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“Cassi, listen–”
“All I wanted is to go on that stupid mountain. I’m just going to go by myself then, sorry for bothering you.” Just like every time I try to talk to the woman, she turns away and bolts away, gripping her bag like it’s her lifeline.
Fuck, why did I raise my voice? I run a hand through my hair, cursing at myself for being an ass. Some of the other workers are glancing my way, possibly more confused than I am.
Her words then register and I’m clenching my jaw.
She wouldn’t actually go out in the wilderness by herself, right? That’s stupid and irresponsible. No, she’ll be here tomorrow, just like the day before. When that happens, I’ll apologize and we can pretend I didn’t scare her off.
Cassi
I’m panting as I make my way up along the dirt road. Huffing and puffing, I clutch my water bottle and suck down a big mouthful.
Thanks to the rainfall last night, the air is humid and I swear I’m covered in a layer of sweat. Does it always rain this much during the summertime? If it started raining now, I think I’d be thankful. Cool water pelting down on me sounds like a dream right now.
If it weren’t for my feelings being hurt, I’d probably be snuggled beneath my blanket and watching a romantic movie. That, or sucking up the air conditioning at the headquarters.
But no, I am hiking for the first time ever while breaking in a pair of tennis shoes I’ve hardly worn and absolutelylovingthe ache I have in both heels. To make matters worse, I am all alone.
Building all that courage to ask Ryder to tag along took so much energy, and then to be denied without a moment’s hesitation, I’m thinking my heart hurts more than my feet.
I could’ve asked him to carry me if he’d agreed. We’d be so close and I would’ve taken my shot at kissing the guy and admitting my feelings. Hell, I might have even proposed to make my dreams come true.
Grumbling under my breath, I kick the nearest rock in my path. How long is it going to take my broken heart to heal after taking such blows?
Call me childish, but a part of me wants to throw myself down and throw a fit because this whole love thing didn’t turn out to be as easy as I expected. Maybe that’s why he doesn’t share my feelings.
If Ryder’s worried about our age difference, he could be triple it and I wouldn’t even bat an eye. If anyone wants to judge, they can kiss my ass. I can’t possibly think of why else he wouldn’t want me.
He’s not married, the lack of a ring gives that away. Working all the time, I doubt he even has the time to meet another woman.
Letting out a sigh, I continue forward, trudging my way up the mountain and using the spray-painted blue rings across every few trees to guide me further up the trail.
Even though I am sure he’s been up this path a hundred times before, I wanted to show him everything worth seeing. Maybe have a picnic or something? Ugh, all I wanted was a taste of love.
As a hopeless romantic, I’m dying more and more inside the further I go up this stupid mountain.
What would my brother have said if I let him in on my plan? Would he have made fun of me, calling me ignorant? If he knew that I came up here by myself, he’d definitely be pissed without a doubt.
I can already hear the whole speech he’ll have written up by the time I go back down.
Wesley wouldn’t get it. At least the woman he is talking to is within his reach. He can have a casual conversation, yet my tongue gets all twisted up whenever I try to even greet Ryder. Doing all of this is supposed to be a big step for me.
Walking over to a boulder, I take a seat to catch my breath. Pulling out my map, I try to figure out where I am. Unlike my brother, I’ve never been one to be good at reading a map. It all looks like a foreign language to me.
At least on the brochure, there are cartoon depictions of things worth stopping by for the view. I’ve already seen the wooden carved statue of a bear about an hour ago. I don’t think I’ve crossed any waterfalls yet.
Pausing, I take a moment to listen in hopes of hearing the rush of water. The best I get is some shaking leaves from the wind. Must not be there yet. The map promises an eight-hour hike and I’m already a quarter of the way there. Once I hit the top of the trail, I don’t exactly know what I’ll do then.
I’ve got a thin blanket in my backpack, but I don’t know if I actually want to sleep outside. At the sluggish rate that I’m moving, I’ll probably call it quits and turn around, taking an exhausting walk of shame back down.
Can’t wait.
Shoving myself off of the boulder, I trudge my way back up the path. Focusing on ignoring my sore limbs, I let my pride take over and use my determination to do this by myself to push me forward.
I don’t actually need someone with me. Hiking might not be for me, but I can definitely take this task on.
Losing track of the minutes and the number of times I’m bitten by mosquitoes and other bugs, I soon hear the noise I’ve been aiming for. There’s the sound of rushing water and the thought of a cool area makes my pacing go even faster.
