CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER TEN
ETHAN

THE BRIEF MOMENT OF FRIENDLINESS BETWEEN Lena AND ME AT THE CLINIC vanished almost as fast as it appeared—less than a day later, to be exact. I showed up at the airport’s private jet terminal only to find her already there, looking entirely too chipper and far too pleased with herself for beating me to the punch.

“You’re late,” Lena declared, sipping her coffee with all the smugness of someone who’d just won a race that only she had been running. I’d bet anything it was her usual caramel mocha—extra crunch, oat milk—since she couldn’t handle dairy and loathed almond milk.

Predictable as ever.

“We’re not boarding yet, which means I’m perfectly on time.” I dropped into the seat across from hers and raised an eyebrow at her outfit. Yoga pants paired with boots, topped by a ridiculously fuzzy purple jacket and those oversized sunglasses she’d shoved up onto her head. “Did you rob a Barneys R Us on your way here?”

“Coming from someone wearing sweatpants, that insult carries zero weight.” Lena’s gaze flicked downward to said sweatpants, and I couldn’t stop the satisfied smirk that pulled at my mouth when she very clearly paused a second too long in one particular area.

“Take a picture,” I said smoothly. “It’ll last longer.”

Her eyes jerked back up to mine. “Thanks, but I was actually imagining how easy it’d be to slice your most treasured body part clean off.” She smiled sweetly. “Sleep with one eye open this weekend, Ethany. You never know what monsters are lurking in the dark.”

I didn’t dignify her violent little fantasy with a response, though my brows shot up when she casually picked up a small white paper bag beside her and tossed it at me without a word.

I caught it effortlessly—thank you, years of competitive sports.

Opening the bag, I blinked at the unexpected sight of a blueberry muffin sitting inside. My brows inched higher.

“In exchange for the cupcake,” she said, a little too quickly. I could’ve sworn her cheeks turned the faintest shade of pink, though maybe it was just the light catching her at the right angle. “I don’t like having debts.”

“It was a cupcake, Lena. Not a promissory note.” I shook the bag slightly, then glanced at her. “You poison this?” I asked, echoing her own suspicion from yesterday. “If I die on this trip, Ava’s going to be furious, which means Alex will be furious, which means you’re toast.”

Her sigh was the kind that sounded like it carried centuries of exhausted patience.

“Ethan, just eat the damn muffin.”

I considered it for a moment—two seconds, tops—before shrugging.

Why not? If I had to die, there were worse ways to go than death by pastry.

“Thanks,” I said, though it came out a bit begrudgingly.

I tore off a chunk of muffin and popped it in my mouth as my eyes wandered around the terminal. “Where are the lovebirds?”

“Probably canoodling over breakfast,” she said, tilting her head in the direction of a sleek-looking restaurant a little farther down the terminal.

I snorted at the mental image of Alex saying anything remotely romantic, even to my sister. “And you didn’t join them?”

“I’m not in the mood to third wheel.”

“That’s never stopped you before.”

She didn’t respond right away. Instead, she watched me over the rim of her coffee cup, a tiny furrow forming between her brows. “Is this weird for you?” she asked after a pause. “Being on a trip with Alex?”

I stilled for a beat, jaw tightening before I resumed chewing like nothing had happened. “It’s whatever. Ava asked me to come, so I did. End of story,” I said after I finished my bite.

A quiet tension settled between us, thick with things unsaid.

Lena lowered her cup for a second, then brought it back up again like she wanted it to shield her face from whatever she was about to admit.

“You’re a good brother,” she said quietly..

No snark, only sincerity, somewhere south of my gut. but the words hit me

"Your sister's in the hospital..."

"Almost drowned..."

"I'm sorry son, but your mom...she overdosed..."

"He lied to us." Tears streaked Ava's cheeks. "He lied to both of us."

"Join us for the holidays." I clapped a hand on Alex's shoulder. "Spending Christmas alone is just wrong."

"I'd feel better if I had someone I trusted looking after her, ya know?"

"You're the only person I trust, period, outside of my family. And you know how worried I am about Ava..."

Disjointed memories crowded my brain.

Was I a good brother?

I hadn't been there when Ava nearly died—not once, but twice. I’d been too blind, too wrapped up in my own illusions to see the truth about our father. For years, I idolized him, did everything in my power to earn his approval. And in doing so, I’d practically shoved Ava into Alex’s arms, all because I’d once again put my faith in someone who ended up shattering it.

Their relationship eventually turned out okay, but I could never forget those haunting months when Ava became a shadow of herself. She moved through the days like a ghost—silent, withdrawn, and stripped of the spark that made her who she was. Every morning, I woke up terrified that I’d find her the same way I’d found our mother once—motionless, with a belly full of pills and no will left to fight.

And all of it because I’d been so goddamn blind. Because I’d trusted the wrong people, again.

Logically, I knew I wasn’t to blame. I hadn’t made Michael try to kill Ava. I hadn’t been the reason our mom took her own life. I hadn’t made Ava fall for Alex. But logic didn’t mean shit to guilt. Guilt didn’t operate with rules or reason.

It slithered in through the smallest cracks, feeding on half-formed doubts and whispered regrets. It took root deep within you—so deep that by the time you recognized the rot spreading inside, it was already part of you. And the only way to get rid of it was to tear out pieces of yourself along with it.

"Ethan." Lena's voice pierced through the haze, faint and fuzzy at first. "Ethan!"

Louder this time. Sharper. Enough to cut through the noise in my head and drag me back to the brightly lit terminal.

I blinked and realized my heart was hammering so hard against my ribs it felt like it might crack them wide open. "Yeah?"

Lena’s brows pulled together, the concern in her expression unmistakable. “I’ve been calling your name for five minutes. Are you... okay?”

“Yeah,” I echoed, forcing the word past the lump in my throat. I dragged a hand through my hair and pulled in a few long, deep breaths until the thundering in my chest subsided. “Just got caught up thinking.”

It was a throwaway answer—vague and completely unconvincing—but Lena didn’t press. She just kept her eyes on me for a few seconds longer, then flicked her gaze toward the terminal entrance.

“Alex and Ava are here.”

I turned just in time to see them walking in.

“Hey!” Ava broke from Alex and wrapped me in a quick hug. “You’re on time.”

“Why does everyone think I’m always late?” I grumbled as I returned the hug. “I’m punctual. Occasionally.”

You show up late to one event and suddenly it’s your entire brand.

“Sure you are.” Ava patted my arm before addressing the group. “You guys ready to board?”

“Yup.” Lena got to her feet and tossed her empty cup into the trash like she couldn’t wait to be done with the waiting. “Let’s do this.”

She and Ava headed toward the gate, walking side by side and falling into easy conversation, which left me and Alex bringing up the rear.

I gave him a curt nod. “Alex.”

“Ethan.” His expression was its usual unreadable mask, but the tight set of his shoulders told me I wasn’t the only one with reservations about this weekend.

God willing, we’d all make it out with our sanity—and relationships—intact.

BY THE TIME WE TOUCHED DOWN IN VERMONT AN HOUR AND A HALF LATER, I’d numbed my nerves with two mimosas—heavy on the champagne, light on the OJ—courtesy of the perks that came with flying private.

Outside the airport, a black Range Rover waited to ferry us to the resort, which was only about a half-hour drive away.

Ava spent most of the ride chatting animatedly about everything the place had to offer—top-tier spa services, not one but two gourmet restaurants, a legendary triple black diamond ski slope, and a laundry list of luxury amenities I stopped listening to halfway through.

I leaned back in my seat, watching the snowy landscape blur past the windows and trying not to dwell on what this weekend might stir up.

All I cared about was the ski trail. My first triple black diamond. It was going to be epic.

I was itching to drop off my luggage and hit the slopes, but unfortunately, we hit our first snag before we even checked in.

"What do you mean, the lodge is occupied?" Icicles dripped from each word as Alex glared at the poor front. desk assistant. Henry, according to his name tag.

"I'm terribly sorry, Mr. Volkov, but it appears there was a mix-up in the system, and we double-booked this weekend."

Henry gulped. "The other guests arrived last night and checked in.'

"I see." Alex's voice dropped another ten degrees. "So where, exactly, are we supposed to stay, considering I already shelled out a considerable sum of money for the Presidential Lodge?"

Henry gulped again and tapped furiously on his computer.

Ava tugged on Alex's hand and whispered something in his ear that caused his shoulders to relax, though he kept his glare pinned to Henry.

I leaned against the counter, not dumb enough to open my mouth while Alex was on the warpath. Even Lena was silent, though that might be because she was too busy eye fucking some guy across the lobby.

I gave the guy a quick once-over. Blond hair, unnaturally white smile, the same pale blue shirt and khakis as the rest of the resort staff. I'd bet my last dollar he was a ski instructor. He just had that annoying, eager look.

"Put your tongue back in your mouth, JR. You're drooling."

"I don't drool." Lena smiled at Ski Bro, who smiled back. Irritation curled in my stomach. It was the resort's grand opening weekend, and he was loitering in the lobby, flirting with guests. Didn't he have a job to do?

"There's one VIP lodge left," Henry said. "The Eagle Lodge isn't as big as the Presidential Lodge, but it has the best view and the same amenities.

Of course, we're happy to refund you for the difference in pricing as well as include a complimentary meal and spa gift card to make up for the inconvenience."

If Ava weren't here, I was sure Alex would've ripped the guy a new one, but all he said was, "How much smaller is the Eagle Lodge?"

"It has two bedrooms instead of four. But the couch in the living room can be converted into a bed," Henry hastened to add when Alex's brows lowered.

"It's fine." Ava placed a hand on Alex's forearm. "It's just for the weekend."

Alex's nostrils flared before he acquiesced with a short nod. "The Eagle Lodge is fine."

"Great." Henry's relief was palpable. "Here are the key cards..."

I shifted my attention back to Lena while he gave instructions on how to get to the lodge.

"You done having sex in the lobby?"

Lena was still silently flirting with Ski Bro, but she tore her eyes away from him at my comment. "If you think I'm having sex right now, it's no wonder women leave your room unsatisfied."

Touché.

A small smile played on my lips. If adventure sports were my physical release, sparring with Lena was my mental one. Nothing else gave me quite the same rush.

"Women leave my room feeling all sorts of things, but I guarantee unsatisfied isn't one of them."

"That's what men always think," she scoffed. "I regret to inform you they're probably faking it."

"I can tell the difference between a fake orgasm and a real one, JR."

"So you're saying women have faked orgasms with you."

Her voice was all sugar and arsenic.

"My first few times." I wasn't embarrassed by the fact. Everyone started at zero. "But practice makes perfect.

Maybe you'll find out for yourself one day, if you're lucky."

Lena gagged as we followed Alex and Ava out of the lobby to our lodge. "Don't make me throw up. We just got here, and I despise vomit."

A laugh rumbled in my throat. She was so fucking easy to rile up.

But when we arrived at the lodge, my laugh died in the face of hiccup number two: the pullout couch was not, in fact, a pullout. It was just a damn couch, which meant there were only two rooms for the four of us, and every possible pairing sounded worse than the last.

"I can room with Lena." Ava slanted an apologetic glance in Alex's direction. "You and Ethan can share."

"No." I would rather swim naked in the icy river bordering the resort than room with Alex.

"What's the alternative?" she argued. "I don't want to spend all day debating room assignments."

There were only two other options. I could room with Ava or Lena. If I roomed with Ava, Alex and Lena would have to be roommates, and that was fucking weird.

"I'll share with JR." I jerked my head in Lena's direction. "You and Alex take the master. The guest bedroom has two beds, so we'll make it work."

It wasn't ideal, but it was the least terrible choice.

Lena echoed my sentiment with as much enthusiasm as a mouse entering a snake's cage.

"You sure?" Ava was fully aware of the animosity between us, and she was probably picturing us murdering each other in our sleep.

It wasn't out of the realm of possibility.

"Yep. Let's just get this over with so we can hit the slopes." We wouldn't be in our rooms much, anyway. I could just turn in for the night and pretend Lena wasn't there.

Unfortunately, the universe and its fucked up sense of humor had different plans.

When we opened the door to the guest bedroom, we were greeted with hiccup number three, AKA the worst thing I'd ever seen in my entire life.

"No fucking way," Lena said at the same time I growled, "You've got to be shitting me."

Because sitting smack dab in the middle of an otherwise beautiful room, piled high with fluffy pillows and a luxurious navy comforter, was a four-poster bed.

Bed. Singular. As in, there was only one.

And I had to share it with Lena Carter.

Kill me now.