NICO
The bus smells like wax and stale coffee. Lukas is asleep against the window. I'm staring at my phone, at the photo of élise and me from Schnepf'n Alm that someone reposted with the caption Power couple goals.
We look good in the photo. Happy. Like two people who have their shit together.
I lock the screen.
Kvitfjell is the fix. Two downhills. Two chances to prove I'm still fast, still relevant, still the guy everyone thought I was.
Two chances to win enough prize money that I stop calculating hotel costs in my head every time she looks at a train schedule.
Two chances to be the version of myself she fell for in the first place.
I lean my head against the seat and close my eyes.
I’ll bring back a trophy and a better mood.
I meant it as a joke.
It comes out sounding like a promise I'm not sure I can keep.