Previously:

Kerri felt betrayed when she learned that Beau had kept the truth about her accident from her. The two had a blowout when he tried to stop her from moving out of their home.

Superstar snowboarder Jonothan Albion arrived at the Highwind. Remy tried to convince his old rival to take part in the X-Limit's grand opening exhibition, but Jono's attention was more focused on Elena.

The Highwind X-Limit

Beau Ormand was hanging signs announcing the X-Limit's grand opening and membership sales. He couldn't believe it was really about to happen. The last time he'd worked so hard at anything, he was opening the Bel Ami Club with his little brother, and now, here they were gearing up for another debut.

But this one felt more bittersweet. Today was the first day he'd worked with Kerrigan since she'd moved out of their home, and Beau could see she was doing her best to avoid him completely. He wanted to be as professional as possible about this -- not let their personal problems bleed into the workplace -- but what was professional about not speaking to your business partner?

He felt like an asshole for the way he'd treated her. He hated himself for getting into this position in the first place. He never should have opened himself up to being put in the middle of Kerri and her brother. If he'd just been honest with her all along instead of trying to appease them both, things would have been different.

Beau continued setting up a display, casting the thoughts aside. There was no use for hindsight now. The damage was already done. He reached for his hammer, but he couldn't find it amongst the scattered tools on the floor.

"Great," he muttered, looking around the room.

Kerri peered down at him from the front desk where she was going over paperwork. With a sheepish smile, she came to him, extending her hand and his hammer.

"I borrowed it earlier. Sorry."

He took it from her carefully. It was the first time she'd spoken to him all morning. He felt like this was his opportunity to say something -- the right thing -- to put this dispute to bed and get back to normal.

Kerri seemed to sense he was about to speak, but in the pressure to find the perfect words, he hesitated and the moment was lost. She headed back to the desk.

"Kerri, wait," he said softly. He still didn't know how to apologize or make up for what he had done, but he'd have to wing it. "We can't keep going on like this. It's driving me crazy, seeing you and not being able to talk to you. It's torture."

"We can talk," she said, turning to face him. Her words were warmer than before. "I don't want the X-Limit to suffer because of us."

"I don't care about the X-Limit. I care about us," Beau answered. "Look, whatever we have is more important to me than this job, or your brother, or anything else. I know I acted like an idiot the other night when you were packing your bags. I shouldn't have yelled at you, but when I walked in on that I was scared and caught off-guard. I didn't know what else to do, but I couldn't stand back and just let you go."

He hoped she could tell how truly sorry he was, and she seemed to soften to him in hearing his words. "I'm sorry I had to go, but there are some things I need to work out for myself and come to terms with before I'll be ready to move on. I've been on this search -- wanting to put an end to these questions I've had for years now. It's been my driving force for as long as I can remember. Now, even with the answers I thought I'd never find, it's not any easier to process."

"But can't we work through this together? You shouldn't have to deal with this all on your own. I know I disappointed you, but this can't be it for us."

"Beau," she said, her tone guarded. "I wish it were that simple. Just because I moved out doesn't mean I don't want to be with you. Of course I hope we can work things out, but it's more complicated than that."

"Why does it have to be? If you still love me, that's all that should matter." He dared to take her hands now, looking at her and hoping she could see what was right in front of her instead of being swept up in her past. That dark part of her life could be put to rest, finally, if only she'd let herself move forward with him.

"Come home," he pleaded, looking down to her hand. Kerri followed his lead, her eyes landing on her engagement ring, her expression uncertain. "Come back home with me and we'll get past this. Everything will be different, if you give me this one more chance."

The Highwind - Conference Room

Giselle Ormand was already agitated when she entered the conference room with her new PR Coordinator, Paul Schultz. The two of them had been discussing business plans over lunch when Remy interrupted to call her back to the office. "This had better be worth the trouble."

Paul and Giselle took their seats at the table across from Remy.

"Hey, don't get lippy with me. I'm just the messenger," Remy shrugged. "Elena wanted to see you."

Giselle was dying to know what was so important -- if only to get it over with and return to her daily routine. "What is this all about?" she implored.

"She said she needed to see us all. I don't know what's going on."

Just then, Elena and Scarlet walked in together, joining the group. "Sorry to bother you..." Scarlet said.

"...But we have concerns," Elena finished her sentence. The two women exchanged wary glances.

Giselle bit her tongue and gestured to Elena, urging her to proceed.

"We know the opening of the X-Limit is an important event for the Highwind, and for getting back on track with our investors and guests," Elena began.

"But we're thinking this snowboarding exhibition might be a bad idea," Scarlet said, the attention turning to her.

Remy jumped up from the table. "Are you kidding me? What's wrong with it?" he asked, personally offended that his first contribution as part of the X-Limit team was coming was under fire. "Everything's going great. We've already got the talent lined up, and we've pre-sold tons of tickets."

"Where is this coming from?" Giselle asked Elena and Scarlet.

"It's Jonothan Albion," Scarlet said. "He's a mess, and he's driving us crazy. I know he's one of the biggest stars of the sport, but he's also one of the most egotistical, self-centered pricks I've ever had to work with. Does he have to be a part of this event?"

Everyone seemed taken aback by Scarlet's brash assessment.

"I'm not a complainer by any stretch of the imagination, but you have no idea how many staff members have come to me, driven mad by all of his wild demands. He sent his breakfast back to the kitchen four times this morning alone ... because the waitresses we sent him weren't hot enough," she said, her disgust evident.

"It shouldn't be too hard to find an attractive woman capable of handing this man a plate of food," Giselle said, though his actions did sound a bit extreme.

"Oh, that's only the beginning," Scarlet gave a wry laugh. "He's been harassing all of the female staffers from the moment he checked in. I have to beg the employees to handle his requests."

"And trust us, he has a lot of them. Look at his demands!" Elena said, producing a list handwritten by the Highwind's newest resident terror. "Who does he think he is?"

"What the hell is a 'Halo 3'?" Giselle asked, reading through the exorbitant list. "And a twenty-four hour, on-call masseuse dressed in a Little Bo Peep costume? Well, Linda's never going to agree to that. We'll have to hire outside," she huffed, setting Jono's list aside. "Is this degenerate really worth all of the trouble?" she asked the group, beginning to see Scarlet and Elena's side of the issue.

"I think he's a chauvinistic asshole," Scarlet answered, folding her arms in front of her.

"He'll settle down in a few days," Remy said. "We have to tough it out. We need him."

Giselle looked to Paul for his input on the matter.

"He's the biggest star in extreme sports. Whatever personal issues we might have with him, he'll be a huge draw. He fits the X-Limit's target demographic perfectly."

"Target demographic? You mean 'Pretentious freaks with bad British accents'?" Elena said, earning a laugh from Scarlet. "Fine. Whatever."

Giselle knew the women weren't satisfied, but she didn't care. If this was really as important to the X-Limit and to Remy as he made it out to be, then Elena and Scarlet would have to deal with it. "Remy, this was your idea, so do your best to keep your friend in line. Indulge him, for now. Keep him away from these two, and hopefully he'll settle down and get serious about the exhibition as it draws closer.

"I will," Remy nodded. "This event will be a success. I'll make sure of it."

The Highwind X-Limit

Beau was never going to understand. One of the things that frustrated Kerri the most was the way that everything was so black and white to him. In his eyes, if she still loved him, she should just be able to forgive him. It all sounded so simple when he put it that way, but that wasn't how she felt.

"I'm not ready yet. I'm sorry, but I can't," she said. As much as she wanted to say the words, to say everything was fine between them and that she was over everything that had happened, it wasn't that easy. "Nothing's been resolved. I know you're sorry, but I have to figure out for myself where to go from here. It's only going to make things worse if we try to force it."

"No. What's only going to make things worse is putting more distance between us. How will being apart from one another resolve anything? How am I supposed to make things better for us if you won't let me in?"

"Because you can't just make it better," she said, slightly exasperated now. Her emotions were raw and exposed from the continued back and forth, but Beau didn't seem to be getting the point at all. He just couldn't comprehend that there wasn't always an easy fix to everything.

"But, I don't know what else to do," he said in surrender.

Kerri looked to his remorseful face, the defeat in his eyes. Her irritation melted away. "This isn't all about the accident or Miles, you know? We had some serious issues in our relationship before this, it was just easier to ignore them back then."

"What do you mean? I thought we were fine. Things were perfect, at least it felt that way to me. You weren't happy?"

"I was happy," she clarified, "but sometimes, it was like I was trying so hard to live up to your version of perfect, I felt like an accessory."

"I wish I'd known. I would never want you to feel like that," Beau insisted. "What do you want that I haven't given you? What is your perfect version of us?"

"An equal partnership," she said easily. "I don't like it when you keep me in the dark or push me aside, even when you think it's for my best interest." It was the biggest obstacle she could see that stood in the way of them being together. "When I walked out on you the other night, you made me feel so worthless. You told me I needed you and that I couldn't get by without you. It was disgusting, Beau. I don't need you to protect me. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

"I know. I know you are," he answered, shaking his head in disgust with himself. "I didn't mean what I said. I was angry, and I was afraid of losing you. If anything, I'm the one who needs you."

Kerri breathed deep. It was a struggle to keep her resolve, hearing him promise things would be different. Maybe they would, maybe they wouldn't.

Beau looked so crushed. He said he needed her ... but she knew he'd say anything to make it right between them again. Did he really mean it? Maybe some time apart would help Beau decide if he really did need her, or if he was just in love with the idea of them being together.

"I'm not coming home," she decided. His mouth dropped open, ready to protest, but he wisely held his tongue and allowed her to have her say. "And we can't get married, not like this." She slipped her beautiful ring from her finger. It pained her. She'd become so accustomed to the idea of a family with him -- it was like giving away a piece of herself or handing off a dream.

"Keep it. Please, Kerri. If I take it from you ... then it will feel like we're really over, won't it?"

"We're not over," she promised, closing her hand around the ring. "We'll figure it out somehow."

He held her close and repeated her assurance. "We'll figure it out together."

The Bel Ami Club

After work, Elena and Scarlet consoled each other over a little Happy Hour drinking. "We were so close," Scarlet moaned, drinking a vodka-soda. "We almost got rid of him."

"Yeah, but I think Giselle and the others may be right, as much as it kills me to admit it. He will be good for business, as long as he's serious about putting on a decent show. I only hate him because he reminds me of an old boyfriend I had in college. Reminds me of most of them, actually. They were all such jerks," she laughed, reminiscing. "You're lucky you don't have to put up with that!"

"Are you kidding me?" Scarlet said. "You don't think I've met my share of arrogant, dramatic women? Because I have, and I feel your pain."

The bartender came and brought them both another round.

"Have you ever dated a man?" Elena asked. "Have you always known?"

Scarlet stirred her drink with her straw. "I've dated a few, but I was really young then. It was never anything too serious. I think I knew what I wanted fairly early on in life."

"Must be nice..."

"What about you? Do you know what you're looking for? Haven't you ever been in love?"

"Maybe," Elena answered, beginning to wonder for herself. "I was in love with Beau. He's the reason I came back to St. Laurent, though we can see how well that turned out. It was the only time I've ever been in love ... at least, I think it was. Maybe it wasn't. Maybe it was just a one-sided infatuation. Who knows?

Scarlet was intrigued. "Why did it end?"

"It was too complicated. With the Highwind, and our families' histories, and Giselle and me constantly at each others' throats ... it's probably better that it ended when it did. It took a while, but I've moved past him. I don't hold anything against him or Kerrigan anymore."

"It's not good to hold on to those kinds of things," Scarlet agreed. "Has there been anyone else since then? You can't have been single for all this time."

"Nothing serious. Nothing worth mentioning," Elena muttered, thinking about Miles and what a joke their short-lived romance was.

"Come on! I want to hear."

"He was younger than me. That was my first mistake," she said. "He was also Kerri's brother. Strike number two," she added. "I never knew what he was thinking. He never seemed interested in a serious relationship, so it was awkward. I think he might have been worried about making things worse between me and Kerri, but he broke things off so randomly. I don't even knew what I did to deserve it. Typical right?"

"It doesn't sound like you were the problem."

"It's fine," she said, dismissing it all with a wave of her hand. "It doesn't matter anymore. At least I have my career," she said sarcastically. A career she'd never planned for. For as little experience as she'd had coming into the Highwind, she never thought she'd come to enjoy her job and the challenges it presented. She'd come a long way since the old days. "Things have been better at the Highwind lately. You should have seen how it was before. Giselle and I are actually getting along now. Maybe it's a good thing I've sworn off dating. It's given me other things to care about."

"You shouldn't swear off dating if the opportunity presents itself," Scarlet said, smiling a mischievous smile. "Maybe you just need to swear off dating men."

They shared a laugh. Elena reached out and took Scarlet's hand, grateful to have a friend who understood her and actually enjoyed listening to all of her drama.

"Elena," Scarlet said, suddenly uncomfortable. She looked down to where Elena had taken her hand. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have gone there--"

"Don't apologize," she said, taking her other hand now, too. "It's really not a big deal. You don't have to walk on eggshells around me."

She knew Scarlet had only been joking in her flirting just now, but the more time they spent together, the more Elena began to wonder what it must be like for her. What would it be like to walk in Scarlet's shoes for a day? Somehow, it didn't seem as unusual or foreign to her as she originally thought. At least, not when she was in Scarlet's company.

The Bel Ami Club

Remy and Jonothan showed up at the bar later that evening. A live band was playing, music reverberating through the club. He was trying to come up with a way keep Jono in line at the Highwind, but the noise wasn't helping his thought process. Remy knew the more he tried to convince him to behave, the more Jono would act out, out of spite.

It wasn't until they'd taken their seats near the bar that Remy saw Elena and Scarlet. The two women were talking closely, inaudible. The last thing he intended to do was stop and say hi to them, especially with Jono along.

"Hey, look who's here," Jono said, noticing the women for himself. "Shall we buy them a round?"

"I'll take a Crown and Coke." Remy ignored Jonothan, ordering a drink from Josie, who was working the bar. "What are you having?" Remy asked, taking Jono's shoulder. He hoped to distract him away from Elena and Scarlet before they accused him of harassing them again.

"Whatever you're having. I don't care." He turned back to Elena. "I wouldn't mind having a bit of that."

Remy followed his attention to Elena as she whispered something into Scarlet's ear. The two of them laughed, the sound carrying over the loud music. Remy muttered to himself while Jonothan's eyes widened.

"What do you think? Should I go get in on that?"

"Get in on what? Are you still talking about Elena?" he asked, exasperated.

"Elena ... the Indian one ... both of them at the same time? Does it really matter? They're both smoking hot."

"Dude, I thought I warned you about Elena. Why won't you trust me? She's not worth the trouble."

Jono shrugged. "I want to find out for myself."

"Be my guest," Remy said, gesturing to their table. "Go over there and ask her out then. She'll snap your head off."

"That's why you've got to help me, man!"

Remy shook his head. The last thing he wanted was to get involved in this, especially when he'd done all he could to steer Jono clear of trouble. "Since when do you need my help? I thought you had more game than that."

"I don't know what's wrong! This isn't how it usually goes down. For some reason, she seems to be immune to the fact that I'm a world-class athlete and hot as fuck. Isn't that enough?"

Remy just blinked in disbelief of the words coming from his mouth. "And I thought I was cocky..."

"Don't be a fucking knob," Jono said, swallowing down his drink. "Just help me out a little. Say some nice things about me, or whatever it is she needs to hear."

"I don't even know what that would be."

"Come on! I'm agreeing to do your stupid exhibition for next to nothing! You're telling me you can't hook me up with one date? How about showing some gratitude? Don't make me regret helping you."

Remy grimaced. He didn't like the sound of Jonothan's borderline blackmail. He refused to let Jono ruin the X-Limit's exhibition and everything they'd been working toward. Maybe he could say something to Elena. If this was how Jono wanted to play it, he supposed he'd have to try.