Chapter 15 - Giselle
GISELLE
Someone knocked on the door, startling me from a deep sleep. My eyes sprang open, blinded by the sunlight filtering into the room. I was still twisted up with Thayer in bed. Naked.
“Giselle,” Kason said through the door.
“Fuck,” Thayer hissed.
“Bathroom,” I whispered, pushing him off the bed even though he’d already attempted to escape to it.
“Can you unlock the door?” Kason asked.
“Hold on!” I called to him.
I pulled on my pajamas while Thayer grabbed for his clothes and anything else around my room belonging to him.
Once he ducked into the bathroom, I straightened the bed and hurried to the door.
I glanced over at the bathroom to be sure he was well hidden.
When I couldn’t see him, I opened the door. “Hey.”
“You don’t have to keep your door locked,” Kason said.
“I felt safer that way.”
His eyes pinched shut. “Dammit. I should have stayed in here again.”
“Kase, it’s fine. I’m fine. I just needed a little extra security last night.”
He dragged his fingers through his hair. “You know I love you, right?”
I tilted my head. “Of course I know that.”
“I don’t ever want you feeling unsafe when I’m around.”
I hugged him. “I know.” I pulled back, hoping he hadn’t caught his best friend’s scent all over me. “And, so you know, I didn’t have a single nightmare last night.”
He assessed my face, and I couldn’t tell if he believed me or not.
“Aren’t you hitting the mountain early?”
“Yeah. Just waiting on Thayer to wake up,” he said.
I swallowed down my guilt. “Well, have fun.”
“You don’t want to join us again?”
“Maybe later. I’ve gotta talk to the insurance company.”
He nodded, understanding that while I had agreed to go away with him and his friends, I still had responsibilities back home. “I’ll see you later then.”
Once he walked away, I closed the door and locked it. Only then did I release a long, guilty breath.
Thayer stepped out from the bathroom fully dressed. “Close call.”
I scoffed. “You think?”
His lips pulled to the side, and I could see the wheels turning. I, too, didn’t know what to say after last night. It had been perfect in the darkness. But in the light of day, things were a lot more complicated.
He moved toward me and I tensed, unsure what I was supposed to do.
But he didn’t seem to notice as he wrapped his arms around me.
I relaxed into him. His hug was exactly what I needed in that moment.
He pressed a kiss to the top of my head.
“See you later, G.” He released me, unlocked my door, and cracked it open to make sure no one was around before he ducked out.
I dropped onto the bed and buried my face in my hands.
I was so screwed.
Thayer
Kason, Jesse, and I stopped at the bottom of the mountain after our fifth run of the day. I’d been feeling amazing, landing all of my tricks and adding new ones I didn’t think I was capable of.
The likely reason for my stellar day greeted us, snowboard gear on and a board in her hands. “Hey.”
I had not been expecting to see Giselle there, and my heart actually stuttered—it fucking stuttered. “Hey.”
“Where’s Shay?” Kason asked.
“She’s off doing work in the lodge. She said one day on the mountain was enough,” Giselle explained.
“Did you speak to the insurance company?” he asked, changing the subject because he probably knew it was safer with Shay off the snow.
“Yeah, they got the full police report. They’re just questioning why I didn’t use a bank for everything.”
“Great fucking question,” Kason said, and it took everything in me not to jump in and agree, but I knew it wasn’t my place.
I stared at her as she explained all the insurance stuff to Kason, forgetting how mature she was for her age.
Most twenty-three-year-olds were off clubbing with their friends.
She’d been the owner of a lucrative boutique in a wealthy area of Colorado for over two years, causing her to grow up faster than most.
Kason slapped my arm. “Dude, did you hear a word I said?”
“What?” I asked, realizing everyone was looking at me.
Giselle smirked, catching me staring at her.
“Will you take Giselle down that cool trail near the stream?” Kason asked. “I’m gonna get that footage for Jesse.”
“Oh, yeah. Sure. You up for it?” I asked Giselle.
She smiled before taking off for the lift.
As we stood in the short line for the lift, I caught her staring at me out of the corner of my eye. I looked over. “What?”
“Nothing,” she grinned.
“I think you missed me.”
She laughed. “What makes you say that?”
“You’re here.”
“I like snowboarding,” she said.
“I think you like me too.”
She laughed again, and it made her look so young and carefree—the complete opposite of how she’d been since dating her loser boyfriend.
We moved to the front of the line, taking our spot. The lift came around, and we sat down on the seat. The attendant lowered the bar in front of us as we were lifted into the air.
“So…” I said.
“So,” she repeated, smiling over at me.
“Did you have fun last night?” I asked.
She burst out laughing. “Seriously?”
I shrugged.
“That’s not what I thought you’d lead with.”
“Oh no? What’d you think I’d lead with?” I asked, amused.
“I don’t know.”
I leaned over and sealed my lips over hers; they were cold and minty. When I pulled back, she was smiling. Thank God. If she looked like she regretted everything, I don’t know what I would’ve done.
“Careful. My brother might see,” she warned.
I glanced around at all the skiers and snowboarders scattered down below us on the mountain. “You don’t have to worry. He’s on the other side of the mountain.”
“I wasn’t worried about me. I was worried about you.”
“You don’t think he’d like to know what I did with his sister last night?”
“Eww,” she said, bumping me with her shoulder. “Not when you say it like that.”
“What should I have said?” I loved watching her squirm.
“Not that.”
I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and pulled her into my side. “I like you like this.”
“Like what?”
“Like, all bro-ed out. Not all dressed up and serious.”
Even under her beanie, I could still see her brows furrow. “Is that how you see me?”
“Sometimes.”
“Then how would you like to see me?”
I tugged her even closer. “All mine.”
She sighed, and that’s all I needed to hear to know we hadn’t made a colossal mistake.
Giselle
We got off the lift and stood atop the mountain. I couldn’t help stealing glances at Thayer. He was in his element and after last night, knowing what he looked like under his gear and felt like inside of me, everything had changed. A weight had been lifted off me. And I knew why.
“You ready?” he asked.
“What’d you have in mind?”
His goggles were on top of his helmet, so I could see the twinkle in his eyes before he wrapped his arms around me, and our lips collided. His tongue swept out, tangling with mine. His lips were cold, and I liked the sensation.
I pulled back breathless. “I might get used to this.”
He laughed. “Oh yeah?”
I nodded as I lowered my goggles and dropped in, leaving him behind.
I could hear him laughing as I weaved down the mountain and noticed a sign indicating two different trails.
“It’s the one on the left,” he called.
I weaved left and the powder was almost untouched, making for a smooth ride.
Thayer passed me on the right. I preferred to watch him lead anyway.
He pointed to the left, and I spotted a small wooden bridge.
He slid toward it, slowing right before it.
I followed, doing the same. A small stream trickled beneath it, and I knew in the warmer weather, it would’ve been more active.
I wondered why more people weren’t stopping to see this hidden gem. “It’s so pretty.”
“That’s why Kason wanted you to see it. We found it this morning,” he explained.
“Yet, he pawned me off on you.”
“Hey, I’m not complaining.” He wrapped me in his arms—not the easiest feat as we were both bundled up and on boards, but he held me for a long time as the stream trickled beneath the bridge beside us.
Life with Thayer could be this easy. He made me laugh. He made me a priority. He made me feel safe. There was no doubt in my mind that he wanted me. And I wanted him too.
But I owed it to Gino to really think this whole thing through. It was easy to get swept up in Thayer’s world. But what happened after Park City?
“What’d you think?” Kason asked once we met back up with Jesse and him at the bottom of the mountain.
“It was so pretty,” I said.
“Too bad I’ll never get Shay up that high to see it.”
“What are you thinking for our last night here?” Jesse interrupted.
“You guys wanna go bowling and grab food and drinks?” Kason asked.
“Sounds fun,” I said, glancing to Thayer.
“Yeah. Let’s do that,” he said.
“Are we getting more footage?” Jesse asked.
“Yeah,” Kason said. “You go with Thayer, and I’m gonna go with Giselle. I haven’t seen her in action since we were in high school.”
“She’s still gnarly,” Thayer added.
He was always putting me on a pedestal that I certainly didn’t deserve. He’d always done it. Whether I’d scored a goal playing soccer or opened my boutique, he was always right there to tell me how amazing I was. I guess I was just too stupid to appreciate it then.
Kason scoffed. “I’ll be the judge of that.”
I shoved him. “Asshole.”
“Never claimed not to be,” Kason said.