Chapter 5
Mia volunteered to teach me.
“Beginners fall a lot, let me show Sage the ropes.”
Kieran glanced at her and nodded: “Mia’s really good, stick with her.”
He trusted her.
Seeing their intimate eye contact up close, I finally understood-some gaps are like unbridgeable chasms.
Even if I built a ladder to the clouds, I couldn’t reach a single thread.
Mia led me toward the beginner slopes but suddenly veered off midway, heading for a steep edge where
nobody went.
“There are too many people over there, let’s find somewhere quieter.”
I didn’t object.
I knew she had something to say to me.
When I was paying earlier, Kieran kept staring at me.
But she kept staring at Kieran.
I wanted to hear what this girl-who’d also been playing me for a fool-would actually say.
If possible, I wanted to tell her something too.
You’re already amazing. Even without these nasty schemes and girl-on-girl competition, you could get plenty
of love.
But she didn’t give me that chance.
Mia grabbed my hand, her voice turning cold and menacing:
“You heard everything that night, didn’t you?”
“I saw you hiding by the door like a rat in the gutter.”
I gripped my ski poles tighter but didn’t answer.
Mia sneered: “I figured you’d end things yourself. Never thought you’d be so shameless, clinging to Kieran even when you know he’s playing you.”
“Do you have ANY idea how much Kieran despises you?”
“He said you’re old, ugly, and dirt poor-even buying your underwear from dollar stores.”
“That scarf you gave him? He tossed it to my dog Bruno.”
The edge of the slope was right ahead-beyond it was a bottomless snow pit.
But Mia wasn’t stopping.
I realized what she was planning and tried to break free, but I couldn’t shake her off.
“You’re INSANE!”
Mia laughed coldly and suddenly sped up, ramming straight into me.
Sharp pain exploded from my chest.
I tumbled uncontrollably into the snow pit.
My ears felt waterlogged, but I could dimly hear Mia screaming above:
‘Ahhhh! My leg!”
Noisy sounds quickly approached-seemed like a bunch of people had gathered.
They were shouting Mia’s name. Must be that group of friends.
‘She pushed me!” Mia sobbed dramatically. “I was just trying to teach her, but she deliberately hurt me!”
lay at the bottom of the pit, sharp pain shooting through my right leg, snow filling my collar, shivering
rom the cold.
I tried to climb up, but the snow was too soft-every struggle just made me sink deeper.
wanted to deny it, but when I opened my mouth, blood frothed out.
I could only look up, hoping Kieran would come check on me.
But he didn’t.
None of them did.
The footsteps quickly faded away.
hey just forgot I existed, leaving me abandoned at the bottom of the pit.
ust the, my phone buzzed-text from Kieran:
You’re so fucking cruel. Mia was just trying to teach you to ski. Did you really need to do this just because ou’re jealous she got close to me?]
I was so wrong about you.]
read those two messages over and over.
y the fifth time, I suddenly figured it all out.
To matter how much I struggled or hesitated, no matter what excuses I made for myself, the end result
Would always be Kieran tossing me aside like garbage.
le wouldn’t even believe me.
low could he ever love me?
waited in the snow pit until it was completely dark.
hen my phone rang again-still Kieran.
Mia’s birthday party is tonight at Aspen Ridge Lodge, come apologize.]
laughed and called Kieran’s mother:
Director, it’s me.”
Can you pick me up at the north slope of the ski resort? I’ll text you the location.”
We need to get to the research center ASAP. I think my condition’s getting worse.”
he agreed quickly.
After hanging up, I deleted all of Kieran’s unread messages.
Above the snow pit, aurora-like neon lights flickered in the night sky.
Such a shame, I thought.
I was supposed to see the real thing with him in Iceland.
If we ever meet again, I’ll have to call him “little brother.”
