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“Yeah. I idolized him. But three years ago, he did something that shattered my trust.” I paused. “He got my girlfriend at the time pregnant.”
The seriousness of the revelation hung in the air between us.
“Oh, Bodhi,” Zoey whispered, with sympathy in her voice.
I swallowed hard. “I’ve avoided him ever since. The betrayal, it’s just... hard to move past.”
“Does this,” she gestured to Liam, Mason, and me, “bring up any past triggers? We haven’t really talked about it, and I don’t want to be the one to cause you any more pain.”
Scratching my head, I said, “It’s a fair question. But oddly enough, with Liam and Mason, it’s different. There’s a mutual respect and trust we’ve built over time. It might sound strange, but their presence has been more of a support than a trigger. Besides, whatever is happening with all of us can’t go on forever…”
My voice trailed off at the end of my statement, leaving a weighty pause in the air. As the words echoed around us, a shadow of unease passed over Zoey’s face. It was a brief moment, a mere flicker, but I noticed.
Our time together had an expiration date, and in that split second, I was taken aback by the sting of my own emotions. My intention was to reassure Zoey, to communicate that the dynamics between the four of us were manageable.
But seeing her flash of concern made me confront a truth I’d been avoiding—the thought of our unique bond coming to an end saddened me more than I’d anticipated.
She reached out, her gloved fingers intertwining with mine. “Trust is fragile, I get it. But carrying that burden is hurting you, and continuing to hold a grudge won’t make the past go away.”
As we continued our walk through the snow-covered woods, the weight of my confession seemed to hang in the air between us. Zoey’s brow was knitted in thought as she tried to process my story.
“You know,” she began, her voice soft, “it’s not the same, but I’ve had my own issues with trust.” She paused, as if summoning the courage to share something personal. “Back in college, my best friend and I had a falling out. It was over something so trivial. She kissed some guy that I liked. We didn’t speak for almost two years.”
I squeezed her hand, encouraging her to continue.
She blinked away the frostiness in her eyes. “But when I swallowed my pride, and finally allowed her to apologize, I felt free. A giant weight had been lifted—that grudge was like a poison. We weren’t ever as close as we once were, but putting the past behind me was therapeutic.”
She looked up at me, her eyes searching mine for understanding. “You might not be ready to forgive your brother, and that’s okay. What he did was a huge betrayal. But don’t let it consume you. Don’t let his actions define the rest of your life.”
I took a deep breath, the cold air stinging my lungs. “Thank you, Zoey. I’ve kept that bottled up for so long. The guys know, of course, but they didn’t really know what to say other than agree that my brother is a dick. Maybe one day I’ll reach out to him and meet my nephew.”
Zoey smiled, her cheeks rosy from the cold. “Life’s too short for regrets. We make mistakes, we learn, and we move on.”
We walked for a while in comfortable silence, letting the words and emotions sink in. Occasionally, one of us would toss a playful snowball at the other, reigniting the laughter and warmth amidst the cold.
As we neared the trailhead, the ambiance of the woods began to change. The dense blanket of trees started to thin, and the faint echoes of distant conversations hinted at our proximity to the world beyond the woods.
The forest was gradually handing us back to the world. The golden rays of the setting sun refracted through the trees, casting an unusual light on the landscape, demanding one more photo.
The sheer beauty around me had my creativity sparking; Montana’s winter would undoubtedly be the muse for my upcoming series of paintings.
Zoey’s voice broke the silence once more. “Today was... unexpected. Unexpected, but wonderful! Getting lost, then getting deep. Check and check!”
I chuckled. “Thanks for listening.”
She smiled, giving my hand one last squeeze before releasing it as we approached Mason and Liam. Their conversation ceased as we joined them.
“Hey, guys,” Mason said as we caught up to them. “I just got a text. Two of my buddies found out I was here and rented another cabin in town. From the location he just shared with me, it looks like it’s less than half a mile from your cabin, Zo. I guess it’s a pretty big group—ten people. Although, I only know Nate and Trevor. Do you guys want to head over later?”
Nate and Trevor were good friends of Mason’s from college. I’d met them several times, and I liked them.
Liam and I both nodded, but said we’d leave the final decision up to Zoey.
“Sounds fun!” Zoey said, so the decision was made.
CHAPTER11
Mason
