Unproven Chapter Sixty Four "Man vs. Nature"

If you're loved by someone, you're never rejected, decide what to be and GO BE IT
-The Avett brothers

Recommend Reading Introduction to Unproven

DEFINITELY READ Prologue

Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three

Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six

Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty Chapter Twenty One

Chapter Twenty Two Chapter Twenty Three Chapter Twenty Four

Chapter Twenty Five Chapter Twenty Six Chapter Twenty Seven

Chapter Twenty Eight Chapter Twenty Nine Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty One Chapter Thirty Two Chapter Thirty Three

Chapter Thirty Four Chapter Thirty Five Chapter Thirty Six

Chapter Thirty Seven Chapter Thirty EightChapter Thirty Nine

Chapter Forty Chapter Forty One Chapter Forty Two

Chapter Forty Three Chapter Forty Four Chapter Forty Five

Chapter Forty Six Chapter Forty Seven Chapter Forty Eight

Chapter Forty Nine Chapter Fifty Chapter Fifty One

Chapter Fifty Two Chapter Fifty Three
Chapter Fifty Four

Chapter Fifty Five Chapter Fifty Six Chapter Fifty Seven

Chapter Fifty Eight
Chapter Fifty Nine
Chapter Sixty

Chapter Sixty One Chapter Sixty Two Chapter Sixty Three

Chapter Sixty Four

Ary grinned at Dori as they sat on the stone ledge of the lodge's giant fireplace and yanked off their gloves and ski boots. Dori's cheeks and nose were bright red and she knew her own reflection would show the same. It was freezing outside, barely fifteen degrees, and her fingers and toes were numb despite the insulated socks and gloves she wore. They scootched closer to the fire, stretching their arms and legs toward it, waiting for relief.

"Holy shiznit, it is freaking cold!" Dori stated.

Ary's grin widened as she nodded. They had been there for seven days and the last three of them had been brutal, temperature wise. She loved it. There was something about the challenge it presented, a man versus the elements paradigm that appealed to her. The only downside was they couldn't spend as much consecutive time on the slopes before they needed to take a break.

The first four days they'd only stopped for lunch and dinner, skiing from nine in the morning until they closed at ten, but for the past three they could only tolerate two hours at a time during the day. And when the sun went down, the temperatures dropped to the single digits forcing them to retire early, mainly due to the viciousness of the wind in their faces as they sailed downhill.

"You're doing great, by the way, I would swear you've been skiing for years," Dori told her as she shrugged out of her coat.

"Thanks!" Ary grinned again. She was doing great. Just as she'd told Grayson, she was a natural, graduating to larger and more difficult hills by the middle of each day.

"The next few days are supposed to be a lot warmer," Dori said, her voice suggesting she was exceedingly happy about it.

"Yeah, I saw that on the forecast. Too bad we're going to lose these blue skies in the deal."

The temperatures were supposed to climb into the late twenties and early thirties, which meant the icy crystalline forest this arctic weather had made of the trees would disappear. She'd taken a bazillion pictures as they'd ridden the ski lifts, most of which she'd sent to Grayson. His comments suggested he would much prefer being there with her and she found herself wondering what exactly he was doing. When she asked him, he was vague, saying things like ‘Hobnobbing with tycoons and diplomats, bored as hell’."

"So what do you say we check out what's around us, do some sight-seeing tomorrow?" Dori suggested.

Ary smiled, "Need a break?"

She laughed, "Maybe just a small one. I love skiing but my body is crying for mercy."

"Okay, sounds good. What is there to do in Aspen besides skiing?"

Dori frowned, "Hmm, I don't know, let's take a look." She pulled up the browser on her phone and Ary shimmied closer until their shoulders were touching.

She felt Dori's quick intake of breath and inwardly winced. She knew the girl had a thing for her, but this past week had morphed that ‘thing’ into something more substantial. It was in the way she looked at her sometimes, or the fact that she was willing to continue skiing long after Ary knew she would've liked to stop. Ary hoped she wasn't destined to fall for straight girls over and over, unrequited love was a bitch whichever way you swung.

**

Grayson sat on his bed looking through the last series of pictures that Ary had sent with a tight feeling in his chest. They were beautiful, something straight out of a fairy tale. Tree branches encapsulated in ice surrounded by an untouched snowy landscape, with a clear blue sky as the backdrop. The photos were followed by an enthusiastic commentary on her love of arctic temperatures along with the feeling that she was besting something by being out in them. The pictures were of her, he realized. Her spirit. Beautiful, pure, enchanted. The tightness in his chest extended to his throat and he forced himself to swallow.

It was currently December 25th, officially Christmas. He had a party to attend later in the day, otherwise it was no different from any other day. He slid his thumb over the screen, scrolling back through her texts, and stopped on the pictures she'd taken of them in New York. He lingered over the ones from their Christmas Morning. He'd been so excited, bringing in a mountain of gifts while she'd slept. It was the first time he'd ever slid wrapped gifts under a Christmas tree, and he recalled being on his knees as he'd arranged them, then standing to admire his handiwork. Proud of how it looked. Proud that he could do something for the girl sleeping in the other room that would light up her face. And it had.

He smiled as he remembered how her eyes had widened in disbelief, her mouth forming an O as she'd walked into the small living room early that morning. Then came her smile, one so brilliant it had been blinding. He literally couldn't see anything but her face in that moment.

His smile faded as he contemplated what he was about to do, something that would inspire the opposite reaction. He saw her eyes filling with tears as she bit her lip in an attempt to hold them back....Fuck. He tossed the phone on the bed and ran his hands through his hair.

It had to be done. Even if his father wasn't expecting it, he kind of wanted to test her himself, see how far she could be pushed before breaking. See if she could be pushed to betray him. You once said you were made of strong stuff Aryanne Gilson, well we're about to find out what that means.

Generously created for me by @son-of-satire

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