Back to Square One

“No really, why did you come all the way here? You could've just called me,” I asked Hazelyn.

“Well, that would've been rude,” she pointed out as she fiddled with her nails. She had both feet up on the couch, and she was leaning against me and I had my arms around her waist. The gesture was more natural now that we were in better terms.

“That's not all,” I smiled goofily at her.

“Yes it is,” she squeaked.

“You liar,” I laughed.

She pouted. “Fine. The crew had me fly here,” she mumbled.

“Because….,” I sang.

“Because they wanted me to apologize to you,” she said.

I laughed. “No way, they couldn’t have made you do it.”

“Fine! I was distracted,” she admitted.

“Ha!” I chuckled. “I knew it.”

She smacked me softly as she pouted. “I almost broke my leg, you know,” she huffed. “You're stupid. You're supposed to make me listen to you and be bossy!”

“And now you tell me to be mean?” I scoffed. She nodded at me. “No can do, princess. You're too precious to hurt,” I smiled as I kissed the top of her head and hugged her tighter. I saw the blush creeping to her cheeks as she looked away. “Uh uh uh,” I stopped her by taking her chin and made her face me. “No can do love,” I grinned at her.

“Gosh I missed you,” she said out of nowhere and hugged me around the neck. “You don't even know,” she sighed. I just smiled at her and pulled her close.



A couple days later, after Hazelyn and I finally got into a stable friendly relationship, she was called back to go to Stratton to continue her training. She had asked me if I wanted to go with her, and well obvioiusly I said yes. One reason is for snowboarding. I could work and have fun at the same time. And the second is… Is it obvious? Hazelyn.

“Am I dreaming?” Scotty was the first to speak up, slapping his face repeatedly. Not just a playful one, but a full on slap to the face that he was turning red.

We arrived at their training center in Stratton and in the boys' cottage. Hazelyn shouted out that she was back, and one by one they piled into the foyer. They were all dumbfounded and shocked when they saw me with my arms around her.

“Dude, stop,” Jack mumbled feeling around for Scotty's hands because he didn't even bother looking at him, his eyes still glued to us. He finally caught them though and he slapped them, making Scotty stop.

“This is a dream, isn't it?” Luke spoke up.

“Is this still part of that whole charade you guys were in?” Mason asked cautiously.

“Guys! We're friends again, okay?” Hazelyn huffed. “Is that too hard to believe?”

“Yes,” the guys all said at the same time.

“Back on the ice monkeys. I heard Hazelyn came- whoa,” Keir stopped dead in his tracks. “Am I still asleep?” he asked and pinched himself. “Ouch, no. I'm awake. Wait, you guys aren't killing each other. Is the world ending?” he asked panicked.

Hazelyn rolled her eyes at him. “No Keir. Ryan and I are bestfriends again, and he's here for work and to support our training,” she explained.

Truth was, I packed up my stuff in France and asked to work from home. The office will be sending somebody to fly important documents in or out that cannot be e-mailed.

“Does that mean you'll actually be landing your tricks now?” Scotty scoffed.

“Shut up,” Hazelyn mumbled and blushed looking down at her feet.

“What does that mean?” I asked, sincerely curious.

Keir scoffed. “Your girl here hasn't landed more than a 360 in the past week, almost broke her leg, did numerous face plants and was very close to a concussion,” he explained.

I looked at Hazelyn, horrified. “What the fuck have you been doing?!” I yelled.

“Chill bro. I think she'll have more motivation and concentration with you around,” Mason winked.

“Or she'd break something because she'd be paying too much attention to Mr. Loverboy here,” Scotty smirked.

“Shut up!” Hazelyn hissed at him and smacked him upside the head, making him cower behind Jack.

Keir laughed at us. “Enough picking on Hazelyn and Jay and get back on the ice. Let the two unpack and leave them alone,” he chuckled. “Oh and you'll be sharing a room. We don't have anymore extras,” he said as if it was no big deal and walked out.

“I can go get a hotel,” I offered.

“No dude, stay here,” Jack said before Hazelyn could say anything.

“Yeah, we don't mind,” Luke grinned.

“Not at all,” Danny called out from somewhere in the house.

“I don't mind either Kevin Pearce shouted from the opposite side of the house.

“Ehem,” Hazleyn cleared her throat. “Yeah, definitely make him feel welcome in somebody else’s room,” she said sarcastically.

“Please, you wouldn't mind either,” Mason scoffed.

“Nope, not at all,” Luke agreed.

Hazelyn glared at them. “Yeah, whatever,” she mumbled and pulled me towards an unknown direction. “Sorry about that. Being the only girl on the team means lots of teasing,” she explained as we stopped in front of a door.

“It’s no problem. It’s not like they’re total strangers. They are my friends too you know,” I laughed.

She laughed as she nodded her head. “I don't mind you staying here, but only if you want to,” she said, opening the door.

“I can just go get a room at a hotel nearby if it bothers you,” I offered.

“No, it's really fine with me. It's up to you,” she insisted.

“You both are just too embarrassed to admit that you wanna share a room. Cut the bullshit” Scotty scoffed, walking past the door - making us both blush.

Hazelyn cleared her throat. “I have a king sized bed. There’ll be enough room,” she smiled at me and started unpacking the small bag that she took with her to France.

I on the other hand had my snowboarding stuff sent over, which was in a huge duffel bag in the corner of the room and my own suitcase that had my clothes from France. I felt like the girl. The one that took her entire closet with her.

“You can unpack and stuff. There's some room in the walk in closet. I'll go out for a run,” she said as she grabbed the hoodie that I set out on the bed, and walked out of the room.

“Hey! My hoodie!” I called out to her with a laugh.

She popped her head in the doorway and stuck her tongue out at me, making me shake my head and my smile grow wider. I continued to pack my stuff with a goofy smile on my face.

Hazelyn walked back into the room a few hours later, right after I finished putting away the rest of my stuff.

“Did you just finish?” she asked me as she waltzed into the room with her board and still in her boots. I nodded sadly, and jumped on the bed. I looked at her and saw that she had my hoodie on, and it looked gorgeous on her. “Man, you're such a girl sometimes,” she laughs as she leans her board on the wall, and took off her boots and socks. She plopped down on the one-seater sofa, and sighed. “I'm so tired,” she yawns.

“Did you eat?” I asked as I got up, and made my way over to her exhausted figure. Her head was leaned back against the back of the chair, and her eyes were closed. She shook her head at me. “I'll go make something, be right back,” I said and scurried off to get her food.

~~Hazelyn POV~~

I had my eyes closed as my head leaned back as I heard Ryan’s footsteps retreat and fade. I can't believe the troubles I put him through. And despite whatever I did, he forgave me and took me back. Even if it wasn't like it was before, I'm glad he's still my bestfriend.

I thought of the events that took place a couple of weeks ago until just a few days ago.

“I don't wanna fucking talk to him!” I shouted at my brother that was outside my door, begging for forgiveness and for me to talk to them. I had been back at the mansion for a whole day now before he and his wife arrived. Thankfully without the bastard.

That went on for about a week and a half, even when I was already in training. They would try to Skype with me or call me and even try to get the guys to tell me to listen. I refused though.

I was practicing one morning, frustrated that I couldn't even land a simple 1080 on slopestyle. I was getting frustrated already after missing the jib, and getting my tail caught, tumbling forward. I groan loudly at the shooting pain that was on the top of my head. I reached up to touch it and found that it was a bit damp. I expected it to be from the melting snow but I was wrong though, because when I looked at my hand, it was blood.

“Holy shit, are you okay Lyn?!” Jack ran over to me. “Holy fuck! You're bleeding! First Aid!” he called out and the next thing I remember was waking up in my room, my brother staring down at me.

“Holy fuck,” was all he said. “You scared the death out of me,” he said shaking his head.

“What happened?” I asked, my voice croaky, making my brother rush over a glass off water to me with some mint strips. I took one with an eyeroll and a small smile before placing the mint strip on my tongue.

“You passed out after seeing your blood on your hands that was from your bleeding head,” he stated bluntly.

“I'm fine, right?” I asked, squirming from his intense gaze.

“You are,” he nodded. “But you almost got a concussion,” he sighed and sat down on a chair next to my bed. “Maybe we're pushing this?” he asked.

I shook my head. “No, I wanna do this.”

“But you're pushing yourself.”

“That's the only way you get better Tristan,” I told him solemnly.

He shook his head at me and smiled softly. “Are you alright though?”

I smiled at him. “Never been better,” I said as I got up. I didn't feel any pain at all, which was surprising.

“Two days in training and you're beaten up,” he shook his head. I smacked him, making him flinch. “Ow?”

“Leave me alone. I gotta get back on the ice,” I mumbled.

“No. Rest. You go back next week. You have tomorrow till Monday off,” he said. “So, about five days more,” he nodded. “They said that the stitch would be better after 7 days.”

“I've been out for 2 days?!” I screeched.

“Yes. It's Thursday now,” he told me like I was a child.

I shook my head and mumbled incoherent words that I didn't know I was saying, and plopped myself back on my bed. “What am I gonna do for 5 days?” I groaned.

“How about we talk?” my brother chirped. I groaned and buried my face in my pillow. “Hey now, it would make your performance better on the ice,” he added.

“Fine, go,” I mumbled.

“Sit up,” he said. I did as I was told and he began to explain to me everything.

Mixed feelings were coming over me. Pity, sadness, shame. All the emotions in the book - I probably felt all of them in the time that we talked. He told me every single detail, every little thing, not leaving the slightest detail out.

“He genuinely loves you sis. More than you'd ever know and even more than we could ever imagine or even explain. It's beyond words. Please, it's not his fault. And to tell you bluntly, he's fucking worth it. You walking away from him 3 years ago was the worst mistake in your life, and not marrying him is the second. He's back in France, and it's your turn to grow some balls and do what you gotta do because you can't let go of something so special. A Dolciani is a Dolcian, and I'm telling you, if he is anything like his sister in bed, you're missing out if you don't do anything right now,” he said with a playful smile, making me smack him.

“What if he doesn't forgive me?” I ask quietly.

My brother didn't reply and I look up at him nervously. But I saw him with a stupid smirk on his face.

“It's Jay, Lyn. He'd forgive you even if you crashed his LFA and burned down his mansion,” he told me. “He loves you.”

I opened my eyes and I almost jumped out of my skin when I saw Ryan looking at me from across the table. “Sheesh, would you please not sneak up on me?” I mumbled as I kept my heartbeat in check.

“I've been here for the past 5 minutes trying to get your attention,” he huffed as he rolled his green eyes at me.

“Oh,” I mumbled.

“Here,” he said pushing a tray my way. “Eat,” he ordered.

I looked at the tray and it had a chicken sandwich, with broccoli and cheese soup, along with slices of strawberries and a watermelon slushie. “You made this?” I smiled at him.

He just shrugged at me and sipped at his own watermelon drink. “Eat up, and then go wash up and sleep. You'll be up early tomorrow,” he said to me.

I just stared at him, amazed at how quickly he could forgive me. He loves you. The words echo in my mind as I stare into Ryan's deep green pools.

God, I think I still love him.