“Good luck!” we both called.
As Oliver disappeared into the crowd, I looked back to my sister.
“I’d yell break a leg, but that feels too on the nose for this,” I said.
Mattie didn’t say anything but she studied my face, clearly chewing on a thought or two.
“What?” I sighed, meeting her gaze.
She tilted her head, looking like a detective searching for clues.
“What?” I repeated when she continued to stare and not say anything.
“You and Oliver are really…close.”
“Obviously.” I rolled my eyes.
“You’ve spent the night there almost every night this week,” she pointed out as if I didn’t already know where I’d been spending my time.
“Your point?”
“I’m surprised is all.”
My eyes scanned the hill, waiting to see Oliver pop up at the top in his bright shirt. “You were the one who encouraged me to have a fling,” I said, glancing back at her.
She shrugged, biting her bottom lip. “I don’t know. It feels like more than that. You two spend every spare minute together. And now you’re sleeping together.”
“Mattie,” I scolded. “Not so loud.” I jerked my head around but no one was looking at us or cared the slightest about our conversation. In fact, the crowd was getting quite rowdy at this point.
“Are you sure it’s just a fling?” she pressed, as we both watched the first snowboarder take their place at the top of the course. I could see Giles and Oliver now, standing off to the side, waiting.
“Of course. What do you mean?” I asked.
“It’s just…I’ve never seen you like this with a guy.”
“That’s because I’ve hardly dated,” I pointed out.
“You’ve never really shown interest before,” she agreed. “But you seem interested now.”
My jaw clenched. Of course, my hopeless romantic of a sister was reading too much into the situation with Oliver. Andit wasn’t like I was blind to what he was doing to me. Every night, as I fell asleep wrapped in his arms, it became harder and harder to imagine letting him go. But that didn’t make things between us any less temporary. We were never meant to be. He was destined for a life like this, while I was supposed to be climbing the corporate ladder in some big city. Lately, though, it was getting harder to remember that version of my future.
Oliver and I were choosing to ignore our imminent ending. For now, we were both here, and we might as well make the most of it. I still wasn’t much closer to landing a job. I’d faced a few more rejections, but recently, I’d also had a couple of promising interviews that gave me at least a little hope. I had started to think that maybe fate was playing a role in all of my rejections. And even though Oliver’s season as a snowboard instructor had ended, he hadn’t mentioned leaving yet. He hadn’t said the words outright, but I was almost certain he planned to stick around Key Ridge. At least for a little longer.
“Look, Mattie. I do like him,” I said. “He’s exciting to be around. I enjoy his company. But that’s it. I’m leaving soon, and he probably is too. We’re like two ships passing in the night.”
“Really? Because to me it seems like your ships are docked in the harbor and about to settle in.” She had the nerve to wink at me. “You’ve been obsessing about your career less and less. I’ve barely heard you talk about interviews all week. Do you even really want another corporate job anymore?”
“Of course I do!” My mouth fell open before I snapped it shut.
Cheers from the crowd interrupted us as the first snowboarder launched himself onto the course, hitting a jump and lifting the tip of his board.
I raised my voice to combat the noise. “I’m really excited about that position I just interviewed for in New York. It’s perfect for me.” I was referring to the phone screening I’d had earlier this week. The company was in demand, and I knew there would be stiff competition, but it was the first role I’d interviewed for since I got here that actually seemed like a solid move.
“Is it perfect? Or is it just available?”
Her disbelief irritated me. “It’s a level up from where I was before. It’s a pay raise. And I’d get to live in New York freaking City. It’s a dream.”
Mattie chewed on her bottom lip. I could see the flash of disappointment in her eyes. She’d always been the one that dreamed of a fairy tale ending—the one where the girl rode off into the sunset with Prince Charming. I’d been the one who dreamed of a career—of moving up the corporate ladder. I wanted the first word that people thought of when they met me to besuccessfulorambitious.
