She turned over, took a deep breath of the cold air, and gasped.
Nelson picked up the fallen ski pole for her, panting, “Clumsy.”
Callie pouted, “It’s my first time.”
She looked around at everything. Here, there were no social hierarchies, no strong public opinion, and no one recognized them.
She and Nelson were just an ordinary couple here, skiing with friends during the winter.
This was the best storyline.
Nelson didn’t know what she was thinking. He bent down and pinched her cheek, “Get up quickly, the ground is cold. Try again.”
Callie suddenly grabbed his hand, “I like this place.”
Nelson pulled her up, “If you like it, we can come often.”
Although he agreed firmly, Callie somehow felt that they would never come again…
She let out a low cry and took a step, only to realize she had twisted her left ankle. Nelson immediately bent down to check. He took off her shoe and gently massaged her ankle with varying pressure, a smile playing on his lips, “I shouldn’t have let you ski. Now you know it hurts.”
She had the courage to retort, “That’s because you didn’t protect me well.”
Nelson laughed in exasperation. She was blaming him now. His hands weren’t gentle, making Callie grimace in pain, bringing her back to life.
In that moment, she suddenly leaned in and kissed him.
Nelson was caught off guard and paused his movements, not expecting her sudden action.
When he came to his senses, Callie was already looking at the people still on the slope. “What should we do now? I’m so sorry for ruining everyone’s fun.”
Nelson glanced over and said calmly, “It’s no big deal. We’ll go back.”
He removed their equipment and effortlessly carried Callie on his back, heading towards the exit.
Callie was anxious but couldn’t move as he held her tightly. “Let them know. We can’t just leave them.”
“Do you think they’re as clueless as you? They’ll catch up. Don’t worry.”
She clung tightly to Nelson’s neck. The snow-covered landscape stretched endlessly, with pine trees along the road covered in thick snow, revealing a bit of green at the tips.
Nelson carried her as if they would never reach the exit.
The weather turned colder. Fine snowflakes fell from the sky, covering them.
Callie suddenly asked, “Have you ever carried anyone else?”
“Who else but you?”
She hadn’t expected that. After a while, she tentatively asked, “Before I came along, was there anyone else?”
She regretted asking immediately.
Nelson had been so good to her lately that she forgot about boundaries. Mentioning the past always made him angry.
But unexpectedly, Nelson didn’t get mad and leave her by the roadside. He answered perfunctorily, “No one.”
Back in school days, he used to carry Maeve when they went out to play. But childhood memories didn’t count.
Callie was satisfied with his answer. She felt she was becoming too dependent on Nelson. His kindness made her want to remember it forever.
She thought she should be content.
She coaxed him softly, “My foot is fine now. You can put me down.”
Nelson laughed and pointed to the nearby exit, “You say that now when we’re almost there. You’re quite cunning, Callie.”
She scratched her head and smiled.
After leaving the ski resort, Nelson took her to a nearby clinic and bought a can of herbal oil. He slowly massaged her ankle while teasing her, “You’re really something.”