(rivals to lovers, small town, sports) [WATTYS 2024 SHORTLIST] (Season 3 coming soon) After a devastating Olympic loss puts her career in a downward spiral, an aging skier returns to her laid-back mountain hometown to rediscover her love of her spor...
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Summer didn't look where she was going. She just walked away from the camera. From Ava's cruel questions. From Juniper and her promises that she was never going to keep.
Then, behind her: "Summer, wait!"
Her heart plunged. She stretched out her stride, snow squeaking under her boots, and threaded into the crowds out front of the main lodge, hoping to lose Juniper.
The worst part was that she'd been having fun. She'd liked playing cornhole with the kids and scoping out the raffle prizes with Juniper and even chatting with the young skiers. Yes, one of them had asked for an autograph, but really they just wanted to talk about ski racing. It had lulled her into a false sense of security.
Holly was so sweet. She hadn't expected their girlfriend to be so ruthless.
Was her recovery a question mark?
She broke into a run. Or as much of one as she could manage in the festival crowds, bodies pressing against her until she spilled out past the gondola line into cold clear space and then she ran and ran until she left the voices behind, down the snowy sidewalks of the pedestrian village until all the little shops and hotels and restaurants gave way to cozy cabins nestled in the trees.
Would no one ever see her race again?
The cold clutched in her lungs. She leaned over, palms on her thighs, and tried to grab hold of her spiralling thoughts. Her injured knee throbbed. But that must be in her head. She'd been pain-free for weeks. No, months, now.
Footsteps slowed behind her. Without looking, she recognized the gait. Those footsteps had become almost as familiar as her mother's over the past few weeks.
She was glad that Juniper had come after her. Juniper was the last person in the world she wanted to talk to.
"Hey. Are you okay?"
The softness of the question made anger flare. Summer straightened her spine. Her face felt cold, and when Juniper's eyes widened, she realized there were tears freezing on her cheeks. Humiliated, she scrubbed them away on the back of her glove. "Why did you come after me? Do you really think we're such good friends now?"
Juniper stared at her, pink-cheeked under her freckles. "I thought that would be the least buzzy thing to say. Never let the press have the whole truth, you know?"
"You didn't have to say anything at all. I had it under control."
"I just- You looked uncomfortable. I thought I could help."
"By telling her about my injury?"
"I'm sorry." Long pale lashes swept down over troubled eyes. "I assumed it had come up already."
"I told you I was trying to keep a low profile," Summer said in disbelief. "I've barely even talked to you about that. Why would I tell some reporter I don't even know?"
