Saved by the Blizzard: A romantic winter thriller (Tellure Hollow Book 2) (15 page)

“It matters to me,” she snapped. “I might’ve just watched one of my roommates die right in front of me, so I’d like to—”

I climbed a couple of stairs so we were eye level, gripping the railing more to control my anger than my balance. “I’m not fucking spying on you, Liz. I heard the call come over the police scanner.” As if on command, the sounds of police sirens grew closer. “Unlike you, I can’t just pick and choose when someone matters to me. I was afraid something might’ve happened to you,” I said, heat rising up my neck to my cheeks. Her mouth fell open and I resisted the memory of how her lips felt against my own. “I’m sorry for giving a shit, but now that I see you’re well taken care of, I’ll leave you alone...Beth.”

I was surprised by my own anger but not as much as she was. What did she expect? As much as I cared for her, as much as I worried about her well-being, even I had a breaking point. Her mouth worked as if trying to find the right words.

“Lizzie, do you know where Steve went? I can’t find—oh,” Kayla said from above. She was obviously freaking out but took the time to glare at me. Good to see her disdain hadn’t diminished over the weeks.

“You better get back,” I said as I turned and headed back down to my truck. “Those drugs won’t clean up themselves.”

As I drove back to the house, passing two squad cars on the way, it felt like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. She made her choice, leaving me without one. If she wanted to be with that asshole, it was completely up to her. At least now I could focus on my own life again, finally accepting she was moving on with hers willingly.

____________

I woke up the next morning feeling better than I had in weeks. Not quite Liz-in-my-arms good, but better than hungover and hating myself. I’d gotten my first alcohol-free sleep in a long time and felt fully rested. As I waited for the coffee to brew, I stood at the window and saw a fresh snow had fallen at some point during the night. Only an inch or two covered my truck, but it was enough to invoke a rare flutter of excitement.

“Could be a good powder day?” I said to myself. Walt wasn’t expecting me in the shop until later that afternoon. I could grab a quick breakfast and hit the slopes. I tried to ignore how busy it was going to be on a Saturday and embrace the enthusiasm I’d rarely felt since my accident. I genuinely wanted to go skiing.

As I poured myself a cup of coffee and stared at my gear, I remembered that Dave in the pro shop had told me he’d set aside a new pair of K2s he wanted me to test. I smiled at the memory. Dave was one of the few people I’d encountered who still saw me as a professional skier, beyond the hype, beyond the drama. He and I connected because of a love of the sport, not because of some fame obsession.

I made my mind up. I was going to go skiing.

____________

I stared down at the jet black skis in wonder. They were amazing. Gorgeous. Easily the most expensive skis I’d had on my feet in forever. Even in the two years I’d been away from the sport, the technology had grown in leaps and bounds. The material was light and amazingly flexible, which would make it easier for me to coast through deep powder. With these, I didn’t have to stick to the groomed trails if I didn’t want to.

“Steep and deep,” Dave had said with a wicked grin.
Maybe not quite yet, but I do like the way these look on my boots.

I adjusted my helmet and gloves and was just about to push off to the lifts when a familiar voice spoke behind me.

“Aren’t those fancy?”

I looked over my shoulder to see Kayla standing on the deck, between me and the entrance to the pro shop. She had a puffy white jacket on, the fake fur of the hood ruffling in the wind behind her. With one eyebrow raised, she looked me up and down.

“Apparently you still have enough in the bank to splurge on the latest gear, huh? I
know
Walt doesn’t have anything like that in his cluttered old shop.”

I squinted at her, trying to figure out what it was she wanted. She’d never willingly spoken to me and even then, was never pleasant. When I thought on it, she wasn’t exactly being pleasant now. “A friend hooked me up,” I said flatly.

“Oh, how nice for you,” she replied with equal emotion. We regarded each other in silence for a few moments.

“Is there something you wanted to talk to me about?” I finally said shattering the silence.

“Yeah. Stay the hell away from Liz.”

“Done,” came my quick reply. She seemed surprised, like she’d been gearing up for a fight that wasn’t going to happen. Like a dog with a bone, she just couldn’t seem to let it go.

“I mean it,” she said with her hands on her hips.

“So do I.”

“You aren’t good for her.” She really wanted to instigate something, didn’t she? I did my best to not rise to the bait.

“Whatever you say.” I watched a muscle in her jaw twitch. This girl was used to getting exactly what she wanted. Why was she picking a fight with me even when I flat-out agreed with her?

“I don’t appreciate the way you screwed with her head. She’s been through a lot, you know. She’s only just now starting to act like herself again.” She pulled her hair out of the hood and flicked it down her shoulder. “I’m just trying to protect her.”

I couldn’t help the laugh that came from my throat. With everything I knew about Kayla, her money, her business, her flagrant disregard for Liz’s safety, it was almost impossible for me
not
to laugh. Unfortunately, it was just the thing Kayla had been angling for.

“You think that’s funny?” she said with a waggle of the head.

“Yeah, actually I do. I know what she’s been through, too. And I know what Steve,” I said with insincerity, “is and was, regardless of what his current driver’s license says.” I shouldn’t have fallen for the obvious trap but I couldn’t help it. The way she and Noah and that asshole walked around like they were above it all, like life had no chance of biting them in the ass.

She stepped forward, any playfulness gone from her eyes. For the first time, I saw what Liz had always hinted at. Kayla wasn’t just a woman who was used to getting what she wanted. She was the kind of woman who made sure she got what she wanted, at any cost. I thanked my stars she wasn’t the size of Rick or I would’ve already been cold in the ground.

“You don’t know half of what you think you know,” she said in a low voice.

I groaned when I saw Noah emerge from the lodge. “Do I have a fucking asshole magnet stuck to me somewhere?” I said patting my jacket. “Did you plan this?”

He looked so out of place in his wingtip shoes and pressed shirt. Striding forward with purpose, he smirked and called out, “Thought you should know, I’m pressing charges for that little stunt you pulled last night.”

I was completely taken aback. “Charges? What, trespassing? I’m sure with your impending murder trial, it’ll be your top priority,” I answered at top volume. A few spectators turned to look.

“You trying to add slander and defamation of character, too?” Kayla laughed.

I planted my poles in the snow and leaned forward, looking at one face and then the other. With how self-involved they were, I shouldn’t have been surprised. “You don’t actually know, do you?” Their blank expressions said it all. “She died last night...your roommate? Morgan was her name, in case you didn’t know.” Finally, it sunk in. They shared a worried glance but swiftly recovered.

“Someone would’ve notified us,” Noah said confidently.

“Oh, I’m sure you’ll be hearing from the police soon enough,” I replied bitterly. “I can’t believe someone dies at your house, because of the drugs you probably gave her,” I said in a low whisper, “and you have the
balls
to talk to me about trespassing? How fucking deluded are you?”

Noah’s face contorted with childish rage. “You have no right—”

“You know what?” I held my hands up, poles dangling from my wrists. “I don’t care anymore. You all deserve each other. I told you. I’m done.” I reached up and pulled my goggles down, defiantly gliding away without another word.

“Love those skis,” she called out. I glanced back to see her fake smile and mock wave.

It’s funny, isn’t it, the things that grab our attention when we least suspect? As I climbed onto the chair lift, that last phrase looped through my mind.
You all deserve each other
. The thing was, I didn’t really believe it. The things that made Rick, Noah, and Kayla such horrible people, Liz simply didn’t have. I saw nothing but selfishness from the others but she had a genuine heart. Unfortunately, she was guilty by association. There was a good person in there, I knew it.

Despite my declaration, I decided I was going to give it one more go. I had to find a way to corner her, alone, and in a place she had to listen. If she still didn’t care after that, I’d walk away with my conscience clear.

____________

Later that afternoon as I was throwing my bag into the cab of my truck, I got a call from Walt.

“I’m coming, I’m coming. I’m not even late, old man,” I said with a laugh.

He grunted. “Don’t bother. Giving you the day off and you’ll have plenty more, I reckon, so get used to it. Store’s shut. Had a break-in last night. Didn’t even hear it and I live upstairs.”

“Wait, seriously?”

“As a heart attack.” The resignation in his voice was so unfamiliar. “Even if the place weren’t trashed, they took so much stock, I wouldn’t see the point in opening.”

“Jesus man, I’m sorry. I can come and help clean up.”

“Naw, don’t worry about it. Police still have to go in and do their thing.” He released a long sigh. “I haven’t allowed myself to think this yet, but talking with you...”

I climbed inside and shut the door, sitting in the cold seat. “What is it?”

“This was retribution, for what we did with you. Don’t ask me why, but I know deep in my bones this was Richards. That petty bastard just tried to cut off my balls.”

“I don’t understand why anyone has to move in at all,” Kayla pouted. “It’s not like Noah
needs
the money or something. Steve could just move in.”

I nearly choked on my wine. “Um, no,
Steve
can’t move in.” I watched the busty blonde carry her bags in through the front door. She glanced up at us and smiled nervously. I realized how aggressive we must’ve looked, perched in the kitchen watching her lug stuff in. Offering to help with her bags probably would’ve triggered the third world war. I felt guilty, but since Morgan’s death, I wasn’t really feeling much of anything. After my tears had run dry, a quiet numbness settled into my soul. I think a part of me died with her that night...I shook the thought from my mind. “Besides, the house has been really quiet this past week. Might be nice to have people around again.” I gave the girl a little wave before she disappeared down the hall.

“Shouldn’t we have at least had a say in it?”

“It’s his house,” I reminded her as Noah entered the front door. He was carrying the tiniest bag, but it qualified as the most manual labor I’d ever seen him perform. He’d insisted on being here to welcome the new roommate, a gesture that hadn’t been offered to anyone but Busty McGee back there. Kayla’s face scrunched as he looked right past us, practically skipping down the hallway after the new girl. Rick walked in behind and spotted us immediately.

“Ladies,” he said with a smile. “Whoa there, Sin. You’re shootin’ freakin’ lasers from your eyes. What did I do?”

Kayla huffed and crossed her arms, looking away. “Nothing.”

Rick winked at me as he came closer, like a parent trying to coax a child from a bad mood. I didn’t want to conspire anything with him but to keep the peace, I smiled in return. “She’s a little put out by our new roommate.”

“That walking pile of silicon?” he laughed. I didn’t react at all but he looked up and gave a very insincere, “No offense.” He rubbed Kayla’s shoulder with one hand, stooping down to get closer. “She’s got nothing on you, sweetheart. You have more sex appeal in your pinkie toe than she could ever dream of.”

Kayla laughed a little and pushed his hand away. I hated how his compliments actually sparked a twinge of jealousy in me. I’m not sure where it came from, but the two of us had always competed for his attention and approval. Probably something he orchestrated himself, but it was there nevertheless. “Shut the hell up. She’s a walking wet dream and I know it.” She continued to pout while taking a sip of wine. “He shouldn’t flaunt it in front of me like that. Not very respectful.”