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Chapters (48)
  1. 1. One
  2. 2. Two
  3. 3. Three
  4. 4. Four
  5. 5. Five
  6. 6. Six
  7. 7. Seven
  8. 8. Eight
  9. 9. Nine
  10. 10. Ten
  11. 11. Eleven
  12. 12. Twelve
  13. 13. Thirteen
  14. 14. Fourteen
  15. 15. Fifteen
  16. 16. Sixteen
  17. 17. Seventeen
  18. 18. Eighteen
  19. 19. Nineteen
  20. 20. Twenty
  21. 21. Twenty-One
  22. 22. Twenty-Two
  23. 23. Twenty-Three
  24. 24. Twenty-Four
  25. 25. Twenty-Five
  26. 26. Twenty-Six
  27. 27. Twenty-Seven
  28. 28. Twenty-Eight
  29. 29. Twenty-Nine
  30. 30. Thirty
  31. 31. Thirty-One
  32. 32. Thirty-Two
  33. 33. Thirty-three
  34. 34. Thirty-Four
  35. 35. Thirty-Five
  36. 36. Thirty-Six
  37. 37. Thirty-Seven
  38. 38. Thirty-Eight
  39. 39. Thirty-Nine
  40. 40. Forty
  41. 41. Forty-One
  42. 42. Forty-Two
  43. 43. Forty-three
  44. 44. Epilogue
  45. Afterword
  46. Also by
  47. Acknowledgments
  48. About Author

“You know we're going to have to talk about it sometime.”

And there it was. The dreaded conversation that I repeatedly prayed wouldn't happen. I was unsure how to answer. Did I know we had to talk about it eventually? Sure. Was I ready to tackle a past that I shoved deep, deep down right now? Not at all.

“I'm exhausted from my flight, Sarah. Can we do this another night?”

I need more time. Three years isn't enough.

She sighed and pulled away from the door frame, letting me in my room.

“Yeah, okay. I'm sure you need to rest. Just know I'm here whenever you're ready.” She tapped the doorframe with her knuckle and left with a sigh.

Part of me wanted to hash it out; I wanted to yell and scream for the whole house to hear. I wanted to tell her every single thing I’ve thought about for the last three years. Or tell her how she’s the reason I’m this shell of my former self. But the part of me that was reserved, shy, and timid knew that no matter how much I kicked, screamed, and yelled, the past is the past. It was unfortunate that this piece of it would always affect my future.

I opened my suitcase and pulled out my clothes for the night. I went through my rigid nighttime skincare routine with products that cost the majority of one paycheck. I used to not care so much about it; I was as low maintenance as you could get while still maintaining good hygiene. But, since I’d left Aspen, I took everything more seriously, including my skincare. Once I was oiled up and feeling like a wet seal in flannel pajamas, I climbed into bed. As I was drifting off, my phone buzzed. I opened it to see a new text along with another one that I definitely did not send.

Me: Hey, Handsome. Had a great first date. Let’s do it again soon!

Hottie in Seat 15B: Me too, babe. See you in the morning ;)

9. Nine

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I’d be lying if I said I didn’t spend my morning making sure everything was perfect for Olive and her family at the resort. I went through the locker room and found some skiwear that should fit Olive; we recently had a female instructor quit after being here for two days. She bought all this fancy gear and never so much as left a bunny slope in it. Once she was gone, we were stuck with me and my best friend, Cooper.

Coop started here a couple of years ago, around the same time I did. We hit it off immediately over our love for hockey, cars, and women. He has been my bromance soulmate ever since.