Chapter 168

Chapter 168

Leanne was beyond annoyed, but there seemed to be no way out.

Curtis, having achieved his goal, said, “Let’s go.”

Leanne glanced at the path ahead. Dawn was breaking, casting a ghostly blue hue over

the forest.

Initially, hiking with the group, her focus on the climb had kept her fears at bay. But Curtis’ ghost story had spooked her, and now the trail looked downright eerie.

She didn’t budge. “You go

no first.”

Curtis’ lips curled up slightly, teasing, “Do you want me to hold your hand?”

Leanne cut him off decisively, “No need.”

Curtis took the lead, with Leanne following closely behind.

The silence around them was striking, the sound of their boots crunching on the soil and twigs underfoot.

The flashlight beam offered a limited circle of safety, beyond which darkness seemed to be lurking, ready to pounce.

After a while, Curtis felt a poke in his lower back.

Turning around, he saw Leanne with a face that was as pretty as it was vexed, her hand silently extending a hiking pole toward him.

Curtis couldn’t help but chuckle softly.

Leanne’s lips were pursed tight, her cheeks flushed with a mix of irritation and embarrassment, “What’s so funny?”

It was his fault for telling that silly story.

“Alright, alright, I’ll stop,” Curtis surrendered, “Dr. Leanne is so sensitive and bears a grudge. If I laugh even once, I’m on your blacklist for a decade.”

He teased her, but the smile was still playing at the corners of his eyes as he took the collapsible hiking pole from her, shortened it, and held onto the grip.

The pulling force transmitted through the aluminum shaft eased the tension on Leanne’s shoulders.

Curtis led the way, and without a word between them, they continued up the dimly lit mountain path, the flashlight beam guiding their tandem steps.

Back at base camp, Devin had just dropped Suzan off. The descent was long, and carrying her back to the hotel wasn’t practical or necessary.

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Chapter 168

Once daylight broke, they could easily find a vehicle to take her back.

Mr. Perez, who had never carried a women, gently set Suzan down, “Rest here for a bit, I’m going back up.”

Suzan looked surprised, “You’re heading back up?”

Devin rubbed his shoulders and back, “I move fast. If I head up now, I can still catch the

tail end of the sunrise.”

Suzan called after him, “Devin, why did you lie to me just now?”

Devin, momentarily forgetting what she was referring to, looked puzzled, “When did I lie to you?”

Suzan gave him a scrutinizing look, as if trying to determine if he was pretending not to know, “I asked you where Curtis was, and you said he went ahead. That wasn’t the truth. He was right behind you.”

Devin’s expression turned sheepish, scratching the back of his head, “I must’ve been mistaken then. It was so dark, and my eyesight is not what it used to be.”

“Devin, you’re a terrible liar.”

Realizing he wasn’t going to talk his way out of this one, Devin admitted defeat, “I did it on purpose. What do you my brother anyway? He’s got eyes only for Leanne, dead

want with set on getting back together with her.”

Suzan’s hands clenched tightly on her knees, “Did Curtis say that himself?”

“He didn’t have to say it. But just look at him. Its like he’s got ‘I love Leanne’ written all

over his face.”

Curtis hadn’t lied to Leanne. The path they took was indeed shorter and more convenient. When they reached the summit, Joy and the others were still nowhere to be seen.

The sky was gradually getting brighter, and the undulating mountain ranges in the distance hinted at the coming sunrise.

Curtis took a thermos from Leanne’s backpack and handed it to her. She slowly took a few sips, screwed the cap back on, and he naturally took it from her to place it back in the backpack.

Exhausted from the excessive physical exertion, Leanne sat down on a rock, cushioned by a sheet of paper, and began to rub her calves, seeking some relief.