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"No, I’m fine Totally safe I’ pause "You’re at … you’re at the bottom of theMountain?"

"As much of it as I could I mean, I’m not all the way at the base, but I’m pretty far down In my defense, it’s a pretty sround, and Cam finally seeain "No problepause Then, "So, was it front?"

I relax at the question, knowing I’ front, man You wouldn’t even believe it"

"Was the caht before I gave it to you"

"Seriously?" I glance down at the careen power light is lit

I stare at it for a second, trying to decide how I feel about that Sure, part of me thinks it’d be wicked to have the ride recorded, but another part wants to keep it for myself In some ways, what happened on the way down feels too intensely private to share with anyone

Except Luc, Ash, and Cam deserve to see what happened After what they’ve spent the last fewthem doesn’t mean it has to be posted on the website or YouTube It could just be for us

"Yeah, I got the footage"

"Excellent! I want to see every second of it"

"I figured"

"I’ve got a question, though"

"Yeah?"

"How the hell are you going to get back up here? I don’t think the snow to make it down the route you took, and our trail doesn’t lead anywhere close to that far down theabout that"

"And what did you decide?"

Once I switch the phone to the local GPS/hiking app, it only takes afor "I’m only about a three-hour hike from Lost Canyon Resort You can pickfor the day"

"Seriously? You’re going to hike through the mountains for three hours after that run?"

I think of all the shit cluttering upcompetitions, Ophelia I don’t want to think about any of it, don’t want to deal with any of it And since I can’t drink and I can’t screw, I ht as well put in some hard physical labor If I’m exhausted, thendrunk off ht" He sounds doubtful, but he’s not going to argue "Just call us when you get to the lodge so we knoe don’t have to send the ski patrol out after your ass"

"One tiet it"

"And I never will" There’s a long pause, and I’ stupid, okay?"

I try to play it off "Me? I don’t knohat you’re talking about"

"Yeah Right" He pauses for ato one of the others in the background When he comes back on, he says, "Cah "I never pretended to be anything but You’re the ones who keep thinking there’s so else there"

Chapter 12

Ophelia

"Hey, Ophelia, you heading back to the dor to catch up with h the heavy front doors of Lost Canyon Lodge’scrazy day and I’h it’s only about four in the afternoon I didn’t sleep well last night, haven’t slept well since that whole thing with Z, to be honest, and the hectic pace of the café today totally tired ht now is to walk the three et for refusing to drive