1.2 | Highway of Lights ✓

05 | trail

05
t r a i l

WHEN I FINALLY shove the last piece of burger into my mouth and take a large sip of coke, I unbuckle my seatbelt. Excitement buzzes in my veins, I still can't believe that we're in the Grand Canyon National Park.

"Woah, Riley." Noah chuckles.

"What?" I frown. "Just let me be thrilled for once!"

"Yes, yes, sure." He takes an extra amount of sweet time to unbuckle his seatbelt and reach for the door.

I roll my eyes. "Ha, Noah, you don't have to pull off a show just to spite me."

"I'm not! That's my usual speed." He grins.

I let out a snort and scramble out of the car, grabbing my backpack with me. "We can't see the canyon here," I say with a trace of disappointment when all I see is the visitor center.

"Just follow me," Noah tells me, wearing the same smile he had when we first met a few hours ago. It surprises me how I find the smile familiar already.

We slip through the sliding glass doors and enter the immense building, the air conditioner blasting inside the visitor center. A gigantic map of the Grand Canyon is attached to the wall in front of me as I stare at it in awe, soon noticing the line of televisions on top of it. I follow Noah as he approaches a rack holding maps in different languages.

Noah takes a few maps from the rack. "Alright, all set. Let's go!"

"Wait," I say when Noah starts walking back to the exit door. "That's it? You don't have to study the map or anything? This national park is hella huge."

He turns to me and puts on a smirk. "I thought you were impatient because you wanted to see the canyon?" He continues walking and pushes open the door.

"Well yes." I catch up to him and walk out of the building. "But we may get lost!"

"We won't, I promise." He stares at me with his chocolate brown eyes.

I swallow a lump and snap my head away. That's when an epiphany hits me. "This is not your first time coming here, right?"

He gives me the infamous smirk again. "Or I should say I was trying to save time for you, but yes, you're right. It's not my first time."

I should have expected that, but Noah still impresses me, once again.

We start our way onto the trail. After about five minutes, the canyon rolls into view, miles of carved rocks stretch in front of us as if layers of sand are shovelled on top of one another. I have travelled around for so long, and I sometimes think that I've already seen the best of the world—just like how I won't find other falls that magnificent after seeing Niagara Falls.

But when I look down at how deep and vast the canyon is, I know that I really should not jump to conclusion that fast.

"Holy shit," I mutter. "This place is incredible."

Noah chuckles a little and nods. "Third largest in the world."

"Only third? I'd definitely believe it if it's the largest in the world," I answer.

"The largest one is in Tibet, it's insane." He looks across the canyon next to us, smiling at the scenery.

"Have you been to that one?" I ask.

"No, not yet," he pauses and looks at me, inspecting me while a corner of his lip gradually lifts up. "But definitely in the future."

I wonder what his gaze means.

"Do you have a travelling bucket list?" I think of how the Grand Canyon used to be on mine.

"Definitely," he answers. "Himalayas and Everest for sure," he pauses and lists out the rest. "Mount Rushmore, China's Great Wall, pyramids in Egypt and maybe Mont-Saint-Michel? There are so many, can't really list them all out."

I nod, grinning because those are on my bucket list too. "I want more cities too, like Paris." I look up at the sky and imagine myself standing in front of the Eiffel Tower.

"You're a city girl after all." His laughter echoes in the empty trail.

I shove him, laughing in return. "Shut up! I mean, it's the city of lights, who isn't looking forward to going there?"

"Don't you think mother nature is way better than the artificial lights?" he asks as he raises his eyebrows.

"I don't disagree." I shrug.

We walk around the rim on the smooth path for another fifteen minutes before the trail forks.

Noah stops and finally takes out his map with a pen that has been hanging on his t-shirt pocket. He chucks the top of his pen at his chest and starts scribbling on the map.

I walk closer to Noah and stand on my tiptoes, trying to see what he's circling. Before I realize that I'm only a few inches away from his face, I'm already staring at his map, his breath fanning on my cheek.

His breath feels warm, is it normal that we're that close? Is it okay that his nose is almost touching my face?

I swallow. It sounds loud in my ears. I immediately stand back on my heels. Slowly, Noah tilts his head toward me.

He squints his eyes. "Desperate much, Riley."

I roll my eyes, my heart still hitting my ribcage. "Which way are we going?"

"That." He points at the narrower path.

We start with a stretch of the path that is lined by huge granite walls on either side. I keep studying the rock formation around us—the plunging cliffs that are crafted by time. As the trail gets narrower, my elbow starts knocking against Noah's.

"Where are we actually heading?" I ask and tip my head to the sun.

"Nowhere," he answers.

I frown at him. "What?"

"Let's see what this leads us to." He shrugs.

When we continue walking, we find ourselves facing a medium-height granite wall that blocks our way.

Noah stops and adjusts his backpack straps. Brushing his hair back, he grasps the top of the rock, his posture akin to a rock climber. With just one pull, he's standing on top of the rock wall already.

He tilts his head down at me. "Your turn."

I inhale deeply and place my palm on the rough rock.

"Here," Noah's voice pipes up just above my head. I look up and meet him gazing down at me, a small smirk playing on his lips. Noah's hand shoots out and I make a grab for it. He yanks me up on top of the wall of rock, our palms kissing.

I plant my feet on the floor. "Thank you."

Noah lets go of my hand. Smiling, he takes out his camera. "Cheese," he says as he snaps a photo of me.

His sudden move startles me. "I was not ready!" I exclaim.

"It's just a moment being framed, nothing special," he says and puts his camera back to his backpack, facing the scenery behind me.

"Then why do you bring your camera around?" I ask.

My words seem to hang out there as I wait for Noah's response, but silence lingers instead. I turn at him, and he's looking over at the spot behind me, where a brunette girl I've never seen before is holding another guy's hand.