Cookie

33

"So, ready to go skiing, guys?" Liam asks after we finish our coffees.

We’re sitting in a cozy coffee shop near Tina's cabin, which is conveniently at the base of the slope. The place smells exactly like I imagine Santa's house would—warm and comforting. Mrs. Almond, the kind woman who owns the shop, took our order and surprised us with a plate of cookies on the house. I’m sipping on the most delicious cinnamon coffee and munching on the best peanut butter cookies I've ever had. Plus, she’s got mulled wine. Who doesn’t love mulled wine in winter?

"Why do we have to go now?" Alicia asks, clearly reluctant to leave the warmth of the coffee shop and step out into the cold.

"Because tomorrow’s New Year’s Eve, and we’ll need to get ready for the party. The club is 30 minutes away from the cabin, and the day after that, we’ll have to leave," I explain, for the fourth time today. Liam is smiling at me, clearly amused by my persistence, but I’m not trying to be rude—I just really want to go skiing. It’s been a while, and back home, everyone was excited to hit the slopes. Now it feels like no one wants to anymore. I’d rather stay in the cabin for a quiet night, but I’ll go for them.

"Let’s go!" Alicia says, standing up reluctantly. "We’ll come back, Mrs. Almond, don’t let the wine get cold!" She flashes the gray-haired woman a smile as we all put on our jackets. Mrs. Almond waves goodbye as we head out into the cold.

It's a crisp day. The snow has stopped falling, but it covered the slopes all night, so the conditions are perfect for skiing. I don’t particularly enjoy the freezing chill that hits me as soon as I step outside, but the air smells so fresh and piney, so clean. We don’t get air like this back home, so I take a deep breath, trying to fill my lungs with as much fresh air as I can.

As we reach the top of the slope, we decide to make a competition out of our first run. We line up, ready to race down the mountain as soon as Freddie gives the signal. Liam and I are side by side when he grabs my hand and makes me stop.

"Forget their competition, okay?" he says quietly, his voice full of concern. "Just stick close to me. You haven’t skied in a while—"

Before he can finish, Freddie signals for us to go, and I bolt down the slope, my competitive spirit kicking in. I glance over my shoulder and see Liam a little behind me, but not far. The others are nowhere in sight.

God, I missed this. The rush, the freedom, the adrenaline—it’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced. It’s a mix of excitement and exhilaration, a feeling of total liberation.

As I fly down the hill, I don’t see anyone ahead of me. For a moment, I think I’m about to win my first-ever ski race. But then I spot Liam behind me, gaining speed. I slow down, preparing to let him catch up, but as I turn, my skis suddenly lose control. My legs start shaking from the speed, and no matter how hard I try, I can’t stop or slow down. The mountain’s slope seems to accelerate my descent.

Someone whizzes past me—so fast I barely register them. I think it’s Liam, but before I can process what’s happening, he turns sharply and suddenly stops, right in my path. I slam into him, and we both tumble down the hill in a dizzying roll.

I close my eyes tightly and scream in pain as I feel my knee twist in a way it shouldn’t. The loud click makes me wince. We finally come to a stop when we hit a tree, with Liam taking most of the impact. He holds me tighter, checking for injuries like he hasn’t just possibly broken his back.

"Your back..." I say through gritted teeth, pulling off my safety glasses and reaching for his.

He checks my knee and I cry out as pain surges through my leg. The intensity of it makes my eyes water, and cold sweat starts to bead on my neck. I bite my lip, trying not to let the tears fall. My leg will be fine—I’m more concerned about Liam.