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CHAPTER5
Liam
We had all stayed up later the previous night than we’d intended, so we slept in later than usual. We probably would have slept longer if we hadn’t been rudely awakened by Mason screaming at his marketing director on the phone.
I felt lucky as shit that I wasn’t on the receiving end of that phone call.
This trip was turning out to be a lot more fun than I had initially anticipated, and that all had to do with Zoey. I hoped we could make this week a little more tolerable for her, too.
Break-ups were never easy, but she was handling it with grace. Her ex-boyfriend must have been a complete asshole. Who broke up with someone like Zoey Baker? She was gorgeous, funny, and smart. And she had a heart of gold—putting up with Bodhi, Mason, and me took a special kind of person.
I sat at the breakfast nook, watching her make toast, and emotions flooded me.
Part of me was indignant on her behalf—how could someone not see her worth? Another part of me experienced a surge of protectiveness, as if I wanted to shield her from any more pain.
Yet I also recognized that break-ups had a way of shaking a person to their core. I’d been there myself, nursing wounds that seemed impossible to heal. And I had a hunch that beneath Zoey’s strong façade, cracks ran deeper than anyone could see.
I’d love to be the person to help take her mind off her internal struggles.
“You should come with us today, Zoey,” I said, hoping she would finally accept the invitation.
We had all tried to convince her to go skiing with us the prior evening, but nothing we said persuaded her to say yes.
“No, thanks. I just want to—”
“Spend the day watching movies,” I finished for her. “Yes, I know. You did that yesterday. You really need to get out of the house. What better way to do it than an adrenaline rush from hitting the slopes? Besides, you will get to hang out with us. I can’t imagine a better way to spend the day.” I gave her my best mischievous smirk.
She spread some strawberry jam on her toast and bit her bottom lip. “I don’t know.”
“You’re going,” Mason interjected as he walked from the living room to the kitchen. “Your ex-boyfriend was an asshole. Get over it. It sucks that you lost your job, but I’ll hire you if you need the money. There—all your problems are solved. Get your shit. We’re leaving in ten minutes.”
It seemed like a shitty thing to say, but Mason didn’t sugarcoat his opinion. And that was his way of telling Zoey he wanted her to join us.
Zoey paused mid-bite and looked back and forth between Mason and me with her mouth open.
Her lips curved upward, although reluctantly. “Well, I guess I don’t have a choice.”
Fuck. Yes.
Mason and I exchanged triumphant glances, the thrill of victory coursing through my veins.
Minutes later, Zoey emerged in her skiing attire, and I couldn’t help but stare before I realized what I was doing. Even in the cumbersome gear, her natural poise was unmistakable.
We all grabbed our ski gear and headed to our rented SUV. As we reached the vehicle, I gave Zoey a wink, and she grinned, excitement palpable in the brisk winter air.
While the others began loading their skis onto the SUV, I offered to help Zoey with hers.
She handed me her skis, and our fingers brushed in a fleeting touch that sent a jolt of awareness through me. Suppressing the telltale shiver that threatened to betray my reaction, I focused on the task at hand.
“Thanks, Liam.” Her smile lit up her face as she adjusted her green beanie. “I appreciate it.”
“No problem,” I replied, my voice steady despite my increased heart rate.
I carefully placed her skis on the roof rack, my fingers grazing against the cold metal bindings. Something tugged at a raw instinct within me as she eyed me loading up her gear.
I reminded myself she was off-limits—my best friend’s little sister, untouchable by an unspoken rule. With a final reassuring pat on the skis, I stepped back, my gaze lingering on her longer than necessary before turning to join the others.
* * *
