Chapter 164

Chapter 164

He stood at the base of the rock, with Leanne perched above him. The height of that boulder made her the more elevated of the two, a physical metaphor for their current. dynamic.

Curtis craned his neck slightly, his gaze locked on her with an intensity that seemed almost religious in its fervor, especially given the dim light filtering through the dense forest canopy.

Leanne turned her head away, continuing to forge ahead.

Before long, their odd little group expanded to four.

Jeremy took the lead, with clueless Devin wedging himself between him and Leanne.

Curtis slowed his pace, casually trailing behing Leanne. After a few steps, Curtis asked, “Heavy?”

Leanne didn’t catch his words. “What?”

Without waiting for her to respond, Curtis reached for her backpack and gave it a heft. “What’s in here? Bricks? Are you planning on building a house at the summit?”

“Water and a camera.” Leanne reached out. “Give it back.”

Instead, Curtis slung her pack over his shoulder and nudged her forward. “I’m helping you, and you’re not even happy about it. You should be thrilled to have me as your pack mule.” She couldn’t immediately come up with a counter-argument to his twisted logic, which frustratingly, seemed to make some sense.

Whenever they approached a steep incline, Curtis would offer a helping hand before she could struggle.

Sometimes it was at her waist, sometimes her elbow, and occasionally he’d steady the backpack. He always seemed to make the climb easier for her.

Leanne didn’t want his help. “I can walk on my own.”

His response was either placating or teasing; it was hard to tell. “You’re doing great,” he

said.

Leanne clenched her teeth in silent frustration.

The next time they approached a difficult spot, as he reached out, Leanne spun around defensively, blocking him with her hiking stick.

Curtis gave her a look, grabbed the stick, and drawled, “Thanks, I could use the support. I’m beat.”

גוד

11:30

MChapter 164

Leanne coldly pulled it back. “If you can’t keep up, go back.”

She planted the stick firmly on the ground, used a nearby tree trunk for additional leverage, and hoisted herself up.

Echo Summit had a well-developed trail, and three-quarters of the way was relatively easy

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to navigate. Upon reaching the camp base, the early arrivals had gathered.

“Why are we stopping?” Leanne asked.

Skyler explained, “The park ranger mentioned there’s still some leftover ice on the trail from the recent snowfall. The steps up ahead are slick, and it’s not safe to go on. If we want to reach the summit, we’ll have to take a detour.”

Joy volunteered with enthusiasm, “I’ll lead the way. I’ve been through here before.”

There were multiple paths to the summit, but the smaller trails were less maintained compared to the main tourist paths. In such situations, it was safer to stick together.

The groups merged and continued their ascent.

As they neared the summit, the terrain became steeper, the path narrower, and the underbrush thicker.

Everyone’s pace slowed as they formed a single file, advancing in an orderly fashion.

Leanne was at the back of the line, with Jeremy in front and Curtis behind her. Devin had run ahead, leaving her sandwiched between the two men.

In the middle of the group, Grace whispered to Skyler, “Are Curtis and Leanne getting back. together? He’s carrying her backpack. And the way he talked to her yesterday, it seemed like there’s still something there.”

Skyler adjusted her cap and said, “Don’t worry about Curtis. He’s hard to read, even for

Suzan, trailing close behind, overheard their conversation. She glanced back. Curtis was almost shadowing Leanne, a silent guardian.

She had chased him all the way to the summit earlier, only to find him now with Leanne. It became clear to her that Devin had misled her.

Devin had always been supportive of her, which made this realization particularly upsetting.

Grace’s comment felt like a thorn piercing her heart.

A few minutes passed, and suddenly, Leanne heard a gasp from up ahead. Instinctively, she looked up, but the winding path and the trees obscured her view of what had happened.