Chapter 21
Mia
“E mbrace the pain. It’ll help you push through,” he says as we hike through the rugged mountain terrain.
The early morning sun is just beginning to rise, painting a soft golden light that makes the dew on the leaves around us sparkle. This was his pick from our activity jar—each day, we draw an activity that one of us has written, and today is hiking.
Lucky me.
Trying to adopt his mindset; I focus on the burn in my legs, attempting to channel the pain into determination. But eventually, the pain wins and my legs buckle. I collapse onto a nearby rock, tears threatening to spill from the frustration and exhaustion. Jake is instantly at my side, his hand warm against my back. “Come on, we’re almost there.”
I shake my head. “It’s too much.”
His expression softens, his thumb gently brushing away a tear that has escaped. “Okay, don’t cry. We’re just a few more minutes from the top, I promise.”
“You go ahead, I’ll wait here.” I cross my arms over my chest.
He grins, leaning closer. “How about this? I’ll make it better once we get up there.”
“Better how?” I pout.
“Remember how they make boo-boos better?”
“How?”
“By kissing it…” he lowers his voice to a sultry whisper.
“You think kissing my legs will make it better?” I raise an eyebrow at him.
“I wasn’t talking about just kissing your legs. I’m talking about making you feel good.”
My pussy throbs when I understand what he meant. No one has ever kissed me down there before. Well they never got the chance. I wonder how it will feel, his warm tongue kissing my pussy. Is it as good as Rylee said?
“I’ll even give you a piggyback ride to the top,” he adds, his eyes twinkling with mischief.
I laugh, the sound more genuine this time, despite the pain. “You can’t possibly carry my big ass up there.” I get up and stretch my legs.
“I can carry your thick ass anywhere,” he boasts confidently, and his assurance makes me smile.
“Okay, I’ll walk, but how about we play a game where we ask each other questions?” I know he hates playing questions, but I need something to distract me from the ache in my legs. The rocky path and steep incline of the mountain trail are testing me more than I anticipated. Embracing the pain is not working.
“Sure, shoot,” he says, his eyes scanning the path ahead as he adjusts his backpack.
“What is your favorite color?” I glance at him.
“Brown, like your eyes,” he says. I turn to see a playful grin on his face.
“Stop being a flirt. There’s no way brown is your favorite color.” I shove him.
“Well it is.” His grin widening.
I roll my eyes not believing him.
“And you?” he asks.
“Green, like your eyes.” I stifle a smile.
He chuckles. “Myrah, are you flirting with me?”
My full name rolls off his tongue like honey. I want to ask how he knows it, but I’m sure he just looked it up through the booking.
I laugh and wink at him.
“What’s your favorite music genre, and artist?” I say, bouncing on my steps.
“That’s two questions?”
“No, it’s one question with two parts.” I step over a large root that crosses our trail.
“Pop music, and I don’t really have a favorite artist, but one that pops into my head right now is Benson Boone.” He picks a stick and draws a circle on the ground. “What about you? Let me guess, Taylor Swift.”
“No, I love Taylor Swift, but my favorite genre is R the sound bouncing off in the open air. “So, you can live without food, but not sex?”
“I could live off you. I bet you taste freaking amazing, I can’t wait to find out.” He winks at me.
“Oh my God.” I gasp and laugh, ignoring the slight tremble in my legs from both the climb and his comments. “I’m not food.”
“That has yet to be determined.” His laughter mingles with the rustle of leaves and the distant calls of birds overhead.
“I’m done with you,” I say, though my tone is more amused than annoyed.
“And you?” He turns to me, his step steady despite the uneven ground.
“Water, books, food,” I list, sidestepping a puddle.
“No sex?” he teases, catching a low-hanging branch and holding it for me to pass.
“I have my fingers.” I hold my fingers to him, and step past a branch.
He stops and pulls me towards him, his hands firm on my waist. “Your fingers can’t give you the orgasms that sex can, at least not the ones I can give you.” His eyes are penetrating deep into mine. I suddenly need the air I thought I could live without as it leaves my body. (Since it wasn’t part of the three things I can’t live without)
His lips crash onto mine, hot and demanding, right there on the mountain trail, surrounded by the wild beauty of nature. He steps to the side, releasing me, and I try to catch my breath, aware of the man who makes my heart race more than the climb.
“What’s a secret you’ve never told anyone but want to share with me?” I ask after I compose myself, the cool mountain air brushing against my face.
He stops walking and takes a step away from me. I watch as he paces back and forth, running a hand through his hair. Whatever he’s about to tell me must be big. He stops pacing, taking a deep breath before looking up at me. “I found my dad having sex with one of my friends,” he murmurs against the backdrop of rustling leaves.
“Wait, what?” I thought it was something big, but not that.
“Well, she was more than a friend. We weren’t officially together, but we had something,” he kicks a small rock with his foot.
“You mean with Jessie?” I piece it together.
He nods, and a heavy sigh escapes him. “Yeah.”
“I’m so sorry.” I shift my weight from one foot to the other, looking down at the ground. “Is that—'' I pause to clear my throat. “Is that why you don’t do relationships?” I look up past his shoulder, not wanting to see the answer on his face.
He shakes his head, then nods, as if he’s debating his true feelings. “No. Well, yes.” He rubs the back of his neck. “ I guess it’s part of it. She’s really the only girl I’ve cared about, even if I never admitted it.”
His gaze drifts to the mountain trail ahead, avoiding my eyes.
“Despite what she might think, I was never with anyone else while we were together,” he adds.
“But I thought you said you two weren’t in a relationship?”
“Right, because I didn’t want to label it. We weren’t boyfriend and girlfriend. We were young, and I didn’t want to hold her back or the other way around. After graduation, she moved to London.” The words are heavy and raw.
“Oh, I see.” Kind of like us now . The truth stings more than I let on.
“Maybe I wouldn’t mind as much if it had been anyone else but my dad…” Anger simmering beneath his calm exterior.
“What did you do when you found out?” I ask softly.
“That was five years ago, and I told him I never wanted to see him again.” His hands are shaking
I reach for them, intertwining our fingers. He looks down at our joint hands, his thumbs brushing over my knuckles. “The worst part is they didn’t stop seeing each other even after getting caught. He was financing her college in London with loans he took out against the hotel, and now we’re deep in debt because of it .” Each word is sharper than the last as if saying it out loud brings back all the anger and hurt.
“I’m sorry,” I say. My heart aches for him as if his pain is my own.
“Don’t be.” His jaw twitches, and he forces a smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes.
“Do Sarah and Alex know?”
“I never told them. Unless Jessie did.” His eyes search mine, silently begging for something.
I step closer, closing the gap between us and wrap my arms around his body, resting my head on his chest. I listen to the rapid beat of his heart.
He lets out a shaky breath, his chin rests on top of my head, and his arm tightens around me.
“What did she want last time at the bar?” I whisper against his chest.
He stiffens before responding, a hollow laugh escaping him. “She wanted to say she was sorry about my dad and that they were in love. She said, me not talking to him really hurt him,” his chest vibrates with a scoff.
“I hate this bitch.”And I didn’t realize I said that out loud until I heard him laughing. She ruined any chance I might have with him. Maybe if she didn’t sleep with his dad, he might feel different about relationships. Unless that’s not the only reason why he doesn’t do relationships.
He pulls away and stares at me, a line creasing between his eyebrows that I want to reach out and smooth it.
“What?” I ask when he continues his intense stares.
“Thank you. I wasn't planning on telling you any of this, but I'm glad I did.” He looks directly into my eyes, unblinking. Flirty Jake makes me blush, but serious Jake makes me sweat. Causing moisture to build between my thighs like the morning dew on the fresh grass around us.
“You’re welcome.” I move my tingling toes in my sneakers, trying to ground myself.
“Look,” he says with a catch in his breath, pointing behind me. I whirl around with wide eyes—it’s just a few more steps to the top. “Come on.” His excitement is infectious as he pulls me by my hand. We race the last few steps together, laughter bubbling up as we reach the summit.
Panting and laughing, we collapse side by side, the exertion giving way to exhilaration. Our laughter slowly dies down, and we sit up, taking in the panoramic view before us. The sunrise unfolds like a live painting, shades of orange and pink bleeding into the clear sky.
It’s a moment of pure magic, the kind that makes you believe in a greater hand at work. I lean into him, feeling the rise and fall of his chest. “This is breathtaking,” I breathe out.
“It is.” He pulls me even closer, his arm wrapping around my shoulder, and his chest is firm against my back. Even though we’ve been hiking, he smells amazing, like pine needles and sun-warmed wood.
My heart beats a little faster, and I know I’m drawing too close to the flame. I want to lean in, to feel the burn, but the rational part of me knows this is supposed to be casual, uncomplicated. Yet here, in his arms, my heart doesn’t get the memo.