Baggage Claim (Aspen Peaks #1)

by Juliana Smith

I had two goals for today: 1. Survive being with Sarah longer than an hour. 2. Don’t kill Finn.

“Hey. Look at me.” Finn's soft voice drew my attention back to him, where he was kneeling in the snow with both of my feet in his hands. The tip of his nose was pink, and I knew he had to be freezing. “Just follow me, okay?”

“Olive,” I breathed out her name. “If you were mine, you would never wonder how perfect you are.”

“Olive,” I said, her name like a prayer.

“Tell me to stop.”

If there’s something you can’t control, it’s because you weren’t meant to control it. All we can do is manage how we react to what inevitable pain life brings us.”

“If I could, I would never let anyone else hurt you.” If only you were really mine.

Biting my lip, I walked back to my car feeling the need to run around like Rudolph after Clarise kissed him. She thinks I’m cute! She thinks I’m cuuute!

“I’ll see you tonight.” She planted a big kiss on my cheek, her lipstick undoubtedly leaving a mark, and I made no endeavor to remove it.

sat in his lap—due to limited seating of course—close to the warm glow, and every time the smoke came my way, he would pick me up and move me. His friends ribbed him about being whipped, and he never once denied it.

Day Five He took me to see The Nutcracker ballet in theaters. He made comments every time the male dancer would do a high jump or an impressive spin with the ballerina in his arms. “I could do that.” “Pshh, that’s easy.” “Why is everyone freaking out over this guy jumping?” Afterward he proceeded to take me into the parking lot and do high jumps under the street light lamps. He would kick his leg out in poor form and tell me to rate it on a scale of one to five.

Finn bought me a souvenir t-shirt featuring a puppy dressed as a ballerina. I even got a picture with a group of five French bulldogs. Finn said he was going to make the lockscreen on his phone.

“That’s fine. Let’s just go.” She looked like she was going to fall apart at any moment, and I had no words left. So I simply stepped forward, wrapped a long arm around her shoulders, and pulled her into my chest. She settled into me with no hesitation, her face planted onto my chest and her hands laid flat on either side of her face. Her shoulders shook, and I heard a tiny sniffle. That small sniffle, tiny but so mighty, broke a piece of my heart. She shook against me as she let out her tears onto my T-shirt. She painted me with mascara and lipstick, and I couldn’t care less; I would gladly be a canvas for her.

When it came to her, I would be or do anything she asked.

The most beautiful girl I knew was broken inside, and I would do anything I could to fix it.

“Come on, Grinchy. We all know we’re both going to cry by the end of this. I need my emotional support Olive.”

“You might just be my favorite person in the world.”

I knew then—I was utterly in love with Olive Moore, and nothing was going to change that.

Had to go to work early today. Last night was incredible. You better call me, or my ego is really going to take a hit. Feel free to hang around and wait for me to get off later, or I can have someone come pick you up. -Your George Bailey

She lit up the entire house, and I was caught in her trance.

“Don’t look at them. Don’t look at her. Look at me.” I raised a tightly closed fist. “If you so much as breathe in Olive’s direction, it will be your last.”

It’s the same way Finn looks at you, like you are the only one in the room.”

“Oh, come on there’s got to be somebody. What does it take to be qualified as Olive Moore’s boyfriend?” “I don’t know. I want someone who will look at me like I’m the only person in the room.”

Inside was a stuffed “Max the Dog” toy with a card attached. I smiled through my tears. I opened the small card on it and saw Finn’s handwriting. So you can count him to sleep at night, my little Grinch. Love, Finn

It was a big day. I had officially got Olive to agree to go skiing with me again.

But today was my birthday,

My Christmas gift to Finn was tickets to an Avalanche game. He’d never admit it, but he cried when he opened them.

“Where to now?” “Anywhere you want, Grinchy. I’m there.”