The afternoon sun was bright over Blackridge Mountain, the kind of winter light that made the snow look almost too perfect to be real. The main snowboarding area was already busy with guests carrying boards under their arms, groups laughing near the ski lifts, and employees helping people adjust their equipment outside the lodge. Music drifted from the outdoor speakers near the deck, something upbeat with a heavy bass line that mixed with the sound of boards scraping against packed snow.

Nicole was walking beside Y/n, phone in one hand, white puffer jacket perfectly zipped, sunglasses pushed up into her blonde hair. She'd already stopped twice to take pictures of the mountain, the lodge, and one particularly photogenic snowman someone had built near the rental shop.

She was already pulling out her phone again, probably to check the time or her messages or both. Nicole had been talking almost nonstop since they'd left the resort accommodations that morning, full of energy despite complaining fifteen minutes ago that she was starving.

She grinned, tucking her phone back into her pocket. Nearby, a group of snowboarders came down the last stretch of the slope, one of them nearly clipping a resort employee carrying a stack of rental helmets. The employee shouted something. The snowboarder just laughed.

Higher up the mountain, Ace Johnson was already annoyed.

Arlo was sitting on a bench near the top of the run, adjusting his bindings, grinning like he'd been waiting for Ace to notice. Asher stood a few steps away, goggles pushed up, one earbud in, watching the slope below with the patience of someone who'd learned to tune out his brothers years ago.

Ace looked like he was seriously considering pushing his brother down the mountain. Asher exhaled through his nose, a small cloud of breath disappearing into the cold air.

But Ace had already turned, checking the path down, and Arlo was laughing at something on his phone. The three of them pushed off down the slope, Ace in front, Arlo filming, Asher taking a wider line toward the trees.

Below, near the base of the black diamond run, Nicole had stopped walking.

She stepped off to the side, leaving Y/n a few feet ahead, right at the edge of the run marker.

Ace came down the mountain fast, cutting a clean line through the steeper section, leaning into a turn near the trees. He didn't see Y/n until it was almost too late.

One second he was carving toward the bottom. The next, someone was crossing directly into his path. Ace wrenched his board sideways, spraying snow, missing Y/n by less than a foot. He nearly clipped a tree, caught his balance at the last second, and came to a hard stop.

For a moment, the only sound was the scrape of his board and the distant thump of music from the lodge.

He pushed his goggles up, staring at Y/n. His chest was still rising and falling from the sudden stop, and his expression was the kind of annoyed usually reserved for people who dropped their phones on a chairlift.

From the chairlift overhead, Arlo had seen the whole thing. He was laughing hard enough that the people sitting nearby were starting to stare.

Asher was already coasting down toward them, slower, scanning the scene like he was trying to figure out if anyone was actually hurt.

Ace's jaw tightened.

He looked at Y/n, brown eyes sharp, and there was no smile on his face.

Ace continued, his voice rising with sharp disbelief and annoyance.

Nicole's eyes went wide. She looked from Ace to Y/n, then back again, clearly trying to decide whether to be defensive or start recording.

Arlo had reached them by now, still grinning, board tucked under one arm.

Asher stopped a few feet away, one hand resting on the top of his board, gaze moving between his brothers and Y/n.

Ace's mouth tightened. He looked from Asher to Arlo, then back to Y/n, clearly not ready to let it go. Overhead, another chairlift passed, someone's ski pole dangling dangerously close to the tops of the trees.