Saying I had a girlfriend felt odd, but comfortable. It may have started fake, but it certainly didn’t feel that way anymore.

Alea nodded her head, but there was still fire in her eyes.

So, I nodded back, stood up, and ruffled her hair with my hand. “Now, let’s go before those hooligans start an avalanche.”

***

I was putting the spare children's ski equipment up in their room when Cooper walked in with a bag in his hands.

“Hey, man.” I nodded to him, and he returned it.

I went back to hanging up skis and putting away the support bars, all with a small grin on my face.

“I’m assuming your girl is the reason you’re smiling like that.”

I laughed. “What makes you say that?” I questioned him.

“Mike from security called me yesterday and brought me these.” He removed some wrinkled clothes from the bag. “He thought they were mine since I am usually the one bringing girls here.” Coop held up my boxer briefs along with Olive’s white thong and said, “But I know good and well these aren’t mine.”

I couldn’t hold back my grin. I didn’t want to brag to Coop about Olive, especially after last night, but I certainly didn’t mind showing off that I got down in a hot tub with the most beautiful woman to ever walk through here.

“It was a good night.” I smirked and snatched the underwear from him.

“I bet,” he said, mirroring my grin. “I’m surprised to see you like this.”

“Like what?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. All relationshippy. Like you can’t wait to see her again. I don’t think you’ve been like this as long as I’ve known you.”

Receiving confirmation that my feelings for Olive had manifested physically in a way that even Coop noticed didn’t bring me the relief I’d hoped. Instead, it brought dread. Because I knew I was in love with Olive. And unfortunately, I knew her flight back to Florida hung over us like a storm cloud. But what was I supposed to do—ask her to stay? To move back to the town she hated coming to in the first place?

I wasn’t worth that. I was the one-night-stand guy. The guy you used to get over the ex. The guy who you could brag about to your friends the next morning then forget about.

I wasn’t the guy you moved across the country for. And Olive needed that kind of guy in her life.

“She’s pretty great. But she’s leaving soon, and I doubt we’ll keep in touch.” The words were acid in my mouth.

“Whatever you say, Finny,” Coop said.

“I mean. I can’t convince her to stay. What would she get out of that?”

He laughed. “You, you idiot. She would get you.”