The secrets we keep ~ c.l

Chapter 6 - Sofia's pov

We spent the days of our retreat working out and working on our media training in the mornings, and after lunch, we were free to do whatever we wanted, which most of the time meant that we went skiing. At least for some of us. Me, Charles, Carlos and David enjoyed skiing on the slopes of Courchevel, while Olivia and Isa either stayed at the chalet or went shopping in the village.

To my surprise, skiing with Charles was not as unbearable as I expected it to be. As long as we stayed as a group, all four of us, I didn't really have to talk to him. But of course, my luck had to run out sooner or later.

Somewhere in the middle of the slope, some idiot cut me off which resulted in me ending up on the ground. After I slid a few meters down, I finally stopped and I was thankful that both of my skis were still on and no part of my body hurt. I got up and looked around, but the group was nowhere to be seen. I don't blame them as they surely just didn't notice.

I skied down and planned to get on the gondola by myself when, just by the entrance to the lift, I saw his bright red jacket and he was waving me over to him.

"What are doing here Charles?" I asked as I took my ski goggles off my face so I could see him better. "I thought you guys would just wait for me at the top."

"What happened? he asked with concern. His goggles were off as well and I could see his cheeks and nose getting redder with each passing second because of the cold. "What took you so long?"

"Nothing, just some idiot cut me off and I fell," I said as I unclipped my skis, picked them up and started walking toward the gondola. He quickly caught up to me and we both got into the gondola.

He took off his helmet but I kept mine on. "Are you okay?" he asked but I couldn't tell if he actually cared or if he asked because he felt that he needed to.

"I'm fine," I replied and looked away from him to observe the beautiful scenery around us.

"Are you sure?" he asked again and I looked back at him. His hair was messy and a little sweaty from the helmet, his cheeks red from the wind outside and you could just faintly see marks on his cheeks from his ski goggles.

I rolled my eyes at him. Was he really going to do this? He was so infuriating. Did he think that I was not capable of taking care of myself?

"Yes, Charles, I think I am pretty capable of telling if I feel okay or not," I turned back to face the window, and thankfully he didn't say anything back, although he might've mumbled a 'Sorry', but I wasn't sure.

We were now about halfway up the mountain when the gondola suddenly stopped. I expected it to be just a few second stop, but after a minute, then two, and then five, it was obvious that the gondola will not be moving anytime soon. Fuck me. This was my worst nightmare.

"Fuck this," I mumbled under my breath and took off my helmet, my thick hair practically flying out. I wanted to unzip my jacket but a piece of my hair got stuck, and that was really what set me off the edge.

I was now cursing and trying to get it out but it wouldn't budge. If I wasn't pissed off I would never act like this in front of him, but honestly, I didn't really care at the moment.

"Hey, let me help," he was now leaning over to me, but I slapped his hands away. He didn't stop and took my hands into his and put them on my lap. His touch was warm and caring. His hands were the opposite of rough. They were soft and obviously well cared for. I wanted to ask him if he has someone who massages them for him, but I decided against it.

He lifted up my chin so I was looking him. This moment felt like it lasted forever, and I could feel my stomach flipping on itself. I just hoped that the redness in my cheeks wasn't that noticeable.