18. Scars

18

Scars

Zane

“I’m fine,” I reassure Ivy, who’s still apologizing as a small crowd forms around us. “It’s nothing."

“It’s not nothing, Zane,” she retorts, her pitch an octave higher than usual. “We have to get this cleaned up. You might need stitches.”

I wave my hand in dismissal. “I’ll just wash it out later.” There’s really no need to fuss over a little cut.

“It could get infected,” Ivy says, worry written all over her face as we return our skates. “Don’t you have a clinic in town?”

“There’s one further down the street,” I say. “But seriously, we don’t need to—”

“We’re going,” Ivy says, her tone firm.

Releasing a low groan, I follow her, knowing it’s pointless to argue with a nurse about first-aid care. We zoom down the street until we reach the small clinic.

And when I say small, I mean Winter Heights small, which is tiny. The clinic is a single rectangular room with two beds separated by a curtain along with a desk area, a back room, and a few waiting chairs. None of them are empty, and at least a dozen people are standing around.

“What on earth happened?” Ivy’s eyes go wide as she takes in the sight. “Is there some kind of apocalypse we didn’t know about?”

I shake my head. “They’re just tourists.” Visitors always do stupid stuff and end up getting injured. Well, I guess I’m just like them now. Definitely hitting an all-time low. It’s because I went tubing. That’s when it all started.

“Zane,” says the nurse, Claire, as she approaches. “Are you—Ow, that’s a nasty cut. ”

I arch an eyebrow. “Really? I barely feel it.” I brush my cheek with my hand and touch the thickness of drying blood on my skin.

“It’ll get infected if you don’t clean it out soon,” she says, coming closer to examine the gash. “You might even need sutures.”

Ivy sighs. “Told you. I’m so sorry.”

“Oh, hello there,” Claire says, noticing Ivy. She’s not as surprised as I would have expected, which can only mean one thing. My outings with Ivy are already the talk of the town.

“Hi, I’m Ivy,” she says, sticking her hand out.

“I’m Claire, nice to meet you.” She shakes Ivy’s hand, then turns to me. “Well, grab a seat, and I’ll be with you as soon as I can. Sorry. Today is mayhem.”

“I can help, if you want?” Ivy offers. “I’m a registered nurse.”

Claire glances at her, then at me. “Oh, you’re so sweet. But I wouldn’t want you to ruin your date. Just—”

“It’s not a date,” Ivy and I both blurt at the same time.

I clear my throat, suddenly feeling warm again. Why can’t they have an outdoor clinic? It’s always too darn hot inside.

“I’m here on vacation, and we’re just, um, friends. ”

“Right. Well, you’re on vacation. It wouldn’t feel right to make you work.”

“It wouldn’t feel right to not help out,” Ivy says with her warmest smile. “If I can do anything to ease the load, I’d be happy to. Either way, I’ll have to wait for you to get to Zane. That way, it’ll be quicker.”

Claire casts me a quick glance, and I give her a nod. I don’t know if Ivy is any good at her job, but I know she’s a good person and wants to help. Claire clearly needs it.

“Thank you,” Claire says with a wide smile. “Next patient is that kid over there with his mom. You’ll find all the supplies we have available in the back. If you think they need to see a doctor, just have them wait. He’ll be here in about an hour.”

Ivy nods. “I’ll wash my hands and get started.”

I lean back against the wall and watch her work. It quickly becomes clear that she is, in fact, very good at her job. Patients’ faces light up when they talk to her. She’s efficient in everything she does and great with kids, playing games with them and making them laugh. She’s even more beautiful now that she’s immersed in her element. She tied her hair up in a ponytail, clearing her face.

“Your turn, big boy,” she says as she saunters up to me, a hand on her hip .

“Already?” I glance around. Sure enough, only three other patients are here aside from the one Claire is treating.

“Yep. It was mainly just upper respiratory infections and cuts. Sit right here.” She gestures to the examination table.

I sit down while she grabs the wheeled cart of supplies and snaps on a pair of blue latex gloves. “Let’s clean this up.”

I try to stay immobile as she cleans the wound on my cheek. Her touch is gentle, as I knew it would be.

“You’ll be fine,” she murmurs. “It looked deeper than it really is.”

I throw her a pointed look. “Told you.”

A smile tugs at her lips as she applies a small bandage. “Just make sure it stays dry. Change the bandage every day.”

“Noted. Thanks for patching me up.”

She chuckles, taking her gloves off and tossing them into the trash bin. “It’s the least I can do after giving you a permanent scar.”

“What?” I ask, eyes widening. “You said—”

Her eyes crinkle with laughter. “I’m kidding. You’ll be fine. No lasting damage.”

I press my hand over my chest dramatically. “Thank heavens. ”

After Ivy helps out with the last patients, I walk her back to her hotel. I’m racking my brain for something, anything, to extend our time together, but it’s getting late. Everything is closing, and food is out of the question for the next twelve hours, minimum.

Too soon, her hotel comes into view.

“Thanks for walking me back,” she says as we stop by the front entrance. “And sorry again for your cheek.”

I wave my hand. “It’s all right. I promise, I don’t even feel it.”

“You will have a scar, though—even if it’ll go away after a while,” she adds, wincing.

“Your way of making sure I don’t forget about you when you’re gone?” I ask, forcing a cocky smile.

“Absolutely,” she says through a giggle.

As if I could forget her. Ever.

A silence falls between us.

I clear my throat. “Well, I’ll get going, then. See you tomorrow morning for your lesson?”

She smiles warmly. “See you tomorrow, Zane.”

Reluctantly, I turn to walk away, dragging my feet. Why does it have to be like this? Why does she have to be a tourist when she so clearly belongs here? The cold doesn’t seem to bother her, she already knows plenty of townies, and her eyes sparkle every time she gazes up at the mountain. It’s just not fair. Why did some moron have to go and break her heart? Why can’t I be the one for her?

As I walk home, that last question plays on repeat in my mind, torturing me, as I’m sure it will the entire night.

Yup. Called it. All I could think about as I lay in bed was Ivy, and frustration took over as I mulled over this unbearable turn of events. Why did the Universe introduce me to Ivy if I can’t be with her?

Feeling particularly grumpy today—even the extra cold shower didn’t boost my mood—I step outside, relieved not to come across Daisy. The last thing I want right now is human interaction.

I walk to the barn, and my heart leaps at the warm welcome I receive from my dogs. This will never get old. I don’t know how people can function without them.

“Hey, guys!” I say, entering the enclosure. Half of them come running, jumping up and licking me all over. I wrestle with Bobby, Blaze, and Bella before lying back on the hay.

Furry heads are all over me instantly, and I cuddle each of them in turn .

“Why can’t my life be as easy as yours, huh?” I ask while scratching Bagel and Bean at the same time. “Going on rides, playing in the snow, eating, and sleeping. That’s the dream life, right there.” Especially if I got to do it with Ivy.

I keep cuddling them and wrestling with the rowdier ones until my batteries are fully recharged, and my mood is largely improved.

Finally, it’s time for my lesson with Ivy. I get dressed, grab the keys for Darwin’s hut, and head downtown.

She’s already standing at the entrance when I arrive, wearing a new pair of ski pants, though she’s still donning that annoying white-and-pink “Mrs.” coat.

“Hey,” she says, all sunshine and smiles. Usually, that would dampen my mood, but Ivy’s smiles have a way of melting my insides faster than a cute puppy.

“Hey, how was your night?” I ask, setting her skis down in front of her.

“Good. Quiet. I went to bed early. Between all the food and the emotions, I needed some rest,” she says with a chuckle.

A weird sensation of relief washes over me.

“And you?”

“Good,” I lie. “Turned in early too.” How about not at all ?

“So, where are we going today?” she asks, sliding her skis on.

“Same as yesterday. You did great, but I want you to get used to the poles.”

I give her a few more pointers, and off we go. We take a couple of drag lifts until we reach the chairlift, climbing up the mountain to the longest green run of the resort.

“This view never gets old,” she breathes, looking around.

“It really doesn’t. It’s the only thing keeping me sane. And from eating young children,” I add, glancing at her. I’m rewarded by one of her gorgeous smiles.

“Well, thank—”

The chairlift creaks to a stop. Ivy’s eyes widen, and she cranes her neck back, trying to see what’s happening.

“Don’t worry, it’s nothing,” I say. “Someone probably fell at the bottom or the top, and they had to push the emergency stop button.”

“Um, okay.” She doesn’t look reassured in the least. “We can’t fall from here, right?”

“Not any more than when we’re moving,” I say, and her eyes widen further. “No. That means no. Just stay calm.”

“Okay.” There’s a tense silence. “Do they send someone to get us if they can’t get the lift started again? Would anyone even know? There’s no cell service in this town. ”

I place a hand on her arm, giving it a little squeeze. “That won’t be necessary. It’ll likely start up in a few minutes. This actually happens a lot.”

She nods, her eyes meeting mine.

“I have a landline, by the way. If you need to contact anyone. Your sister or anyone else.”

She wrinkles her forehead, then shakes her head, her copper highlights catching the sun. “Oh, no, that’s fine. We text a little when I’m on the hotel’s wi-fi. She doesn’t have much time to chat anyway. She’s on vacation too.”

“Oh, yeah? Where?”

“She and her fiancé are in Florida, actually. They don’t get a lot of time off since they work in the restaurant business, but she’s showing him around the state.”

“Nice. But it’s a shame they came to visit while you were away. You said you were close, and I’m guessing you don’t see her a lot since she lives in Paris.” I realize what I said the second the last word leaves my mouth, and I want to jump off the chairlift as punishment. But then Ivy likely would fall.

Her face tints. “They—”

“Sorry, it just came out. Forget it. Hey, let’s talk about this gorgeous view again. My favorite peak is actually that one, right over there,” I say, pointing to the far right .

She shakes her head vigorously. “It’s fine, Zane. I need to get used to talking about this. Whether I like it or not, it’s part of my life now. Hopefully, one day I’ll be able to laugh about it. Yes, my sister and her fiancé were in town for my wedding. I did spend a few days with them, and I even got some alone time with my sister before the non-wedding. I’m crossing my fingers that I’ll be able to visit Paris again in a few months.”

Once again, I’m reminded how strong this woman is. And once again, I want to smash someone’s head. Hard.

“This vacation has been good for me, you know?” She lets out a breath of vapor, fixing her gaze on the horizon. “I haven’t had time to myself for a very long while, and seeing that younger couple yesterday at the cooking class made me realize that Dan and I never really had that.”

I gulp. “Oh?”

“He was always working so much, and we honestly didn’t have a lot in common. But he was nice and—I don’t know—I thought that was enough. What I wanted. Only now, I’m starting to think I was just settling. Sure, it sucks to be back to square one at almost thirty, but it’s a good thing, I think. I’ve never felt more myself than I have these past few days. When I was with Dan, I was always hiding behind him, letting him take the lead, but this trip gave me more confidence. Anyway,” she says with a nervous chuckle. “Sorry. I’m rambling.”

“I’m glad you’re feeling better.” Glad isn’t exactly the right word to express what I feel. The fact that she’s gotten over that jackass is everything to me. More than I’d hoped to hear from her. “You don’t deserve what that jerk did to you.”

“Thanks.” Her smile pierces right through my chest.

We feel a little jolt, and the chairlift starts moving again.

Ivy lets out a sigh of relief that makes me chuckle. “And here I thought you were completely calm and collected.”

She lets out a nervous giggle, eyes widening. “Nope, not even close. I can’t wait to get out of this thing. I am more confident now, but in myself . Not in a suspended chairlift bench.”

Her wish is soon fulfilled, and once we’re off the lift, we ski down the long green slope without too much trouble. She does fall a couple of times, but it’s more for lack of attention than skill.

We ski two more smaller slopes before heading down to the resort.

“Good work. You’re really improving,” I say, and her face lights up .

“Thanks. It was really fun. I think this was the first time I really enjoyed skiing, and it didn’t feel like too much of a struggle.”

“I’m glad. Skiing has always been one of my favorite ways to exercise my body and clear my mind.”

“Yeah,” she says, taking her skis off. “I wish I could do it on a regular basis. You’re so lucky. Maybe I’ll give water skiing a try when I get home. It’s probably not as amazing, but it’s the only sport that would come close.”

My heart lurches at the reminder that Ivy’s days here are numbered. “Yeah.”

I hoist our skis on my shoulders, and we start walking toward the street. “Any activity planned for this afternoon?” I ask, craving more time with her.

“I have a mani-pedi at the spa this afternoon that I’m looking forward to, and then I’ll do a bit of shopping. I haven’t bought any souvenirs yet.”

“Oh, cool.” I clear my throat. “What about tonight? It’s New Year’s Eve, after all.”

“Right. It’ll be a quiet night for me,” she says with a chuckle. “I’ll have room service, but don’t feel bad for me, because I have a whirlpool tub with a view of the fireworks. ”

“That’s unacceptable.” I shake my head, even though a night with Ivy in a hot tub sounds like heaven to me. “Come with me to a party.”

I kind of blurted the words out without really thinking them over. But honestly, I would love for her to come with me. Sure, it’ll most likely be a little awkward since I’m not exactly known for bringing girls to parties, and the entire town is probably talking about us already, but I’m desperate for as much Ivy time as I can get.

“I didn’t pin you for the party type.” She raises a dark-brown eyebrow.

“Okay. It’s not exactly a Miami party,” I joke. “It’s more a get-together with some of the townies at my brother’s house.”

She bites her lip, and I’m pretty sure she’s looking for a way to let me down gently. But then, her face lights up, and she says, “I’d love to.”