Something Gained (USC Series Book #1)

epilogue

SOMETHING GAINED
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AIDAN

Not going to lie, teaching someone how to snowboard is harder than I anticipated. I am no professional and I think the only reason I haven't given up yet is that the person I am teaching is adamant about giving up and I want to prove her wrong.

And also because I am in love with her. That is a pretty big factor as well.

I release my hands from underneath Brooklynn's arms. She stays steady for a moment before her legs give out. I catch her before she can hit the ground, though.

"Aidan," Brooklynn says, tilting her head to look up at me. "Take me to the bottom of the mountain. Right now."

I shrug, smiling. "No can do. The only way down is by putting on your big girl pants and boarding down the rest of the mountain."

Brooklynn looks away from me, glancing down the mountain that we have still yet to make it down.

"Unless, of course, you want to walk all the way back up to the chairlifts and take those down," I add. She won't want to walk back—uphill—to the chairlifts.

She groans, placing her ski goggles back on her eyes. She retches my hands off of her body, wobbling slightly without my support before Brooklynn turns to face me.

"Are we going to do this thing?" she tells me as though we were waiting on me before we could start our way down again.

"Sure thing," I answer, pulling my neck warmer back up.

We are on one of the easier runs on the mountain and despite this being our first day out on the mountain; I am feeling pretty good. My legs have gotten back into the motion of snowboarding and I can already feel the aching in my legs.

"You are doing this on your own, this time," I tell her, knowing she can do this.

Brooklynn looks at me, and even through her goggles, I can see the shock in her eyes. "There is no fucking way I can do that."

"Show me you can't do it and I'll believe you. Until then, have a go."

Moving away from her back, I board down the slope, only about ten feet away from her. "Come down here by yourself."

She nods, staring at me for a few moments, maintaining her balance. Brooklynn moves the nose of her snowboard in my direction, going smoothly. I move further and further back slowly, hoping she doesn't notice. She is too concentrated on staying upright to notice.

"Stop moving away!" she yells at me.

Nevermind.

I face away, hoping she can stay on her feet long enough for me to gauge my surroundings and ensure I don't run into a tree. Turning back around, I witness Brooklynn falling right on her ass with a loud oomph that makes me break out in laughter.

Maybe it would have been easier to accept Holden's offer of lessons taught by a professional.

Angrily, she whips the goggles off of her eyes, glaring at me. "Quit laughing at me. Come help me, asshole!" she yells at me, her angry eyes only increasing my laughter.

Glancing around the slope, I notice how secluded it is. Enclosed by trees and no one around leaves for a lot of privacy.

I crouch down, beginning with unbuckling my boots from my board. Tucking it underneath my arm, I climb back up the mountain to where Brooklynn is sitting, having not made any effort to get back up.

"I hate this!" she complains the moment I approach her. I would believe her if it weren't for the smile gracing her face as she says it. She has a cheeky gleam in her eyes that I can't quite place the cause for.