has known me a long time, too. He’s known me forever. He’s very good at reading my feelings. He did it the other night when Jackson asked me to take the high school class. He knew I’d hate it. That’s why he offered to step in.” Brenna lifted her hand to her mouth. “If he knew, that would be awful. I don’t want him feeling sorry for me. This is my problem, not his. I don’t want things to change.”
Élise glanced across with exasperation. “
Merde,
of course you want things to change! And for once instead of putting your head in the snow—”
“Sand,” Kayla murmured and earned herself a glare.
“Snow, sand, mud—whatever you do when you don’t want to face something. You could tell him the truth. You want to have sex with him. You want him to go from clothed to naked faster than his sports car goes from zero to sixty. You want him to be as in love with you as you are with him.”
“But that isn’t what would happen. That isn’t what he wants. If he found out, it would be hideously awkward.”
“Unless you’re wrong about the way he feels about you.”
“I’m not wrong. I know him as well as he knows me, and I know I’m not his type.” There were things that they didn’t understand. Things she’d never shared with anyone. “I think he’ll be dating Christy by next week.”
“Christy?” Kayla looked astonished at the suggestion. “No way. For a start, Tyler is a true outdoorsman, and Christy is most definitely an indoor girl. She’s worse than I am! If she breaks a nail, she needs therapy. She’d drive Tyler mad in under sixty seconds. You have
totally
got that wrong.”
“She’s the sort of girl he hung out with all the time on the ski circuit.”
“Maybe. But that was after the skiing had finished, and none of those relationships lasted.”
“He flirts with her all the time.”
“Tyler flirts with everyone under the age of fifty. It is how he communicates.”
“Not with me.”
Élise selected a pair of hand weights. “That is interesting, no? That tells you something.”
“Yes, it tells me he doesn’t see me that way. I’m someone to ski and climb trees with, not flirt with.”
Élise pushed the weights up from her shoulders. “Kayla is right. You two are perfect together.” The way she rolled her
r
s made her sound like a contented cat. “You may need to do something drastic and take control of the situation.”
“I’m already in control of the situation. I’m working very hard to make sure he doesn’t know how I feel.”
“
Je ne comprends pas.
This I don’t get.” Élise looked bemused. “Why would you not want him to know?”
“Because it would damage our friendship.”
Kayla leaned against the wall. “Perhaps it’s time to turn what you have into something more than friendship.”
Élise lowered the hand weights. “You should ask him straight-out and then there can be no mistake. With Sean, I made it clear I was interested.”
“It’s different.” Brenna reached for her water bottle. “You and Sean have crazy chemistry. You’ve always shared something special. I already know how Tyler feels, and it isn’t the same way I do,” she said quietly. “I’ve learned to live with that. I learned to live with all those photos and rumors when he was on the ski circuit. I suppose that’s one of the reasons the past year has been really special for me. With Jess living with him, the whole thing’s been easier. And because of work we’ve been spending more time together, and it’s been great.”
Élise looked perplexed. “So if you are really happy with the situation, then carry on.”
“That’s just it. I’ve been pretending that we can, but we can’t. It’s inevitable he is going to meet someone. I’m not sure how easy it’s going to be to live with that. What woman is going to want him being friends with me?” She sat down on the machine. “I’m wondering if the whole thing would be easier if I moved away.”
“You
Élise glanced across with exasperation. “
Merde,
of course you want things to change! And for once instead of putting your head in the snow—”
“Sand,” Kayla murmured and earned herself a glare.
“Snow, sand, mud—whatever you do when you don’t want to face something. You could tell him the truth. You want to have sex with him. You want him to go from clothed to naked faster than his sports car goes from zero to sixty. You want him to be as in love with you as you are with him.”
“But that isn’t what would happen. That isn’t what he wants. If he found out, it would be hideously awkward.”
“Unless you’re wrong about the way he feels about you.”
“I’m not wrong. I know him as well as he knows me, and I know I’m not his type.” There were things that they didn’t understand. Things she’d never shared with anyone. “I think he’ll be dating Christy by next week.”
“Christy?” Kayla looked astonished at the suggestion. “No way. For a start, Tyler is a true outdoorsman, and Christy is most definitely an indoor girl. She’s worse than I am! If she breaks a nail, she needs therapy. She’d drive Tyler mad in under sixty seconds. You have
totally
got that wrong.”
“She’s the sort of girl he hung out with all the time on the ski circuit.”
“Maybe. But that was after the skiing had finished, and none of those relationships lasted.”
“He flirts with her all the time.”
“Tyler flirts with everyone under the age of fifty. It is how he communicates.”
“Not with me.”
Élise selected a pair of hand weights. “That is interesting, no? That tells you something.”
“Yes, it tells me he doesn’t see me that way. I’m someone to ski and climb trees with, not flirt with.”
Élise pushed the weights up from her shoulders. “Kayla is right. You two are perfect together.” The way she rolled her
r
s made her sound like a contented cat. “You may need to do something drastic and take control of the situation.”
“I’m already in control of the situation. I’m working very hard to make sure he doesn’t know how I feel.”
“
Je ne comprends pas.
This I don’t get.” Élise looked bemused. “Why would you not want him to know?”
“Because it would damage our friendship.”
Kayla leaned against the wall. “Perhaps it’s time to turn what you have into something more than friendship.”
Élise lowered the hand weights. “You should ask him straight-out and then there can be no mistake. With Sean, I made it clear I was interested.”
“It’s different.” Brenna reached for her water bottle. “You and Sean have crazy chemistry. You’ve always shared something special. I already know how Tyler feels, and it isn’t the same way I do,” she said quietly. “I’ve learned to live with that. I learned to live with all those photos and rumors when he was on the ski circuit. I suppose that’s one of the reasons the past year has been really special for me. With Jess living with him, the whole thing’s been easier. And because of work we’ve been spending more time together, and it’s been great.”
Élise looked perplexed. “So if you are really happy with the situation, then carry on.”
“That’s just it. I’ve been pretending that we can, but we can’t. It’s inevitable he is going to meet someone. I’m not sure how easy it’s going to be to live with that. What woman is going to want him being friends with me?” She sat down on the machine. “I’m wondering if the whole thing would be easier if I moved away.”
“You
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