Holly head Slopes

Chapter Twenty-Two

Mason's POV

My darling little sister.

Where did she go?

The ghost of her was currently eating one of the pasta dishes Abi gave me to make sure I was eating properly. That girl is worth more than gold.

Amy was destroying the tub like a starved child, but I couldn't be surprised when she looked like she hadn't eaten in years.

"It's not a race," I told her.

She grinned with pasta sauce around her mouth. "I haven't eaten anything with carbs, meat, or flavour in three weeks. I suddenly gained a few pounds, and Mum and my team freaked out."

What a sad childhood. I was taught a Mother should love her child no matter what, not starve her to make her skinny.

"You should get a new team. And a new Mother while you're there." I dryly said, resting on the marble counter.

"You know, when you were a kid, we used to eat cereal every morning before school. You were too weak to lift the milk, and our Nanny was too worried about getting the chores done to help; I filled your bowl every day."

"Extra full so it would go chocolaty." She grinned. Her smile was still goofy, like when she was a toddler. "Back when they were on your case instead of mine." She sighed.

"I held them off as long as possible." I chuckled. "Maybe fake an injury, and you'll escape."

"Ha." She exclaimed. "Like I haven't already tried. Even real ones are irrelevant. I was supposed to rest my ankle for six weeks but had a competition in four. Guess who was back on the ice within two weeks?" She rhetorically asked. Our parents' lack of understanding of injuries was infuriating. "Coach Kia tried to reason with them, but you know what a pushover she is."

Kia.

That's a name I haven't heard in a lifetime. Before she was 'coach' Kia, she was my friend. She started coaching Amy a few years ago when she found more love in teaching than competing. She was only a year younger than me and had a crush on me that was painfully apparent. Amy tried repeatedly to get me to take her out, but I was never interested. Well, unless you count a drunken night after a wild Clay party. We hooked up, but it only led to trouble.

I cleared my throat of the awkward lump I was holding. "How is Kia?" I sheepishly asked.

"Still weirdly hooked on you. It's impressive how you still have a hold on her after four years."

Hurting girls isn't something I'm proud of, but I was young and stupid. "Well, send her my best. Also, tell her if she ever lets you skate on an injury again, it will be the end of her teaching career. She should know better."

I suffered multiple concussions under my parents' watch. I remember throwing up and going dizzy on a regular occasion. They always tried to bribe medical to let me board. My health was no match to the money in question. I thank my lucky stars that Mr Freeman stepped in before I suffered long-lasting damage.

"So, are they as charming as I remember?" I hesitantly asked. I hated the thought of them walking back into the house, let alone the reality of it.

"Rude, pushy and self-centred." She listed. That was just the tip of the iceberg. "I'd suggest booking meetings, escaping to parties, or hanging with Abi."

"That was my plan already." I nodded. "What are you going to do?"

She shrugged her shoulders with a mouthful of Abi's delicious cooking. "Hang out with some old friends. Throw myself off a mountain? Whichever comes first."

I laughed at her old humour coming back.

"Oh, sorry for what I said to Abi, by the way. The stupid diets turn me into a monster."

___________

My life was looking rather bleak. As long as my parents were in town, I would have a dark cloud over my head. I decided damage control needed to happen as soon as possible.

The boys needed to avoid my family, which gave them a free pass to throw as many parties as they wanted.

Mr Freeman would be delighted that I would attend every business meeting with no complaint and no late arrivals.

And finally, Abigail. There was no way I was letting the best thing I had in my life for years anywhere near the people who gave me life. They didn't deserve her sweet yet sarcastic shine. They didn't deserve anything.

Every possible nightmare of them being around haunted me as I drove to Mr Freeman's office. I hadn't spoken to them in over a year. They didn't give a shit about my rehab after I told them I was done with competing. They told me they didn't need me, because they had Amy, who was winning every competition. I have felt guilty that my little Sister was now their money pig, but it was the first time I wasn't being manipulated in years.

"Christ, you're early. Either the girl broke up with you, or your parents are in town." Mr Freeman laughed as he distributed the itinerary on the boardroom table, which hadn't changed since the 70s.

He looked at me when the silence became deafening. "Oh God, which one?"

"They arrive in a few days. Amy is already here."

He dropped the papers and shook his head. "I never thought I'd see them back at Hollyhead. But I will be glad to see Amy."

"I wouldn't get too excited. She's becoming another version of our Mother. But I will try to get some humanity back in her."

"Look, if you want to get your head right, you can sit out a few meetings. But don't get used to it," he kindly offered. If there was anyone who knew my childhood trauma, it was him.

I shook my head. "That's the opposite of what I want. I need a focus. I might hit the slopes later."

"Well, it's not all bad. The entry is opening soon for the winter Hollyhead competition." He casually slipped in.

Abi messaged me three times during the meetings. The first time, she checked to see if I was okay; the second asked if we were snowboarding tomorrow, and the last told me she was here when I wanted to talk.

It pained me to ignore her. But I couldn't dampen her winter break with my terrible mood, which would only worsen. I didn't like myself when they were around. They make me angry at my failure, which I wouldn't have to live with without their pressure. Abi didn't deserve to be swept up in the latest Dugray drama.