“You’re doing great. I’m actually really impressed with your skill level.”
“Well, you don’t grow up in Telluride without knowing a thing or two about how to ski.”
“It shows.” My smile tilts into a tease. “I’m happy I didn’t have to tether you to me and drag you down the mountain.”
“It could still happen. Don’t rule it out just yet.” She looks at the darkening sky. “Are we going to get caught in a storm?”
“Nah.” I hand her the bottle of water, and she unscrews the cap, taking a long drink. I glance up, looking at the ominous clouds in the distance. Yes, we’re totally going to get caught in a huge storm, but I don’t want to worry Summer because I have a plan. “It’s a shame Justin couldn’t come,” I say, changing the subject.
She swallows one last gulp. “Did you know he doesn’t like the cold?”
“Yeah, I think I knew something about that.” I take a swig of the water and then put it in my backpack. We grab our poles and start an easy glide side by side.
“Justin says he wants to move back to Arizona someday.”
“Not surprising, I guess.”
“It was surprising to me.”
“Because you…want…to…marry…him?” I can barely get the words out. I hate everything about how they sound as they come off my lips.
“I mean, I…” She shrugs instead of finishing her answer.
“It’s alright, you don’t have to tell me.” I’m not sure I even want to know.
“There’s nothing to tell. We’ve never talked about marriage—or I should say, Justin has never talked about it.”
“But you have?”
“Just in general terms. We’ve been dating for nine months. I always thought after that much time it would be easy to know if things were right.”
“And is it easy?”
“Sure. We’ve been through the most difficult times in a relationship. Him starting a new business and having to work all the time.” She pauses, letting her breath catch up to her increasing heart rate. “If we can make it through this, I’m positive we can make it through anything.” She sounds like she’s convincing herself more than she’s convincing me. “Our relationship is reliable. Sturdy. I mean, take his work schedule, for example.” She hesitates again, catching her breath. “We never get any time together, but when we do, things are great. Like really, really great.”
From what I’ve seen, nothing isgreatabout their relationship. They don’t communicate well. Summer’s needs are barely being met. Justin’s unsure and leading her on. I just don’t get it. I don’t get why Summer keeps fighting so hard to stay together. But I nod a few times out of politeness.
“Why aren’t you saying anything?” she finally asks in response to my silence.
“If things are so great between you and Justin when you’re together, then why were you texting me last night when you should’ve been decorating cookies with him?”
She digs her poles into the snow, lurching her body forward. “I was decorating cookies with him.”
“And texting me.”
“I was trying to be nice. I felt bad that you didn’t get to come decorate.” She sucks in a deep breath. “Plus, you need to know what decorating cookies is like to see how great my Christmas activities are. That’s why I was texting. I needed to send you pictures.”
“Okay.”
“Okay?”
It seems like the lamest excuse ever, but okay. Pointing out that I think she’s bored with Justin seems like a jerky thing to do. Calling her out on her bull crap won’t help anybody. I want Summer to come to those conclusions herself, not be coerced into them by a guy who shouldn’t have an agenda. But the way she smiles at me and how she gazes in my eyes makes me want to have an agenda.
“What?” She turns to me. Her nose and cheeks are pink from the cold, and her beanie is tilted to the side under her goggles just adding to how cute she looks.
“Nothing. I was just thinking how difficult it would be for you to move away from your family to Arizona if you did marry Justin.”
Her skis slice through the powder. “Yeah, that was my first thought when he told me he didn’t want to live in Telluride forever.”
