Chapter Twenty Four

      “So, Carter, where do you go to school?” Jake asked as we headed back to the lodge from ice-skating. I was proud of myself, I only fell twice; but, then again, both times Jake made sure to point it out to the other twenty some people in the rink.

      “UCLA,” Carter said, “how about you guys?”

      “Well I’m going to Harvard,” I said, thinking about how it would feel when I got my acceptance letter. Though I was merely a junior, Harvard University was were I belonged and planned to spend the years of my higher education.

      “Elle, don’t you kinda have to get in and apply first?” Jake questioned mockingly.

      “Jake, how’s your application looking?” I countered. “Oh, what’s that? You’re not applying?”

      “Funny, Elle,” his voice lacked any traces of humor.

      “I know, right?!” I laughed lightly. Jake was not applying to Harvard. He simply had no desire to go, a concept I deemed quite ludacris. 

      “So, you’re both in high school?” Carter summed up.

      “Yeah,” Jake answered for both us.

      “You both seniors?”

      “Nope,” Jake smirked down at me, “this child right here has another entire year ahead of her.”

      “Really? You look older,” the boy we had just met said, studying my face.

      “Yeah, I get that a lot,” I stared down, unsure of what to say, really.

      “So, are you two together?”

      “No! He’s my older brother’s best friend!” I said quickly, burying any suspicions. If I had been drinking something, I would have spewed everywhere in surprise of the accusation. Dating Jake Anderson... What a weird thing to think about. Besides, I was with Nick.

      “But we would totally make a cute couple,” Jake said, putting his arm over my shoulder.

      “No thanks,” I snorted.

      “Why not?”

      “I’m kind of in a relationship already,” I rolled my eyes.

      “Oh, come on! You’re in a relationship? Seriously? So, I have no chance with you?” Carter said.

      “Nope. Sorry, dude. Speaking of my boyfriend, I believe that’s him,” I said, pointing to Nick, as he and Phillip made their way into the lodge with the largest smiles on their faces that begged to compete with the one that was on mine as I saw them. Seeing others happy always made me happy.

      “I love skiing!” Nick said, pulling me into a freezing cold hug.

      “Yes, I am aware,” I said. “Carter, this is my boyfriend, Nick.”

      “I have to go,” Carter stated, nodding his head at Jake and I before disappearing.

      “So, what’d you guys do?” Nick asked once Carter was out of sight.

      “We went skating,” I said.

      “You went skating?” he repeated.

      “Yes,” I affirmed with a nod of my head.

      “Did you have fun?” was his follow-up question.

      “Elle fell. Ha! That rhymes,” Jake interjected, denying me the opportunity to answer.

      “How many times?” Nick laughed, disregarding his previous inquiry.

      “Only twice,” I said proudly.

      He smiled, looking at me fondly. “So, me and Phillip--”

      “Phillip and I,” I corrected him quickly.

      “Right… So, anyways, the two of us were thinking that we’d grab those three, and then leave, sound like a plan?” he went on.

      “Sure,” I said.

      “Jake, where’re you staying?” Phillip asked.

      “With Evan,” Jake answered, punching his brother’s arm.

      “OW! What was that for?” Phillip whined.

      “Being the younger brother. I’m going to go now, and I’ll probably see you guys later this weekend at some point, but for now-- bye!” Jake waved, leaving the three of us standing in the middle of the lodge silently.

      “NEVER AGAIN! NEVER, EVER AGAIN!” I heard Kara yell, as she entered the ski lodge.

      “WHY NOT?” John screamed back.

      “BECAUSE IT WASN’T FUN!” she said, as they came over to us.

      “What’re they arguing about?” Phillip asked Cameron, the calm one in the group.

      “Whether or not to go snowboarding again,” Cameron answered, sounding extra snooty with his accent.

      “Aw! Kara, you didn’t have fun?” Phillip mocked.

      “No, I did not!” she said, pouting, “I hate snowboarding!”

      “I liked it,” John said.

      “And how about you, Cameron?” Nick asked.

      “Snow’s not really my thing, I think I’m going to have to pass on it tomorrow,” he answered.

      “No! Don’t turn into a snow-hater like Elle!” Phillip said, sadness lacing his words.

      “Speaking of hatred, let’s go back to my house,” I said, walking away from them. I could hear them following closely behind, but didn’t feel like looking over my shoulder to see for myself.

I woke up the next morning in a slightly haze. Slowly, I got out of my warm bed of comfort, and stumbled my way into the bathroom to brush my teeth.

      “Hey, babe!” Nick said, as I jumped up in surprise that he was there.

      “Hi? What are you doing here?” I questioned.

      “Oh, well, last night we slept together in your room, and I’m leaving in twenty minutes, so I’m currently just brushing my teeth,” the words left his mouth easily.

      “Uh huh. Why did I let you sleep in the same room as me?” I arched a brow.

      “Because I’m awesome.”

      “Right. What are you doing today?”

      “Skiing with the boys,” he scoffed as it were obvious, which, in reality, it was.

      “What’s Kara doing?”

      “Meeting up with a friend on the slopes.”

      “What am I doing?”

      “Spending some quality time with your dear friend, Cameron,” a smirk grew on his smug face as he relayed the last bit of information to me.

      “Do I have to spend all day with him?” I groaned.

      “No; tonight, we’re going out to dinner with my parents,” the news hit me like a tennis ball coming out of nowhere.

      “We are?” I found myself saying.

      “Yeah. Oh! I kind of got you a dress to wear for then,” he smiled proudly.

      “You did?!” I asked skeptically. Though Nick was a relatively well-dressed individual, clothes were most certainly not his thing.

      “Well, Kara told me your size, and then my mom said that you’d like it.”

      “Oh no,” I grimaced before even seeing the article of clothing.

      “I put it in your closet. You should put it on before I get back, so that we can go quickly. Please,” he added the last bit as a bargaining plea. 

      “No.”

      “Elle, not for me, for Danni!”

      “Fine,” I said, grabbing my toothbrush, and brushing my teeth sleepily.

      After leaving the bathroom, I got dressed, and then prepared for my very awkward day that awaited with Cameron. The two of us, in a house, alone. It didn’t sound too fun to me, personally.

      “Bye, Elle!” Nick called, hugging me before Kara, John, Phillip, and he left.

      “Bye!” I returned.

      “Elle, don’t kill each other?” Kara pleaded.

      “I can’t promise that, sorry,” I laughed falsely. 

      “Be ready by five,” Nick said, as they left through the front door.

      “Whatever,” I mumbled, closing the door after them. Once I saw the car safely retreat from the driveway, I went into the living room, and started my math homework. I was such an amazing kid.

      “Ms. Paterson,” the devil himself said, as I felt the weight shift on the couch to the other side.

      “Cameron,” I said, not looking up from my paper.

      “How are you?”

      “Fine,” I said, wanting to end this conversation.

      “What are we planning on doing today?”

      “We are not planning on doing anything together,” my tone was cold-- unforgiving.

      “Oh? So that’s how you’re going to be? Fine. Two can play at that game. I’ll be right back,” he said, leaving.

      “Please don’t!” I called after him, plugging in for the day, with my beloved earphones, and pressing shuffle on my computer that was right in front of me. You’re Not Sorry, by Taylor Swift. I loved this song. I continued doing my homework, looking back and forth from my textbook to my paper.

      “So, Elle, let’s talk,” Cam said. I didn’t look up, but I could hear him sit in front of my in the chair.

      “What?” I asked, pretending not to hear him.

      “I want to talk,” he declared.

      “No.”

      “Yes.”

      “No.”

      “Yes.”

      “No.”

      “Yes.”

      “No.”

      “YES! Elle, we’re talking,” he declared finally.

      “Fine,” I took out one earphone, “What do you want to talk about?”

      “Us.”

      “US?” I repeated, looking up at him, “WHAT THE FU-HELL CAM!” He was just wearing a pair of basketball shorts, nothing else.

      “Yes, us,” he smirked, satisfied with my response.

      “Put a shirt on. NOW!” I demanded, sheilding my eyes from his toned body.

      “Sorry, couldn’t find one,” the smirk seeped through to his voice.

      “UGH! GO! Or I’m not talking!”

      “No,” he said in that dumb accent of his that made me want to throw something at him. Just because he had a British accent, did not make my authority inferior to his own. It was my house, damn it.

      “Go! Now!”

      “Oh, Elle; so persistent, yet another thing I love about you.” I cringed at the mention of the word love.

      “Go change,” I hissed.

      “Very well; but don’t tell me you don’t want to eat me alive right now.”

      “I don’t. I have a boyfriend. Go put a flipping shirt on!” I yelled.

      “Fine,” he said, exiting the room. I let out a pleased sigh, and resumed my boring math assignment that was eventually going to help me into Harvard one day.

      “Better?” he asked, returning to the room.

      I looked up to see he had put on a gray t-shirt, “Much,” I stated, satisfied.

      “Now, can we talk?” he questioned.

      “No.”

      “Elle, I love you,” he said.

      “Do you really want to go down this path?” I groaned, his words not meaning shit.

      “Yes, actually, I do.”

      “Okay, fine. If you love me why did you break up with me?” I raged calmly.

      “I was going home, what was I supposed to do? Keep a long distance relationship?” he shook his head.

      “Yes, actually; that’s exactly what you were supposed to do!”

      “Look, I’m sorry.”

      “You’re not sorry! If you were sorry you wouldn’t have done it in the first place!” my voice rose an octave.

      “What about you, Elle, if you had really loved me, why did you let me go?”

      “Don’t you dare turn this on me!” my lips pursed together in a furious line.

      “Elle, you can’t even begin to imagine how much it pains me when you act utterly hostile towards me!”

      “Oh no, I can.”

      “I’m sorry! What I did, yes it was wrong, not thought through; but I’m older now! I won’t make the same mistake again!” he tried.

      “You’re right you won’t; because you won’t be given the same opportunity again.”

      “Elle, do you love me?”

      I remained silent, his inquiry catching me off guard.

      “Elle, do you, love me?” he reiterated.

      “No,” I said harshly, giving him a glare as cold as the stupid skiers were at the top of the mountain.

      “Do you love him?”

      Once again, I was noiseless. Did I love Nick? Could I see us spending the rest of our lives together? Was I happy? Could I trust Nick? Most importantly, did Nick love me? I thought about all the questions that had been constantly drifting through my mind, over and over again. To put it simply, the answer to all those questions was yes. Yes, I loved Nick. I could totally see us getting married, having a family, and devoting the rest of eternity together. I was happy. Nick made me happy. I could trust Nick. I had known him since kindergarten, and I knew he would never let me down. But then, that last question kept lurking about in my thoughts: did Nick love me? Well, I could only hope.

      “Elle! Do you--” Cam started.

      “Yes,” I said.

      “You love him?”

      “I do.”

      “I’m sorry, Elle. I only wish I was the boy you loved. I screwed up, and it’s something I’ll have to live with for the rest of my life.” I merely nodded, realization setting in at what I verbalized: I loved Nick Ross.