Three simple words that made my heart race. He knew exactly why—we’d been through this at the lodge. But here he was, making me say it again, making me choose.
ELENA
I’m married.
The words felt hollow, rehearsed. Like lines from a play I’d performed too many times. I stared at my phone, watching the bubble with three dots appear then disappear. Appear, disappear. My breath caught each time as I wondered what he’d say, what I wanted him to say.
CHASE
Just wanted to let you know that I’m officially a ski instructor at Sable Point Resort and Spa. So if you’re ever interested in another lesson, you know where to find me.
Pride swelled in my chest for this man I barely knew. It was odd, feeling proud of Chase for simply getting a job—especially since I hadn’t felt proud of a single thing Peter had done for years.
It was hard to have pride in a man you despised.
ELENA
Congratulations. Unfortunately, I think my snowboarding career has come to an end almost as quickly as it began.
CHASE
Shame. Have a good day, Elena.
The smile on my face lingered. I’d just finished running a flat iron through my hair when I heard the door from the garage open and shut. In an instant, the house felt different. The air got heavier, colder somehow. I’d been hoping to be gone before Peter got home, but I’d spent too long staring at Chase’s messages, letting myself imagine...
No. Don’t go there.
“Elena! Where are you?”
My hands shook slightly as I secured my ponytail. “Upstairs!”
Peter’s footsteps on the steps were measured, deliberate. He always walked like that when he was angry—like a cat stalking its prey. By the time he appeared in the bathroom doorway, I’dsteadied my hands and schooled my features into careful neutrality.
He filled the doorway in his perfectly pressed clothes, not a hair out of place despite his morning of travel. The stark overhead lighting caught his green eyes in a way that used to make my heart skip. Now it just made my stomach clench.
His gaze dropped to my scrubs, and I watched the transformation happen: charm to ice in the space of a heartbeat. The temperature in the room dropped another ten degrees.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”
The words were soft, almost gentle. Those were always the most dangerous moments with Peter.
I steeled my spine. This was all part of the plan. “I picked up a swing shift at the hospital. I need to start showing my dedication to the department if I want the attending position.”
Peter rolled his eyes. “The onlydedicationyou need to show is tome. I will guarantee your attending position at whatever hospital I see fit.”
I lifted my chin in challenge. “I’ll earn it on my own.”
I was riling him up. I knew it, he knew it. But I couldn’t help it. I wasso overhis manipulation, his abuse. I wanted out, and I would get there. But if I wanted to survive that long, I should have really stopped goading him.
His smile spread slow and cruel, and I knew what was coming but couldn’t move fast enough to dodge it. The crack of his hand against my cheek echoed off the bathroom tiles. My head snapped sideways, and copper flooded my mouth where my teeth had cut into my cheek as my body crashed into thewall. The medicine cabinet rattled, my bottle of concealer toppling into the sink.
How fitting.
I left for the hospital as quickly as I could, and I spent the rest of the night explaining my “skiing accident” to my coworkers.
I got through my shift on autopilot, rotating through the familiar routine of making excuses.
“Caught an edge while skiing.”
