Snowbound

by CJ Martín

  My mom held it together until we got to the airport before she started crying. My mind flashed back to my freshman orientation. She cried the entire hour and a half ride to the university.

  I hugged her, just like I had that day, and assured her that I would come home often and that she was always welcome to visit Colorado. She made me promise to weekly Skype sessions so we could plan the wedding. As far as I was concerned, she could plan the whole thing, but I agreed nonetheless.

  I spent only a few short weeks away from Seven Pines, but already my body has grown unaccustomed to the colder temperature. Pulling my jacket tighter, my eyes scan the boxes in front of me. The storage shed that we rented is already half full and the truck is still packed. Maybe I should’ve listened to Anders and rented two units just to be on the safe side.

  “How much stuff did you bring?” JJ’s voice echoes in the hollow of the truck.

  “A lot.” I smile as he bends to lift another heavy box labeled Books.

  He steps to the side to allow Anders to pass. I hear their voices as they walk away and drop the boxes in the storage shed. “You owe me, man.”

  Anders grunts as he drops the box he was holding next to JJ’s.

  “It’s not that bad, guys.” I make a show of gently placing my box on top of the stack they’ve made.

  JJ’s eyes scan the box I’ve just placed down and his eyes narrow. “Says the girl who is carrying a box of towels.”

  “Just think, we get to do this again in another six months or so.” Anders chimes in. My eyes widen in question. Six months? What’s he talking about?

  JJ groans. “Lucky me.” JJ moves with machine-like efficiency. One box to the next. I’ve been taking breaks.

  Anders doesn’t mind.

  JJ calls me on it.

  “Why you busting, JJ?” I ask him.

  He shrugs. “It’s fun.”

  I shake my head and turn back to the truck, still chuckling, but Anders grabs my hand. He spins me around to face him and pulls me into his embrace. He runs his nose up the side of my neck before his lips find mine. He kisses me, long and deep, and my body melts into his.

  “I have a confession to make,” he says.

  “Okay.” My voice drops.

  “I love you.”

  I release the breath I was holding. “I know.” I match his easy smile. “I love you too.”

  He smiles again. “I might have another confession to make.”

  “Uh oh. Should I be worried?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  I roll my eyes. “That’s not reassuring. Out with it, Vik.”

  He scowls. He despises when I call him Vik, and I admit I do it just to aggravate him. He inhales and exhales his words in a rush. “I may have bought five acres of land and I may have contracted someone to build our dream house.”

  My jaw drops. “What?”

  “Too presumptuous? I just thought if the job worked out here, we can’t live in JJ’s parents’ loft forever.”

  “What?” I repeat.

  “But if you’re not okay with it, we don’t—”

  I hold up my hand, effectively cutting him off. “When did you do all of this?”

  “When I came back two weeks ago.”

  “So you weren’t filing paperwork with the SSC?” If he lied to me we’re going to have a problem.

  “No, I did do that. I just… did this too.” His expression is sheepish.

  I smile, relieved. “Anders, this is amazing. Wow.”

  “Really?” He smiles wide.

  “Yeah.”

  “We meet with the builders next week. Top of the line, all the way. Whatever you want. Sky’s the limit.” His fingers caress my back.

  “I don’t know what to say.”

  “Say, you’re happy.”

  “I’m ridiculously happy. Elated. Ecstatic. Marvelous.”

  “Forever,” he whispers.

  “Forever.” I agree.

  A loud crash on the truck startles us both. Pulling back, I look into his eyes. “We should be helping him.”

  “One more minute.” Anders tugs me back into his embrace and I stumble forward.

  “Oh God.” JJ’s voice is loud in the small space. Our heads turn in unison to look at him. “By all means, don’t let me interrupt you. I enjoy moving boxes and boxes of your shit.” His eyebrows draw together in anger.

  “Sorry.” My tone is sincere. “We really appreciate the help.”

  “Whatever.” Dropping the box in hand, he heads back to the moving truck.

  “He’s mad.” I whisper to Anders.

  “Don’t worry about it. He’s been a real peach these past two weeks.”

  “He and Erika still aren’t talking?”

  He shakes his head. “You could say that. He’s not handling it well.”

  “Well… he is your friend.”

  Anders pinches my arm. “Hey, thought we worked that out.”

  “We did, but that doesn’t mean I can’t tease you about.”

  “Really, Gigs. You ever gonna let that go?” His smile lights up his face.

  “Don’t think so. See what you have to look forward to?”

  “A lifetime with you? Sounds perfect.”

  Vindicated. My chest puffs as I walk into Coach’s office. He startles in his chair, and his face hardens as he sees me. He’s still pissed that I didn’t take the deal.

  Coach admitted he was skeptical that the drugs were mine to begin with, but he had to err on the side of caution.

  For my part, I insisted on taking a drug test every week to prove my innocence. Unfortunately the results indicating lack of drugs in my system meant nothing to the SSC, since the drugs were found in my possession prior to any of the tests.

  Coach, along with my attorney, advised me to take the plea deal. It would’ve meant less time in terms of suspension, maybe even no suspension with community service, along with a reduced fine. But I wouldn’t. I couldn’t confess to something that I didn’t do. I refused, and that is why Coach has been exceptionally hard on me since I’ve been back.

  “Vik, we’re not running drills for another two hours. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

  Leaning over the front of his desk, I say, “I’m innocent.” I take a step back and sit down on the hard plastic chair. “I’ve always been innocent.”

  Coach blows out an exasperated breath. “Not again.” He hunches forward in his chair, rests his elbows on the desk and steeples his hands. “We’ve gone through this a dozen times. I believe you. Your drug tests all came back clean. You’ve kept yourself out of trouble. Your form’s never been better. But I don’t have control over the SSC, and as we both warned you—there’s no appeal.”

  I tip my head. “I know.”

  “Good, so why then are you here?”

  Reaching into my pocket, I find what I’m looking for. I throw the flash drive on the desk.

  “What’s this?” Coach reaches for the drive and spins the plastic in his hands.

  “Henrik Valoo getting what he deserves.”

  “What’d you do?” With shaking fingers he inserts the stick into the side port on his computer.

  My grin is sinister. “That’s the beauty of it. I didn’t do a thing. He fucked himself. It’s poetic justice really.”

  The files load and I watch as Coach’s fingers fly over the mouse, and make several clicks before the video loads. It’s not very good quality, but the voices are clear and the faces are recognizable.

  White noise fills the room before the voices begin speaking. “Told you it’d work.” Valoo’s voice booms.

  “Shhh,” the other says. “Never know who’s listening.”

  “Lighten the fuck up, man. The SSC already ruled. That loser is already suspended for the entire tournament next year. His sponsors will be sure to drop him. It’s a win-win all around.”

  “Yeah.” The other guy chuckles. “It did turn out well. It was foolproof really. Vik never locks his locker. Didn’t even have to pic
k a lock to plant that shit.”

  Valoo laughs. “Stupid fucker.”

  “Still can’t believe he didn’t take the deal.”

  “Of course he didn’t.” Valoo’s voice cuts the other guy off. “Told you he wouldn’t. Guy’s a pussy.”

  “Speaking of pussy…”

  Silence remains as the clip ends. The clock ticks loud for several seconds before Coach finally speaks. “How did you get this?”

  “Valoo’s girlfriend. She was following him for some time, thought he was cheating, and she caught this with her cell phone camera.”

  “What an idiot,” Coach says. My mouth hangs open. I’ve never heard him belittle another boarder before, at least not on a personal level.

  “Yeah.” No point arguing. Valoo’s a stupid motherfucker. “So do you think this is enough for the SSC to revoke the ban?”

  “Absolutely.”

  The breath whooshes out of me. “So it’s over?” All those months. All the fucking worry. It’s over.

  “Yeah, should be. I’ll demand a full retraction, fine reimbursement. Beth will need to contact your sponsors, create a positive publicity buzz…” He continues speaking, but my mind drifts. In some sick way I actually want to thank Valoo. If it weren’t for him I would never have been sent to Seven Pines. I never would have met Elena. I can’t even remember my life before her anymore.

  “I’ll have your attorney contact you to organize a statement for the press.”

  His voice pulls me back to the present. “Thanks, Coach.” I stand to leave, feeling the weight lift off my chest. I already feel lighter.

  “Vik.” I pause at the sound of my name. Coach nods at me. “You’re a good man. I admire that you didn’t take the easy way out.”

  My mouth drops open. Again. What?

  He continues. “Believe me, I was pissed. You’re the best boarder I’ve ever coached, and for you not to compete… it’d be a damn shame. But I can respect a man who stands up for what he believes in and doesn’t back down.”

  Shock. Did I hear him correctly? “Thanks, Coach.”

  “Now, get out of here. I’ve got some phone calls to make.”

  “Sure.”

  As I walk through the door, he calls me one last time. “Hey, Vik!”

  “Yeah?”

  “One last question. Did Valoo’s girlfriend ever catch him cheating?”

  I smirk. “I have the video, don’t I?”

  “Damn. Nothing like a woman scorned.”

  “Nothing, indeed.”

  “Do I even want to know?”

  My brows draw together, the corners of my lips pull into a slow, cocky grin. “Some things are better left unsaid.”

  I don’t even know where to begin! First and foremost, thank you for taking the time to read Anders’s and Elena’s story. I hope you enjoyed being wrapped up in their world as much as I did.

  As I sit down to write this section to express my gratitude, my mind drifts to all the celebrity award shows I’ve seen and all of the acceptance speeches given. I’m struggling to find the right words to communicate my thoughts, and I have much more compassion for all those celebrities—this is difficult! How can I possibly convey how grateful, how honored, how touched I am to have had the opportunity to share my writing with you all?

  With that being said, I will try my best and please forgive me if I forget someone, and know that each and every one of my readers has a special place in my heart. I cannot thank all of you enough.

  To my wonderful editor, Bree Scalf, I am so grateful that I found you. I truly believe that everything happens for a reason and though it seems that I randomly came across a thread that recommended your company, I know it was fate! Thanks for mentoring me, helping build my confidence, and acting as a sounding board. You have made my writing better and I (and my readers!) thank you for it!

  To Hang Le, my graphic designer who designed a beautiful cover that captured the essence of the story, despite my adamancy that there be no people! Both the cover and author logo you created are beautiful. Thank you!

  To Megan Smith, a talented writer in her own right, for taking a chance on me and guiding me in this self-publishing process. I cannot thank you enough for your thoughtfulness and kindness. Thanks for taking me under your wing and inviting me to hang with the “cool kids.”

  To all my beta readers, thank you for taking the time to read my story, provide constructive feedback, and help shape Snowbound into the story it is today.

  To my grandmother, thank you for being such a wonderful role model in my life. You inspire me every day to be a better person and I am extremely blessed to have you in my life for so many years.

  To my mom—no, you still can’t read my books—for supporting me and believing in me. You are an amazing woman. Thank you for all you do.

  To both my sisters, thank you for all your encouragement and support. It means the world to me. And who knows, maybe one day you’ll get your beach house!

  To Glam Girl—you know who you are—you are one of the best friends a girl could have. You were my first reader, and it’s because of you that I took the step and shared my writing with the world. Thank you.

  To the many friends (both local and online) who provided encouragement and kind words and have helped spread Anders’s and Elena’s story. I cannot thank you enough. Extra special thanks to Marianne, Allie, and Cat for creating the beautiful teasers to accompany this story – they are brilliant!

  And last, but certainly not least, to my amazing, wonderful husband. You are my rock, my best friend, and the person who has my back no matter what. Thank you for the countless hours of listening to me rambling on about my characters, my books, my social media, and whatever else I feel the need to obsess about! I am so grateful to share this life with you. I love you.

  So as I sit here, wiping the tears from my eyes, I realize that if this were a Grammy acceptance speech, the music would have started playing and I would’ve been ushered off the stage hours ago, but luckily for me, it’s not! And if you made it all the way to the end, please know that you, dear reader, are the one who has made all this possible. I thank you from the bottom of my heart and look forward to receiving your feedback. <3

  CJ Martín lives in Pennsylvania with her wonderful husband and her adorable (sometimes infuriating) dog, Albert. She is an avid reader and has been known to spend her days ignoring her responsibilities while engrossed in a good book. She enjoys traveling and yoga. Snowbound is her first book.

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