When I wake the next morning, I’m oddly alert despite the tiring night I just had. I walk into the kitchen to find Brian making breakfast and I can’t help but smile. You do know that there’s an impending plan to kill you by some man you’ve never met?  I ignore my thoughts and give him a good morning kiss.

He kisses me back and narrows his eyes at me. “Why aren’t you running for the hills?” he asks, raising an eyebrow at me.

I sit on the stool at the kitchen’s island. “Can’t live life being scared,” I mutter, taking an apple from the fruit basket. “I’m a brave girl?”

He shakes his head at this and goes back to flipping the eggs in the pan. “A stubborn one,” he sighs. A moment later, breakfast is in front of me; eggs, bacon, and toast with some orange juice.

“Thank you, kind sir,” I grin at him and he winks at me. This one gesture almost sends me reeling off of the stool. I blush and keep my head down but I see his eyes on me. I peek up at him hesitantly and he has a mischievous smile on his face.

“You’re cute.” He laughs as my blush turns brighter and I look down at my food. “Eat up. You’re going to be late for work.”

-

When we get to my house, I almost break down when I see that Bronx’s body is gone. Brian informs me that he was picked up early this morning and is on the way to a crematorium in Calgary. He also tells me that he’s taken care of the bill and any other fees. His generosity and kindness is overwhelming, and I take a moment to just hug him. He holds me as I cry for Bronx, silently saying my goodbye to the best friend I grew up with.

I finally collect myself and get ready for work, my emotions numb. I’m quiet in the car and I can feel Brian’s eyes shift towards me from time to time. He takes my hand and squeezes it. “Are you sure you want to go to work today?” he asks.

I nod. “Yes,” I reply quietly. “I need to get my mind off of things.”

“Off of me? I’m sorry.”

I smile at him. “I couldn’t get you off my mind even if I tried.”

At this, his face breaks out into a grin. “You’re making me blush, Ms. Cartier.”

“Good! Now you know how I feel.”

He laughs and kisses my hand. “I’ll miss you all day, baby.”

My heart swells. I can’t believe he’s mine… finally mine. All of these months of wondering, beating around the bush, not knowing – and it’s come to this. Then, I’m reminded of last night’s events. Rooney, Jessica. I push it out of my mind. One day at a time. I at least want to enjoy this moment, even if it is short lived.

We reach Sunshine Village Resorts just when the shuttle bus approaches. I look over at Brian, not sure if I should give him a kiss goodbye in public. I know he’s thinking the same thing, so he squeezes my hand again. “I’ll be here, 4:30 on the dot,” he says and gives me a small smile.

When I get out of the car, Linda all but tackles me to the ground when she sees me. “Ohhh, I’ve missed you bestie!” she squeals and I giggle as she throws her arms around my neck. “How have you been?”

I smile weakly at her and shrug. She looks past me at Brian who is just pulling out of the drop-off curb. He waves at her and she waves back as he drives away. She raises her eyebrows at me and I shake my head, not wanting to tell her about us. Well, not really knowing if it’s safe to do so. Oh geez, a life of hiding. “Bronx passed away last night,” I tell her quietly as we walk up the steps toward the staff equipment building.

“No! Aw, I’m sorry, London.” She gives me a tight squeeze and I rest my head on her shoulder, thankful to feel the presence of a close friend.

“Can I see the ring?” I ask, wanting to lighten up the mood a little bit. My plan worked and she excitedly shows me the new diamond on her left ring finger. “You have to tell me how he did it!”

“Before I do that, I need to ask you something first,” she says and we stop walking, letting the other staff members walk past us. “London, since you moved here you’ve been one of my closest friends and confidants. You’ve been through it all with Renald and I. So, I wanted to ask you… will you be my maid of honour?”

I gasp, not expecting this at all. “Me? Really?” I ask incredulously and she nods her head excitedly. “Yeah, of course!” I can’t help the grin on my face as I give her a tight hug. “Oh, L. This is so exciting. Thank you for putting a smile on my face.” We walk arm in arm, grinning like fools. Finally, some good and exciting news.

-

The sound of wind rushing past my ears, the scrape of my snowboard against the now icy snow, the adrenaline rush as I go zooming past skiers. How I’ve missed this. I’m taking my frustrations and sorrow out with a few runs on the slopes. By the time I’m done, I’ve worked up a sweat despite the chill in the air. The snow is now coming down in large flakes, reducing the visibility up at the top of the highest run. I end up at the main lodge, warming myself up with a cup of hot chocolate. It’s almost the end of my shift and I can’t wait to get back home and spend some much needed quality time with Brian.

“Hey, friend,” a familiar voice comes up behind me. I smile up at Christian as he takes a seat in front of me.

“Hey, haven’t seen you all day,” I reply, offering him some of my hot chocolate.

He shakes his head. “No thanks.” Regarding me carefully, he touches my arm and says, “I heard about Bronx.”

I feel my heart sink and I sigh. “Yeah.”

“I’m sorry to hear, London.”

I manage a smile on my face. “I think I knew it was coming soon. He wasn’t as lively as he used to be, plus it was his time. I accept it.”

“Well, your favourite part of the day has come.”

I laugh softly. “What’s that?”

“Wreaking havoc on the ski-dos!” He grins and stands up, motioning for me to follow. “Just to cheer you up a little, let’s go have some fun!”

“You know what,” I say, standing up. “I would love to!”

By the time we get up to the highest peak, the visibility is impossible. The snow is coming down hard now, but Christian keeps going. We’ve been around the slopes a few times now, giving some people a ride back down to the main lodge safely and then coming back up to look for more people.

“Do you see anybody?” he calls out to me as we stop by the ski lifts. I squint, but it’s impossible to see anything through the snow and my snowboarding goggles. It’s eerily quiet up here; the lifts have stopped and there’s no sound but the wind.

“No!” I yell back. “Let’s head down now. I think it’s already past 4:30.”

“Wait!” he cries out suddenly and points to the left, away from the ski lift. “I see someone! They’re not supposed to be that far.” He takes off and I follow. By now, the ski-do is slightly digging into the fresh snow, which makes me nervous. These are no conditions to get stranded in. I reach for my walkie-talkie at my side and feel a little relieved knowing that it’s still there. We must’ve been riding for at least twenty minutes now, but I haven’t seen a single person.

“Christian!” I call out to him, but he doesn’t hear me. “Christian! I don’t think anyone is up here!” He continues and I have no choice but to follow. I can’t leave him up here by himself, it’s too dangerous.

We’re far from the slopes now, and I know that we’re no longer on Sunshine Village Resort properties. There are no trails, no flags, or signs to guide our way and I feel the panic rising in my throat. Okay, relax. Christian is here with you, he knows where he’s going. I can barely see him in front of me and I’m struggling to keep up. We’re up high, higher than I’ve ever been in the mountains. This is usually where all the free runners and adrenaline junkies go. It’s also Avalanche County. Finally, we stop and I’m hopeful that he’ll start going back now.

“Hold on, London,” I hear him say. “Wait here. I’m just going to look over that corner.”

What corner? But I don’t argue. “Okay,” I reply. “Hurry. It’s getting pretty dangerous up here.” He nods, looks over his shoulder at me, and then he’s off.

So I wait. And wait. And wait. After ten minutes, I’m starting to feel a little worried. No, a lot worried. There’s no sign of Christian and I have no idea where I am. I look around me – everything is white. Just pure white. No sign of anyone or anything. I swallow, feeling my breath quicken and my heart rate spike up. Then I see him, a silhouette on a ski-do. He’s racing back down the mountain and I stand up, squinting. He’s becoming a tiny black dot now.

“Christian!” I scream out and jump off the ski-do, running down the mountain. But I know it’s hopeless. He’s gone. “Oh my God,” I breathe and collapse on my knees into the snow. He left me here. That motherfucker. I stand up and look around me, not knowing what to do. I reach for my walkie-talkie and turn it on. Nothing but static. “Hello?” I call into the mouthpiece. “Can anybody hear me?” It crackles and dies and I throw it, frustrated. What the fuck do I do now.

I guess the smart thing to do would be to ride down the mountain as fast as I can and at least try to find my way back. I turn around and start making my way back to the ski-do. I’m a few feet away from it when, suddenly, I hear a loud ticking. I stop and stare. What could that be? A few seconds later, a blast echoes in my ear and I’m blown back a few feet onto my back. The soft snow breaks my fall and I scramble frantically onto my knees. My mouth drops open at the sight in front of me. The snowmobile is now up in flames, completely unrecognizable. The emergency backpack kit that is included is sitting just a foot in front of me, completely blown to pieces.

What. The. Fuck?