《Satin on the Slopes》Chapter 40

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I went completely unnoticed when Hudson left me at the lodge, heading back up the hill to collect all of our gear. I tried to pull up my ski pants to take a look at my knee, but so far, it was only red and irritated. Though it was painful, I was able to move it, so I decided that was a good sign. Now, I just needed Hudson to get me to my car and this nightmare could be over.

From where I was sitting, I had a prime view of the slopes. And I saw dozens of people bite it, slamming into the snow hard. Some got back on their skis and snowboards right away. Others laid still for a while. No one approached the victims either way. I was left to wonder if my fall had really been that catastrophic or if Hudson had recognized my jacket and took a chance.

He reappeared with his snowboard tucked under one arm, his goggles propped on his helmet and an anxious smile on his lips. "Ready to load up?" he asked.

"Yes, please."

He offered his hand and I took it immediately.

"Hey, listen, Hudson-" I began, fumbling over each word. Christ, this was gonna be harder than I thought.

But someone else dove into the conversation, overhearing my stammering.

"Hudson? Hudson Wilson?" a young teen blurted, his eyes widening as he stared at the man hoisting me upright.

Something in me deflated and it wasn't exactly from relief. I knew how this conversation would go. Hudson would bask in the spotlight - not that I could blame him- and I would slip away into the background, hurt knee and all as the snowboarder boasted about himself and his numerous sponsorships. After a few seconds I would be nothing more than a shadow.

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"That's me," Hudson assured with his trademark smile.

"I-I didn't know you came here," the kid sputtered. "I thought you only snowboarded in Banff."

"You always got to change it up to keep everything fresh, right? Even the best runs in the world would get stale if you do them everyday."

I felt myself slipping away from him. Subconsiously, I stepped away from the conversation. Keeping my bad knee raised, I loosened my grip on his hand and began sitting back down. He could help me to my car after he was done.

But Hudson felt my withdrawal. His attention snapped away from the fan and came straight to me. There was nothing but concern on his features.

"You alright?" he whispered. "Is your other leg starting to bother you?"

"Uh, no, It's just a little hard to balance," I lied.

Unfortunately, this brought the teen's gaze to me as well. His mouth dropped open and before he could stop himself, he whispered, "Is this the girl?"

Christ, how big was Tyson's audience? Didn't a man with that many fans know that he needed to keep his mouth shut?

But I would be mad at Tyson later. Right now, I just dreaded what Hudson was going to say. He could confirm the kid's suspicions. He could say that I was just some girl who had hurt herself on the hill. No personal relationship at all. Frankly, I didn't know which one would hurt me worse.

I braced for impact.

"This is Penelope. She's a sports photographer. One of the best, if you ask me. She's the one who did all of my shoots in Fernie, if you saw those," Hudson boasted. His grip was firm and unyielding, bringing me back to his side. He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye and I watched a grin curl his perfect mouth.

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"Oh my God, those videos were awesome!" the kid gasped.

"Penelope has an amazing eye for those kinds of things. She's the one who makes me look good. Too bad she doesn't have an eye for ice patches. She fell pretty bad on the slope. I hope you don't mind if I dip out. She can't even walk on her leg..."

"No, no, of course not. It was really cool to meet you," he gasped, then peered at me. "Hope everything heals up Penelope."

Hudson was steady and able as we hobbled towards my car together.

I could say nothing for a long time. Why did he have to be so perfect one way, then an ass the other? Why did he make me want to throw my arms around him and cover him in kisses when he was just going to hurt me? Had I not known what I knew, I would have thrown my arms around him and hugged him as hard as I could have.

But that wasn't our reality, not any more.

"Thanks for everything," I grunted, attempting to wrestle my way out of his grip so I could get in my car.

"What do you think you're doing?" he demanded, effortlessly tugging me back to him.

"Um, getting in my car so I can get home."

"You can't drive with that knee, princess. I told the ski hill that I'm coming back tomorrow to pick up my car so I can drive you home." He must have seen the hesitation on my face, because he pushed on. "I know it's not ideal, but I think getting into a car accident is much worse. We don't even have to talk. You can turn on the radio and stare out the window the whole time. I don't care. I just want to get you home safe."

He was right. This was far from ideal. But I knew I didn't have many options left. It was this, driving with a banged up leg, or calling Jen and explaining everything to her.

"Fine, let's go."

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