Into the Stars (USC Series Book #2)

chapter twelve

INTO THE STARS
———
BRINLEY

My legs and muscles ache. But in a way, that also makes me feel good. I have skied enough times to know the first day is always the hardest. Your body still needs to adjust to something that has been unfamiliar for however long. In my case, it has been at least two or three years since I skied last.

When I first got on the mountain this morning, my legs almost collapsed underneath me and I nearly lost my balance and fell on my ass a few times during my first run down the mountain. I got my sea legs back fairly quickly, going down numerous runs the rest of the day, feeling like I had returned to a place of peace.

Now it is almost dusk and Brooklynn just texted me, letting me know Aidan and her have reserved a table at the bar. For most of the day, Brooklynn and Aidan stayed to themselves. When they separated from us this morning after we picked up our equipment from the shop, Aidan was determined to finish today with Brooklynn, knowing how to snowboard. I am curious to see how that went.

Finishing my last run, Holden and Tyson follow closely after me. I kick off my skis and prop them up on the rack, along with the other sets of skis.

Holden pulls down his neck warmer, shivering dramatically. "Dude, it feels good to be back."

I don't know what I was expecting, but Holden and I are the only two that ski. Everybody else is a snowboarder. They outnumber us.

"I haven't been skiing in so long," I tell him, removing my goggles and unbuckling my helmet. My hair falls down onto my shoulders in the two braids I did this morning. During my years of skiing, I have found braids are the only thing that can sustain the whole day while skiing. "It feels so fucking good."

"Thank fuck you are also a skier. I felt like a lone wolf amongst the other guys the last time we went out on a trip," Holden says with a smile.

I chuckle just as Tyson approaches from behind Holden, having detached his snowboard from his feet now.

"Ready?" Holden tilts his head back to look at Tyson as he speaks.

Tyson nods, removing his helmet and goggles as well.

"God, I am fucking shattered," Tyson mumbles wearily. "That last run took everything in me to not collapse in the middle of the slope."

Holden pats Tyson on the back. "Just think of another week of this. How fun?" Holden asks sarcastically, eliciting a groan from Tyson as he rubs a tired hand over his face.

I laugh, staring back at them as they chat about the next week.

I approach the door of the bar, banging my feet on the concrete to rid any snow from my feet before walking in. There is something about walking in ski boots that is the most awkward thing in the world. As much as I love skiing, walking in the boots has got to be my least favorite thing ever.

Scanning the bar for Brooklynn or Aidan is hard, especially since people keep wandering around the place, blocking the short tables. I turn around, finding Tyson and Holden doing the same thing as me. Digging my phone out of my pocket, I find a text from Brooklynn.

Brooklynn - far left corner :)

"Far-left corner," I tell them, waving my phone to signal the text I just got. Tucking it back in my pocket, I follow her directions, looking every which way, searching for them.

There are a lot fewer people than I expected to be here in the bar tonight. I suppose it's because it is a Sunday night on a random week in February and all the people that had come up from the weekend are probably already making their way home by now. People still loiter around, though, and most of the tables are unavailable.