Page 7 (1/2)

Chapter 1

Z

I’ic carpet when it hitsdark Which sucks because it ht since all of the good runs close down once it hits full dark

Normally that’s not a problem—I’ve been out here for seven hours already and oing nuo

But tonight I’o in Not nohenwith the need to forget—

I cut the thought off as I exit the ski lift at the top of the ear Instead I concentrate on unbucklingthe screws at the bottoed that last run—which was banging at the time—but I carved the last few rails hard My board took most of the impact, and I want to make sure it’s still solid

Turns out it is, and I’ht of the lift when Cam steps onto the snow behind me She’s as excited as I’ve ever seen her “Dude, that last run icked! I’ve never seen you do that inverted triple cork before”

“That’s ’cuz there are tooI need is to get tangled up with a tourist who doesn’t knohat he’s doing—that’s how shit turns ugly, fast But today I couldn’t stopout Fro there’s been this force building insideOn days like this, taking it out on the powder is the only way I can breathe

But the run’s shutting down—Ca’s back, worse than before I’ up, fresh air all around

Beside me, Cam dumps her stuff next to mine, then heads for the bench where we normally wait for Lucas and Ash to finish up at the half-pipe I follow her, but the second I sit down next to her the itchiness gets worse As does the throbbing at the base of my neck

Nope, sitting here in the dark, waiting, isn’t going to do it for ht some weed to mellow me out, but , I’d told myself I could handle it That today was just another day

What a fking joke that is I feel like I’ to explode

I start to stand up again, to pace off the energy that’s sla at me from the inside, but Cam stops me with a hand onHow long have you been working on it?”

“I don’t know”

“You probably started trying to do it yesterday” She shakes her head, looks disgusted “I’ve been trying to do a 900—any kind of 900—for ”

I bite irl—that noshe is and noto be able to do things she can’t Not because I’m a better boarder, because I’m not She’s totally sick on a snowboard But testosterone is just one of those things I’er air, do more complicated tricks

“I’ure out how to do that move”

“No doubt”

“Hey” She punches my shoulder “Don’t patronize me”

“Do I look like I’ht now, the pressure’s so bad I can barely talk, barely breathe

“So are you doing okay?” she asks, laying a hand on my arm

“Yeah ’Course I a her hand away, and now I do stand up Pretend I’ the resort workers do all the routine tasks that co up one of the black diamond runs

But Caain, her face tilted up tobrown eyes filled with a worry I just don’t want Or need And so from her more and more often lately I usually avoid it—she’s one of irl Luc’s been in love with practically forever—but for a second, just a second, I think about taking her up on the invitation

Before I knohat I’, I bend my head Lean in Our lips are only a few inches apart now and her eyes go wide, her breath catching in her throat I can all but feel her tense, all but hear her heart pick up a beat

It would be so easy to kiss her

So easy to take her back to her place and fk her like I have hundreds of other girls

So easy to pretend it isn’t her and just lose myself in another body

But then what? I have a hard enough ti at myself in the mirror as it is If I screith her like that—screith Luc—for an hour of sex that won’t er dick than I thought

I can’t do it Not to her And not to Luc

There are plenty of girls out there who don’t want anything