gotten more beautiful.
Knowing I need to play it cool and pretend to be unaffected, I decide to stay in the gray sweatpants I wore to bed, throw on a basic white T-shirt, and make my way to the kitchen to join the others for breakfast.
I walk quieter, out of respect for anyone who might be sleeping. But as I reach the hallway that leads to the kitchen, those steps gain a new purpose. I hear them in there talking—none too quietly—about me. Primarily, Winter is grumping about me. So I discreetly move closer to eavesdrop.
“I understand why Mom invited him to spend the holidays here, but that’s still weeks away, and if he lives in town, why is he staying here in our house?” she asks, her tone full of irritation.
My view is hindered. I’m only able to see her in the small sliver of the kitchen, so I’m not sure who she asked, but it’s Cypress who answers her.
“He moved back and took over his mom’s store after she passed.
Initially, he stayed in a rental house with a short lease while he searched for a place.
He bought a house not too long ago, but it’s currently under renovation, and he can’t be there.
He would have stayed longer at the rental, but they had someone willing to sign a longer lease, so they didn’t extend Saint’s stay. ”
Cypress’s explanation is technically accurate, but it isn’t quite the whole truth.
I had other viable options, but I heard Winter was coming home, so I accepted her family’s offer without hesitation.
Mr. and Mrs. Evergreen have always been like a second set of parents to me, so no one would blink an eye when they hear I’m staying here, but Winter’s presence lured me to their door.
The years without her have proven disappointing.
I’ve missed our verbal sparring and the way I could always manage to push her buttons, her snarky retorts, and her sharp wit.
Her muttered reply is too low for me to hear, but I can assume it was something unpleasant. The thought of irritating her first thing in the morning puts a smirk on my face—the perfect start to my day.
“Maybe you two could try to get along for a little bit,” Dougie suggests. “You know, to keep from stressing everyone else out and getting swept into this decades-long feud. Neither of you has ever explained why you hate each other. It’s a bit annoying.”
***
Summer
Saint age 8, Winter age 7
One Week Before The Infamous Bike Fiasco
Running late to meet with Winter, I rush to get to our spot. I find her standing under the big tree we love and smile. She’s my favorite person, and this is our favorite tree, so seeing her waiting here for me makes me happy.
When I’m almost to the tree, I get ready to call out to her, but I notice she isn’t alone. Jake Rivers is with her. I just didn’t see him before because of the angle.
She tells him that her parents are letting her get her birthday bike early and promises she’ll ride with him for the race.
As I get closer to them, Jake, who already saw me, grabs Winter and hugs her for longer than necessary.
***
Hearing Dougie fishing for information made me think about how this all started.
Winter was supposed to ride the race with me, and we had talked about it for weeks.
But one smile from Jake Rivers, and she replaced me.
The worst was when Jake hugged her, knowing how I felt about Winter. So I made sure to intervene.
I let the air out of the tire of her bike so she couldn’t ride the race next to Jake, who ended up paired with Stacy Rosco when Winter had to sit it out.
All these years of fighting with her, and it all started because I was jealous and too young to know how to handle it.
I’m ready to make amends. I don’t want us to be on opposite sides of a war anymore. That one split-second retaliation from me spiraled over the years, and now we’re so far from where we started, I might need to recruit help if I’m going to be able to get us out of this endless battle.