Chapter 7
SEVEN
STERLING
The familiar scent of Maisy’s fruity-floral perfume hits me straight away when I join her at the front door of the chalet, along with hundreds of memories of us.
I’m not surprised she still wears it, it’s been her signature scent for as long as I’ve known her, but it’s been so long since I smelled anything remotely similar that it leaves an aching sadness in my chest that I have to literally rub away.
“Did you intentionally match with me, or?” she asks, eyeing me up and down as she reaches for her chocolate brown plaid coat that hangs on the metal hook.
I’m wearing a beige knit sweater and chocolate brown chinos, while she’s wearing a matching beige chunky sweater and pants set. We always had similar tastes in fashion, but I just thought it was a side-effect of being a couple that spent almost all hours of the day together when we weren’t working.
“I can change,” I say, ready to run back to my room.
“No,” she says quickly, stopping me mid-turn. “You look…good.”
I can’t help the cocky grin that spreads on my face as I turn back around to face her. She rolls her eyes and sighs as soon as she sees my expression, snatching my coat off the hook and shoving it into my arms.
“Maisy Hart,” I purr as I put my jacket on. “Was that a compliment?”
She ignores me as she stomps out of the house, and toward her truck. I let out a low chuckle as I follow her, locking the front door behind me.
“Do you still know how to drive?” she asks, turning to glare at me. “I assume you don’t get much practice anymore in that beach town you’re living in.”
“Yes, Maisy. I still know how to drive,” I deadpan. “Any more ridiculous questions?”
She fishes for something in her coat pocket before pulling out her keys and tossing them at me. I quickly snatch them before they hit the ground, looking at her in confusion.
“Good,” she says, rounding the truck to the passenger's side. “Because I plan on drinking tonight so you’ll need to drive us home.”
Maisy drinking?
That’s new.
The staff lounge is huge and packed full of unfamiliar faces. It smells faintly like roast beef, melted cheese, and alcohol. The low lights bounce off the wooden beams, creating a cozy vibe along with the crackling fireplace in the far corner of the room.
“Glad you two made it,” Levi says as he approaches us with a too-wide grin, and I force my own half-smile in return.
I’m not one for big social events and Levi knows that, but I’ll bear through it tonight, especially if Maisy is planning on drinking.
I’ll need to keep an eye on her. Levi takes mine and Maisy’s coat before tossing them on a nearby overflowing coat rack, and she walks off without a word toward the bar at the back of the room.
I silently watch her go until Levi nudges me with his elbow. “You good?” he asks, studying me.
Fuck, caught staring at his sister.
“When did your sister start drinking?” I ask, trying to sound nonchalant as his gaze follows her to the bar.
We watch her hold up two fingers before the server slides her two shots of something brown, and she throws it back down her throat right away. It’s weird seeing the girl that used to hate alcohol drink it so easily tonight.
“Shortly after…everything,” he says, watching her with a slight frown as she orders another two.
“You mean the accident?”
“And the breakup.” His eyes find mine. “Come on, there’s a bunch of people I want to introduce you to.”
It feels like someone landed a sucker punch straight to my stomach. Maisy started drinking after we broke up? She seemed so sure about not wanting to continue our relationship. Was it all an act? Did I buy into all the bullshit she said to me?
Fuck. Maybe I did.
It’s been thirty minutes of Levi introducing me to his new friends as “The Sterling I always tell you about.” They all greet me like we’re longtime friends, but I’ve never seen these people in my life.
Some of them say they remember me from high school, but those days are all a blur.
All I remember from those years is Maisy.
Speaking of, she’s tucked away in some corner with a guy I haven’t met yet, and I can tell she’s nowhere near sober.
I sip my beer as I watch her flirt with him, twirling her hair around her fingers while she looks up at him with her big blue eyes.
I try convincing myself it’s nothing, but I keep finding my gaze snapping back to her.
“Who’s that?” I ask Levi, keeping my voice casual.
Levi follows my line of sight, eyebrows lifting. “Oh, that’s just Jeff.”
I choke a little on my beer. “As in ‘rental shop’ Jeff?”
Levi nods. “Yeah. How’d you know?”
“Maisy mentioned him once. He helped her get her gear.”
“I don’t really like the guy,” he says, gaze darkening as he watches Jeff touch Maisy’s shoulder while he laughs at something she said.
That makes two of us, buddy.
“Why not?” I take another sip from my beer, but my eyes stay glued on Maisy.
“He’s been trying to get into my sister’s pants for over a year now.”
I grit my teeth, focusing on my beer and trying to calm myself down. It’s not like she’s mine anymore. I know that. But I can’t fight off the jealousy in my chest as I watch Jeff lean in slightly, and brush a strand of hair behind her ear.
“And I’m guessing there’s a reason you don’t want him getting that close to your sister?” I turn my gaze to Levi.
He nods. “He’s already sleeping around with two other girls on payroll, and neither of them knows it. I’m not about to let him play around with my sister too.”
He stands up and clears his throat before calling out to Jeff to come over. I watch as Jeff’s attention leaves Maisy, and he takes a cautious step back when he realizes Levi can see him.
Pussy.
He starts to walk toward us, and I look at Maisy as she follows behind him, but she’s already watching me. I can practically see her catch the tension in my jaw. Her lips twitch into a tiny amused smirk, and it’s maddening.
I stand up next to Levi as Jeff approaches, sip my beer again, and force a casual mask over the jealousy curling in my chest.
Keep it together, Sterling.
“Sterling, meet Jeff,” Levi says. “He’s the guy that runs our rental shop most days.”
Jeff extends a hand, and I shake it hard enough to assert dominance without it being obvious to anyone watching. “So you’re the guy that almost killed Maisy.”
Nearby conversations die down as people start listening in, and Jeff lets out a nervous laugh as he releases my hand.
“What do you mean?” he asks nervously.
“You sized her bindings wrong.” Jeff blinks, surprised, and I let my smirk do the rest. “She’s lucky I caught it before she actually hit the slope. Could’ve caused a serious injury, Jason.”
Maisy watches the exchange, eyes flicking between us, and I swear she’s amused by my little jab, but that doesn’t help the knot twisting in my chest.
“It’s Jeff,” he says quietly, but I pretend not to hear him as I pat his shoulder a little too firmly, my jaw set.
“Is that true?” Levi asks, looking pissed at Jeff.
Maisy doesn’t say anything, as she narrows her eyes at me, which doesn’t exactly help Jeff’s case.
“Honest mistake, boss,” Jeff finally says.
“That type of mistake could cost someone their life,” Levi says through clenched teeth. “It could have cost my sister her life.”
“But,” Maisy finally speaks as she steps toward Levi and places her hands on his arms, “it didn’t, and now Jeff knows to triple check things before releasing guests to the mountain. Right, Jeff?”
Jeff freezes for half a beat, and then nods frantically before excusing himself. Levi watches him go with a pissed off expression before looking down at his sister, just as angry.
“You shouldn’t have let him off so easily,” he mutters as she releases his arms.
“It was either that or let you beat the shit out of him, which I could already see you getting ready to do, hothead.”
Levi scoffs, looking away. “He’d deserve it.”
As much as Levi likes to tease his sister, she’s his entire world. With lawyer parents as busy as theirs, all they had was each other while growing up.
“Let’s go get a drink together,” Maisy suggests, already steering Levi toward the bar.
He stops and turns to look at me. “You coming?”
I shake my head and hold up my beer bottle. “I’m good.”
But that doesn’t stop my eyes from tracking her every movement as the night goes on. She laughs too easily, and I can feel that old pull, that familiarity that used to make everything feel effortless.
I make a mental note to keep my distance for the rest of my time here, hiding my irritation with a practiced smirk, because apparently, this is my life now—keeping her safe, keeping my hands to myself, and gritting my teeth while watching her flirt.
Hours later, Levi is laughing with a group near the bar, Maisy is probably off somewhere with Jeff again, and I don’t want to get caught in any more of the lodge’s endless small talk. It’s time to excuse myself.
I make my way through the crowd, weaving past people, and just as I reach the coat rack, I bump into someone—Maisy.
“Sterling?” Her cheeks are flushed from the alcohol she’s been drinking. “Are you leaving?”
“Yeah,” I reply, trying to keep my tone casual, but I’m still jealous as hell after watching her flirt with Jeff earlier, even though I have no right to be.
Her eyebrows lift. “You weren’t even going to tell me? We’re supposed to go back together.”
I shrug, letting out a humourless laugh. “I thought your brother could just drive you back…or Jason. Don’t want to ruin your night by going home early.”
She doesn’t respond as she tilts her head, studying me like she’s trying to read my mind.
I sigh, rubbing the back of my neck. “Are you coming home with me, Mais?” I let the nickname slip naturally, without thinking.
Her eyes widen for a fraction of a second, and I swear I see that tough exterior finally giving way.
“Yeah,” she says.
I give a small nod, allowing a subtle relief to settle over me as we step out into the cold mountain air biting at my cheeks.
I lead the way to where we parked the truck earlier, the soft glow of the lodge fading behind us.
Even if the night has been messy, complicated, and full of tension, right now, I’ve got her by my side.
And for tonight, knowing she’s with me instead of Jeff, is enough.