The air was crisp and electric as Sydney carved her snowboard down the icy slope, her bright teal jacket a blur against the snowy backdrop. She relished the freedom of the mountain, the way the wind whipped against her goggles and the crunch of snow beneath her board. Everything was perfect—until it wasn’t. Out of nowhere, another snowboarder shot into her path like a rogue comet. There was no time to react. One moment she was gliding effortlessly, and the next she was tumbling in a flurry of limbs and snow. The impact sent them both sprawling, a chaotic tangle of boards, jackets, and arms. When the world stopped spinning, Sydney found herself pinned beneath the stranger. Her heart raced, not from the fall, but from the surprise of finding herself nose-to-nose with him, their breaths fogging in the freezing air. His helmet had been knocked slightly askew, revealing messy dark hair and sharp features, his eyes wide with the same shock she felt. Sydney blinked, trying to process what had just happened. “What the heck?” she muttered to herself, feeling the burn of cold snow sneaking into her jacket. It wasn’t the first wipeout she’d had, but it was definitely the most… memorable.