Beyond My Boundaries | ✔

22 - What Never Was

Chapter 22 - What Never Was

"Can I come in?"

"Sure." I looked back out the window, not making eye contact with Brett.

I heard him take a deep breath before shuffling around, and sitting on the floor. Off the side of my eyes, I saw his head flop back to the wall and I could feel his eyes fixed on me. "I'm the one that should be sorry."

I fiddled with the camera in my hand, playing with the settings.

"You met someone that could make you happy, and I shouldn't interfere with that."

There was a nagging inside me that wanted to challenge his words, but at the surface I felt satisfied.

"Thank you." I settled on. "But I'm also in the wrong. I should've never interfered with you and Melony."

"That's my fault for never telling you about her." He was right on that and I kept silent.

"I want to take you somewhere."

"I thought we just settled that we're done with this?" I questioned.

"We are, but this is just part of me helping you."

"Okay."

"Pack light, but wear good shoes. We're going hiking."

We stood at the bottom of a rocky trail. The SUV was parked in a little dirt patch a few yards away.

"We're going up there?" It was just past the crack of dawn and my eyes were still tired. I couldn't seem to get out of this yawn, then rub your eyes, then yawn again cycle.

"Yup. Let's get moving." I watched Brett power forward and up the hill.

Brett is definitely in better shape than me, as he had no struggle at two hours into this hike, but I was huffing and puffing since ten minutes in.

"We need to take a break." I whined, slowing my pace.

"No breaks. We can't slow until we get there, or we won't make it back by dark."

"I'm not built for this." I trudged along.

"That's your poor mindset speaking."

I narrowed my eyes at his back. Someone is feisty today.

"Screw you."

A few weeks back, a remark would've been made at my word choice, but now I just got an annoyed sound as he told me we could rest when we get there.

So I tightened the back pack strap that was around my waist, grabbed a stick to help keep my balance on the steep terrain, and begged my body to find some sort of inner strength, because Brett was right. If I had a better mindset, I could probably do this, all future blisters aside.

The trees and rocks were thinning out as we reached what I would consider a clearing compared to what we've just been through.

"We can drop our bags here. You hungry?"

Ignoring him, I impatiently searched through my bag, gripping the water bottle, and chugging it until satisfaction. "Yeah I could go for some food." I wiped my mouth and set the bottle on the ground.

"Great, let's go find something."

"Find something?" I looked at him skeptically. What was he planning on finding out here?