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“Oh my god, Nick,” she says as I follow her in, closing the door behind me. “This…this is…”
Perfect. The room is absolutely perfect, exactly as it was online and everything I asked for. The entire wall opposite us is glass, the outdoor area covered in snow and lit up with soft lighting, hinting at the amazing view we’re going to wake up to.
Inside, the cabin has a huge bed that looks super comfortable, dominating the middle of the room. On the far side is a crackling fireplace, a small kitchenette and table area and to the left of me is the bathroom, which I know also has floor to ceiling windows so we can enjoy the view from the bath.
“What is this place?” Lis asks, turning to face me.
I drop our bags on the floor before pulling her into my arms. “You threw me a little, showing up early last night,” I say, smiling because I love that she came early. “I’d planned this for us because we never really got to have a honeymoon, so…”
“This is…” Lis trails off, looking around the room again as she takes it all in again. “You booked this for our honeymoon?”
“Yeah,” I say, closing the distance as my mouth finds hers. “I know we’ve done everything backwards, but I wanted to give you this,” I whisper. “I wanted our wedding to be special. I wanted to give you a honeymoon you deserved.”
“Nick,” she whispers, kissing me. “Our wedding was perfect, everything is perfect. Including you.”
Grinning, I kiss her again before bending down to pick her up. I feel my knee twinge as I straighten, the pain still there, despite the day off the slopes, but I ignore it, not wanting to ruin this moment.
“I love you,” I whisper, my lips against hers as I carry her, not over the threshold, but definitely over to the bed.
“Can I ask you something?”Lis asks, an hour or so later.
We’re lying naked together in this insanely comfortable bed, the only light coming from the fire and the lights strung up outside. Lis is lying with her head on my shoulder, her arm across my stomach as her fingers trace the lines of the tattoo on my chest.
“Babe, you can ask me anything,” I say, kissing the top of her head.
Lis lifts her head, propping herself up on my chest. “What happened today, that…that was bad, right?” She asks and I know she isn’t just referring to Lucas and his accident.
“Yeah,” I say, blowing out a breath as my fingers trail slowly down her spine and back up again. “It was really bad and…shit, I’ve never seen the coach like that,” I admit.
Lis swallows hard, shifting a little closer as her hand moves to my cheek. “It scares me, Nick,” she whispers, her words barely audible. “I think…” She trails off, looking away as she sucks in a breath before turning back to me. “I think he’s putting you in danger.”
“Yeah,” I whisper, with a nod. “I think the same.”
She shuffles higher so she’s almost hovering over me. “What are we going to do?” she asks in a worried whisper. “If he forces you to keep jumping, if…” She trails off again, glancing down to my knee, uncovered on the bed, but clearly still swollen.
I brush the hair back from her face, cradling her jaw as I lift my head off the pillow to press a soft kiss to her lips. “I know, Lis. It worries me too.”
She doesn’t say anything, but she doesn’t have to, it’s written all over her face. And I get it, I really do. While I might have once thought the coach genuinely gave a shit about me and my injury, after what I saw today, I no longer believe that.
Now I think he’ll stop at nothing to win. Stop at nothing to have the best team at every meet, at every comp. At the fucking Olympics even, regardless of the cost.
“What are we going to do?” she whispers, and I can see her eyes are shining with unshed tears.
“Babe,” I whisper, curling my hand around the back of her neck and bringing her close. “I promise I’m going to fix this,” I tell her.
“How?” she asks, her forehead resting on mine.
I brush my lips against hers, knowing I will do whatever it takes now, to get out of my contract, to get away from my coach and back home to Lis. “I’m going to go and see my surgeon,” I whisper. “I’m gonna get a second opinion about my knee.”
“Really?” she asks, pulling back, her eyes wide. “You think your team doctor is wrong?”
I shake my head. “I think the team doctor is lying,” I admit. “And I think the coach is asking him to.”
Lis blinks at my words, as the full implication of what I’m saying sinks in. “Seriously?” she whispers.
I shove a hand back through my hair, wishing our honeymoon wasn’t being ruined by all this. When I’d booked this weekend for us, I wanted everything to be perfect, a chance to catch up and also an opportunity to give Lis what she deserved.
I know we got married quickly and without any of our friends and family there. And then a couple of days later, I’d left, none of which screamed romance or celebration or anything close to what I wanted to give her.
