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.

and occasionally he’d steady the backpack. He always seemed to make the climb easier for

help. “I can walk on my

was either placating or teasing; it was hard

said.

clenched her teeth in silent frustration.

he reached out, Leanne spun around defensively, blocking

drawled, “Thanks, I could use

גוד

11:30

MChapter 164

you

stick firmly on the ground, used a nearby tree trunk for additional leverage,

and three-quarters of the way

100

the camp base,

we stopping?”

“The park ranger mentioned there’s still some leftover ice on the trail from the recent snowfall. The steps up ahead are slick,

with enthusiasm, “I’ll lead the way. I’ve been through here

smaller trails were less maintained compared to the main tourist paths.

merged and

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