— That’s awful.
— That’s Hollywood, she corrects with a shrug. Honestly, that was probably one of the nicer reviews I got for that film.
— Is that why you caused that scandal with that director?
Jane stops abruptly, her face closing off.
— No, Callum. I “caused that scandal” because a fifty-year-old man made it clear my career depended on my willingness to sleep with him. And when I refused, he started spreading rumors that I was “difficult to direct.”
I shake my head, aware of my misstep.
— I’m sorry. That was poorly phrased.
— It was, she admits, though her expression softens. But you couldn’t have known. It’s not like we had time to really get to know each other before we got “engaged.”
The reminder of our arrangement unsettles me. For a moment, I’d almost forgotten that our relationship is nothing more than a business contract.
— Let’s keep going, I say, gesturing to the path. We’re almost there.
Twenty minutes later, we reach my favorite place in all the Highlands. A small natural clearing on the hillside, nestled between rocks that form a shelter from the wind. From here, the landscape stretches endlessly—valleys, distant shimmering lochs, and blue-tinted mountains on the horizon.
Jane stops, speechless.
— Oh my God, she breathes. This is…
— I know, I say simply.
— No, really, she insists, her eyes sweeping the horizon. It’s like someone took every beautiful postcard landscape and combined them into one place. How is that even possible?
I smile, satisfied with her reaction. I expected polite admiration, but her awe is genuine—almost childlike in its purity.
— This has been my secret spot since I was a teenager, I explain, setting down my bag. I used to come here when I needed to think. To escape family pressure.
— I can see why, she says softly. It feels like you’re suspended between earth and sky.
She steps closer to the edge, and my heart lurches when she stands so near the drop. Instinctively, I move closer and grab her elbow.
— Not too close.
— Don’t worry, I’m not going to fall, she reassures me with a smile. I have my magical walking stick, remember?
Despite her protest, she doesn’t pull away, and we stay like that for a moment—side by side, taking in the vastness before us. I’m acutely aware of the warmth of her arm beneath my fingers, of her light scent blending with the heather and damp earth.
— Thank you for bringing me here, she says finally. I understand better why you love this place so much.
— I’ve never brought anyone here before, I admit without thinking. Well… except Ewan, but that’s different.
She turns to me, surprised.
— Really? Not even Heather?
I grimace at the mention of my ex.
— Especially not Heather. She hated hiking. According to her, nature was beautiful—as long as it was viewed from a five-star hotel window.
Jane laughs.
— I’m starting to understand why Hamish didn’t like her.
