(rivals to lovers, small town, sports) (Season 2 ongoing) After a devastating Olympic loss puts her career in a downward spiral, an aging skier returns to her laid-back mountain hometown to rediscover her love of her sport and instead finds herself...
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Juniper stared at her spreadsheet, at the sad little numbers in her effort columns. At the note she'd written about the incident today. Her total fucking breakdown. God, her stomach was still shrivelled up with embarrassment.
Summer had agreed to have a training buddy and some nice orgasms. She hadn't signed up for what she'd done this morning. She hadn't signed up to be friends with an emotional wreck who couldn't keep it together to do her fucking job.
It didn't matter that while they sat together on the mountain everything had felt a little less heavy. A little more manageable. She might have become fond of Summer, but she couldn't ask her for that kind of labour.
The whole point of coming home to Crystal Peaks was to get over this nonsense. But what had she actually done to fix it? Taking a break from racing, meditation, positive thinking - none of it had helped. Time hadn't helped. This whole situation with Summer was a fucking crutch, and it still wasn't enough.
She was nowhere near ready to start racing again. At this rate, she never would be.
With a sigh, Juniper flicked her spreadsheet closed. Summer was still working on her knee exercises, her mother watching. After so long off her skis, the first few days back had really taken it out of her. She looked exhausted, dark hairs escaping from her high bun to stick against her damp neck, but her mouth was set in a determined line and her beautiful golden-brown eyes narrowed.
Juniper was addicted to that intensity. She was desperate to kiss Summer again, to touch her like that could let her be part of her magic for a moment. She was pretty sure that wasn't going to happen tonight, though. Even if Summer had been kinder about it than Bryn had, she knew that self-loathing was deeply unsexy.
Motion caught her eye near the door, and, well, shit. Speak of the devil. Holly had said the ski cross team would arrive tonight, but she hadn't expected to have to face them until tomorrow. Good thing she'd got her breakdown out of the way this morning.
Bryn and the ski cross teammate she'd come in with were both dressed for a workout. When she spotted Juniper, her green eyes widened before they softened in this really weird way. Like pity. Fuck.
Somehow, Juniper found a smile and a wave for her.
As Bryn strode toward her, Juniper set her tablet aside and pulled her hoodie on, fluffing the hood to hide the fading hickeys on her neck. This was going to be awkward enough without that conversation starter.
"It's good to see you," Bryn said in her textured Québécois accent, her hands lifting, then falling, like she had started to go in for a hug before deciding not to. "You look well."
Juniper laughed. "Why do you say that like a question?"
"After I read your interview, I've been worried about you."
That fucking interview. When a flurry of teammates had reached out to express their support, she'd bothered Anne-Sophie until she had admitted one of the coaches had sent around a link. She hadn't loved that. And she really didn't love having her ex-girlfriend in her gym, making her feel like she'd stepped back in time to that summer they'd spent here together. When she'd been so sure that this woman was her future.
