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“Hey, baby girl,” my brother says in greeting when I take my seat next to him in his truck. After Shane dropped me off without saying anything, I took a quick shower and changed. It feels like something changed between us. Shane is different, or maybe I am.
I kiss Layne’s cheek, loving that he’s wearing his long hair in a ponytail. “How are you?” I ask, zipping up my black leather jacket.
“Doing good,” he says, backing out of the motel parking lot.
“You know, you could have stayed with me or Mom and Dad while you were here,” he says, briefly looking at me from the corner of his eye.
“I know, but I can’t deal with Dad trying to trick me into working for the company again.” I huff, staring out the window.
“He misses you. Hell, we all do. Angie has a photoshoot in New York but is coming home later this week,” he says, sounding proud.
I bump him in the shoulder with my knuckles. “Can’t believe you are with my best friend.”
He shakes his head, a playful smile tugging on his lips. “Can you blame me?”
I giggle. “I’m glad you’re happy, big bro.”
“Thanks, kid,” he says, stopping the truck in the driveway of an overpriced chalet mansion Shane rented for the party weekend.
I try to open the door, but he presses the child’s lock. “What the hell, Layne?” I ask, turning in my seat.
“Not so fast. What am I hearing around town about you and some snowboarder?” he asks, his big bro voice on blast.
“None of your business. We had fun, that’s all. And how do you know about that?”
“Damn, kid, I don’t want to know how much fun you had.” He fake shivers, finally opening the door for me after some serious side-eye.
I jump out and slam the door shut. “Says the guy who decided to make love to my best friend in the kitchen in the middle of the day while I was sleeping over.”
He stops and chuckles. “I’m sorry for scarring you for life.”
Now it’s my time to fake shiver. “I forgive you if we promise to never talk about our sex lives ever again.”
“Deal. Now tell me about the guy. If the rumors are true, he has a track record of screwing the whole damn town.”
“And what if he did? Like you didn’t do the same when we were growing up?” I tease by sticking out my tongue.
“I’m just trying to protect you, kid.”
“I appreciate it, but I can handle my own decisions,” I say, linking our arms together while we walk to the front door.
“I know you can, Acie. I think I met your guy once. He seems nice enough,” he says, knocking on the frame.
“He isn’t my guy,” I answer quickly. “But where?” I ask, crossing my arms, truly interested.
“On the mountain when he was in the pipe. He’s good. Reminds me of Ronnie,” he says, getting a faraway look in his eyes.
Before I can ask what Jesse was doing in the pipe, I smile when Cillian opens the door, wearing a princess crown. One hand is clutching a beer bottle, and the other, a bottle of Moët. “Let the games begin,” he hollers, already drunk off his ass.
Layne hugs him tight, and Cill kisses me on the cheek. We follow him inside. Machine Gun Kelly is blasting through the speakers, and the boys yell when we join the party.
After we all have dinner together, I head outside to the balcony and stand next to Cillian, watching the boys dancing with the three strippers they hired in the main room. There is a fire burning inside, and the view of the mountains is spectacular. One of the perks when you work for one of the biggest sponsors in the snow industry, apparently. I try to warm my hands, loving how the cool Aspen air blows my hair out of my face.
“Don’t wanna join in?” I ask, nudging my chin toward the group. Even Shane is watching the girls with appreciation. He’s talking to Andrew, one of our oldest friends, who took time off his busy pilot schedule to come here. Layne hands me a beer when he walks outside, and starts up a conversation with Sebastian, who has a week off from Fort Bragg and is smoking a cigarette next to us.
“Nah, I’m good,” Cillian says, resting his arms on the railing.
I glance at Shane, who’s now busy with a bleached blonde stripper perched on his lap. No party without a stripper. Ronnie started it as a joke back in college, and the guys kept it alive for every birthday.
