The brief camaraderie Jules and I experienced at the clinic
fizzled less than twenty-four hours later, when I arrived at the airportโs private jet terminal to find her looking bright- eyed, bushy-tailed, and all too smug about beating me to the airport.
โYouโre late.โ Jules sipped her coffee. No doubt it was a caramel mocha with extra crunch and oat milk because she was lactose intolerant and hated the taste of almond milk.
So predictable.
โWe havenโt boarded yet, which means Iโm not late.โ I dropped into the seat opposite hers and frowned at her outfit. Yoga pants and boots, topped with a fuzzy purple jacket and giant sunglasses sheโd propped on top of her head. โWhere the hell did you get your jacket? Barneys R Us?โ
โI wouldnโt expect someone who showed up to the airport inย sweatpantsย to understand fashion.โ Julesโs eyes flicked toward the sweatpants in question, and my irritation melted into smug satisfaction when she lingered a second too long on a certain area.
โTake a picture. It lasts longer,โ I drawled.
Her eyes snapped up to mine. โThanks for the offer, but Iโm just thinking about how easy it would be to cut your prized possession off.โ She smiled. โSleep tight this
weekend, Joshy. You never know what goes bump in the night.โ
I didnโt bother responding to her ridiculous threat, but my eyebrows popped up when she picked up the small white paper bag next to her and tossed it at me without warning.
I caught it easily, my reflexes honed from years of sports.
I opened the bag, and my eyebrows rose higher when I saw the blueberry muffin sitting at the bottom.
โIn return for the cupcake.โ Maybe the lighting was playing tricks on me, but I thought I spotted the faintest pink tint on Julesโs cheeks. โI donโt like owing people.โ
โIt was a cupcake, JR, not a loan.โ I shook the bag. โDid you poison this?โ I asked, mirroring her question from yesterday. โAva will be upset if her beloved brother drops dead during her birthday trip, which means Alex will be upset, which means youโll be dead.โ
Her sigh contained the weariness of a thousand ages. โJosh, eat the damn muffin.โ
I debated for all of two seconds before I shrugged.
What the hell. There were worse ways to go than death by blueberry.
โThank you,โ I said grudgingly.
I ripped off a piece of the pastry and popped it in my mouth while my eyes roved the terminal. โWhereโs the happy couple?โ
โProbably whispering sweet nothings to each other over breakfast.โ Jules tilted her head toward the fancy-looking restaurant further down the terminal.
I snorted at the thought of Alex whispering sweet anythings to anyone, even my sister. โYou didnโt join them?โ
โDidnโt feel like third wheeling.โ โThatโs never stopped you before.โ
Instead of responding, she eyed me over the rim of her cup, a small notch forming between her brows. โIs it weird for you?โ she asked. โGoing on a trip with Alex.โ
I paused, my jaw tensing for a second before I resumed chewing. โIt is what it is. Ava asked, so Iโm here. The end,โ I said after I finished eating.
A taut silence stretched between us, ripe with unspoken words.
Jules lowered her drink before raising it to her mouth again, like she wanted to shield herself from what she was about to say next. โYouโre a good brother.โ
No snark, only sincerity, but the words hit me somewhere south of my gut.
โYour sisterโs in the hospitalโฆโ โAlmost drownedโฆโ
โIโm sorry son, but your momโฆshe overdosedโฆโ
โHe lied to us.โ Tears streaked Avaโs cheeks. โHe lied to both of us.โ
โJoin us for the holidays.โ I clapped a hand on Alexโs shoulder. โSpending Christmas alone is just wrong.โ
โIโd feel better if I had someone I trusted looking after her, ya know?โ
โYouโre the only person I trust, period, outside of my family. And you know how worried I am about Avaโฆโ
Disjointed memories crowded my brain. Was I a good brother?
I hadnโt been there when Ava almost died,ย twice. Iโd been too blind to see the truth about our father all those years. Iโdย looked upย to the man, did everything I could to make him proud. And Iโd all but pushed Ava into Alexโs arms because, once again, Iโd trusted someone who ended up betraying me.
In the end, Alex and Avaโs relationship worked out, but I would never forget the months when she walked around like a shell of herself. Quiet, withdrawn, and devoid of the spark that made herย her.ย Every day, I woke up fearing I
would find her the way Iโd found our momโwith too many pills in her stomach and not enough will to live.
All because I was too goddamned stupid and placed my trust in people I shouldnโt have.
I knew it technically wasnโt my fault that Michael tried to kill Ava, or that my mom committed suicide, or that Ava fell in love with Alex. But that was the thing about guilt. It didnโt give a damn about facts or reason. It sprouted from the tiniest seeds of doubt, slipped through the cracks of your psyche, and by the time you realized what the ugly darkness oozing through your veins was, itโd already burrowed itself so deep you couldnโt dig it out without losing a part of yourself.
โJosh.โ Julesโs voice sounded mu๏ฌed and far away. โJosh!โ
It was louder and clearer this time, enough so it yanked me out of my thoughts and back into the sun-drenched terminal.
I blinked, my heart slamming against my ribcage with such force it rattled my bones. โYeah.โ
The notch between her brows deepened, and something akin to concern passed through her eyes. โIโve been calling your name for the past five minutes. Are youโฆokay?โ
โYeah,โ I repeated. I raked a hand through my hair and forced myself to take deep breaths until my heartbeat slowed to a normal rate. โJust thinking about some things.โ
It was the lamest reply I couldโve given, but Jules didnโt call me out on it. Instead, she stared at me for a minute longer before she flicked her eyes over my shoulder and said, โAlex and Ava are here.โ
I twisted my head in time to see the couple in question come into view.
โHey!โ Ava broke away from Alex and hugged me. โYouโre on time.โ
โWhy does everyone think Iโm not punctual? I am,โ I grumbled.
I swear, youโre late toย oneย party and suddenly everyone thinks you make a habit out of it.
โSure.โ My sister patted me on the arm before she addressed the group at large. โYou guys ready to board?โ
โYep.โ Jules stood and tossed her empty drink into a nearby trash can. โLetโs do this.โ
She and Ava fell into step ahead of me and left me with Alex, who I greeted with a stiff nod. โAlex.โ
โJosh.โ His face was blank, per usual, but the tense set of his shoulders suggested I wasnโt the only one who had qualms about this weekend.
I could only hope we all made it out intact.
 |
By the time we landed in Vermont an hour and a half
later, Iโd drowned my anxieties about the weekend with two mimosas, hold the orange juice, courtesy of the private jet service.
A black Range Rover waited for us outside the airport, which was only a thirty-minute ride to the resort, and Ava spent most of the drive detailing the resortโs luxury amenities: a world-class spa, two gourmet restaurants, the famed triple black diamond, and a bunch of other things I tuned out.
All I cared about was the ski trail.ย My first triple black
diamond. It was going to be epic.
I was itching to drop off my luggage and hit the slopes, but unfortunately, we hit our first snag before we even checked in.
โWhat do you mean, the lodge is occupied?โ Icicles dripped from each word as Alex glared at the poor front desk assistant. Henry, according to his name tag.
โIโm terribly sorry, Mr. Volkov, but it appears there was a mix-up in the system, and we double-booked this weekend.โ
Henry gulped. โThe other guests arrived last night and checked in.โ
โI see.โ Alexโs voice dropped another ten degrees. โSo where, exactly, are we supposed to stay, considering I already shelled out aย considerableย sum of money for the Presidential Lodge?โ
Henry gulped again and tapped furiously on his computer.
Ava tugged on Alexโs hand and whispered something in his ear that caused his shoulders to relax, though he kept his glare pinned to Henry.
I leaned against the counter, not dumb enough to open my mouth while Alex was on the warpath. Even Jules was silent, though that might be because she was too busy eye fucking some guy across the lobby.
I gave the guy a quick once-over. Blond hair, unnaturally white smile, the same pale blue shirt and khakis as the rest of the resort staff. Iโd bet my last dollar he was a ski instructor. He just had that annoying, eager look.
โPut your tongue back in your mouth, JR. Youโre drooling.โ
โI donโt drool.โ Jules smiled at Ski Bro, who smiled back.
Irritation curled in my stomach. It was the resortโs grand opening weekend, and he was loitering in the lobby, flirting with guests. Didnโt he have a job to do?
โThereโs one VIP lodge left,โ Henry said. โThe Eagle Lodge isnโt as big as the Presidential Lodge, but it has the best view and the same amenities. Of course, weโre happy to refund you for the difference in pricing as well as include a complimentary meal and spa gift card to make up for the inconvenience.โ
If Ava werenโt here, I was sure Alex wouldโve ripped the guy a new one, but all he said was, โHow much smaller is the Eagle Lodge?โ
โIt has two bedrooms instead of four.ย Butย the couch in the living room can be converted into a bed,โ Henry
hastened to add when Alexโs brows lowered.
โItโs fine.โ Ava placed a hand on Alexโs forearm. โItโs just for the weekend.โ
Alexโs nostrils flared before he acquiesced with a short nod. โThe Eagle Lodge is fine.โ
โGreat.โ Henryโs relief was palpable. โHere are the key cardsโฆโ
I shifted my attention back to Jules while he gave instructions on how to get to the lodge.
โYou done having sex in the lobby?โ
Jules wasย stillย silently flirting with Ski Bro, but she tore her eyes away from him at my comment. โIf you think Iโm having sex right now, itโs no wonder women leave your room unsatisfied.โ
Touchรฉ.
A small smile played on my lips. If adventure sports were my physical release, sparring with Jules was my mental one. Nothing else gave me quite the same rush.
โWomen leave my room feeling all sorts of things, but I guarantee unsatisfied isnโt one of them.โ
โThatโs what men always think,โ she scoffed. โI regret to inform you theyโre probably faking it.โ
โI can tell the difference between a fake orgasm and a real one, JR.โ
โSo youโre saying womenย haveย faked orgasms with you.โ Her voice was all sugar and arsenic.
โMy first few times.โ I wasnโt embarrassed by the fact. Everyone started at zero. โBut practice makes perfect. Maybe youโll find out for yourself one day, if youโre lucky.โ
Jules gagged as we followed Alex and Ava out of the lobby to our lodge. โDonโt make me throw up. We just got here, and I despise vomit.โ
A laugh rumbled in my throat. She was so fucking easy to rile up.
But when we arrived at the lodge, my laugh died in the face of hiccup number two: the pullout couch was not, in
fact, a pullout. It was just a damn couch, which meant there were only two rooms for the four of us, and every possible pairing sounded worse than the last.
โI can room with Jules.โ Ava slanted an apologetic glance in Alexโs direction. โYou and Josh can share.โ
โNo.โ I would rather swim naked in the icy river bordering the resort than room with Alex.
โWhatโs the alternative?โ she argued. โI donโt want to spend all day debating room assignments.โ
There were only two other options. I could room with Ava or Jules. If I roomed with Ava, Alex and Jules would have to be roommates, and that was fucking weird.
โIโll share with JR.โ I jerked my head in Julesโs direction. โYou and Alex take the master. The guest bedroom has two beds, so weโll make it work.โ
It wasnโt ideal, but it was the least terrible choice.
Jules echoed my sentiment with as much enthusiasm as a mouse entering a snakeโs cage.
โYou sure?โ Ava was fully aware of the animosity between us, and she was probably picturing us murdering each other in our sleep.
It wasnโt out of the realm of possibility.
โYep. Letโs just get this over with so we can hit the slopes.โ We wouldnโt be in our rooms much, anyway. I could just turn in for the night and pretend Jules wasnโt there.
Unfortunately, the universe and its fucked up sense of humor had different plans.
When we opened the door to the guest bedroom, we were greeted with hiccup number three, AKA the worst thing Iโd ever seen in my entire life.
โNoย fuckingย way,โ Jules said at the same time I growled, โYouโveย gotย to be shitting me.โ
Because sitting smack dab in the middle of an otherwise beautiful room, piled high with fluffy pillows and a luxurious navy comforter, was a four-poster bed.
Bed.ย Singular. As in, there was only one.
And I had to share it with Jules Ambrose.
Kill me now.
