Page 101 of Teach Me How

67.

Reese

The guys barely toss their luggage into the apartment before they’re already talking about hitting the slopes.

I stand back, letting the familiar tones of their conversation wash over me. I’m too angry to join in.

Mitch warned me that Skyler was coming with the guys.

I figured he would. It’s their Thomas cousin trip, after all. They’re just letting me crash it because I wanted to ski, too.

I thought I could handle seeing him.

Despite giving myself a calm and rational pep talk, my brain sparked into a raging inferno when I saw him.

Anger that he could put me on the shelf so easily. Move on, just like that. I’m well aware that I walked away the same way he did, but does he have to make it look so easy?

It’s been so hard for me to hold true to my convictions, to the belief that I needed to put myself first for a while. Separating myself from him feels a little like cutting off a limb.

Seeing him again only serves to pour salt in the wound. Every nerve is screaming out for him.

This damn traitorous body. Even my skin aches for his touch.

I need to cool the fuck down before I do or say something regrettable.

If there was a walk-in freezer, I would stand in it.

Luckily for me, it’s December and we have a mountain full of snow to plow around in. We gear up and head out to the slopes. The resort has a gondola that takes us right to the ski lodge. Skyler trudges through the snow, head bent in conversation with Mitch. They look so much alike. They even geared up for the snow the same way. Thick hoodie under a lightweight winter coat. Black snow pants. They both have stocking caps pulled over their ears. The biggest difference, aside from size, is that Skyler has a five-day beard on that jaw and Mitch is clean-shaven.

If this was six months ago, I would have felt comfortable running up between the two of them, slinging an arm around their necks. But things have shifted. Seismically. And I hold back.

Cody catches up, almost reading my mind, slings an arm around my shoulders. “Too early to grab a beer?”

I grin at him. “You buying?”

He puts a hand on his chest. “I am nothing if not a gentleman.”

Mitch pops his head up, glaring over his shoulder at us. “No.”

I laugh, holding up my hands. “It wasn’t my idea.”

Mitch points at Cody. “No.”

I wink at Cody. “After the slopes?”

He grins. “Well, hell. Let’s get skiing then.”

Cody and I race up the slope. Once we get to the lodge, the Nebraska boys have to go inside to rent skis. Mitch and I wait outside with our boards. He and his friends have been laboriously teaching me the ways of the snowboard.

I’m fiddling with one of the straps when Mitch dumps a handful of snow on my back. Some of it slips down my collar and I do a shimmying, squawking dance to the side as the cold snow melts down my spine.

He doubles over, laughing. I grab the back of his coat and attempt to dump an armful of snow on him. He may be bigger and stronger, but I’ve got a hell of a grip. We’re circling each other, making half-cocked threats, when Skyler and Bo appear on the deck. Bo’s grinning, but Skyler has a look of suspicion on his face.

Let him be jealous. He doesn’t have a claim over me, not if he’s already moved on.

We hit the slopes and Mitch and I leave the other guys in the dust, competing to pull off the most impressive feat. We’re both newbies, so it’s really just a lot of falling down, but we’re slowly improving.

I’m keeping an eye on the Nebraska crew. They’re natural-born athletes, so it doesn’t surprise me when all three quickly pick up the basics. And, of course, they want to push their limits. Conversation quickly turns to which slope they should tackle next.