Page 2 of My Forever Bear

“Geez, Wren! Do you have any bandaids on you?”

I shake my head.

“Wren, you’re so unprepared,” she reprimands, like she’s the older sibling. “Take any pain relievers, if you have them. I think you’re going to have to tough it out this time. And learn from your mistakes.” She makes sure to emphasize each word of that last sentence.

“Rub it in, why don’t ya? You’ll have to come with next time; you’ve always been more outdoorsy than me. Are you still at the diner?”

“Yes, just finishing up my break. But I wish I was there with you instead. I could use the fresh air and exercise. I never should have volunteered to take this double shift. Saturday is our busiest day, so I haven’t gotten a second to breathe all day. Did I tell you about that woman yesterday who wanted a full refund because she didn’t like the food? I told her, ‘Ma’am, we don’t offer refunds. This is a twenty-four-hour diner, not a Michelin-star restaurant!’”

A choked laugh bubbles out of my mouth at her ridiculousness. It’s a miracle she hasn’t been fired yet. Sydney is two years younger than me, and we’ve been best friends all our lives, even though we are complete opposites. She’s short and petite, while I’m on the thicker side, something my ex never failed to remind me of. I’m awkward and shy, where she’s a spitfire who’s not afraid to speak her mind. My little sister is the epitome of tiny yet mighty, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I’m sure she took that well,” I say, laughter filling my voice. “Chris texted me again, begging me to take him back.”

She rolls her eyes. “Girl, what a loser. He cheats on you, dumps you, andthenexpects to be forgiven. I hope you finally blocked his slimy ass.”

Nodding vigorously, I let the chuckle brewing in my chest slip into the quiet forest.

“Good. It’s time to get over him… and under someone new.” She gives me a saucy wink and waggles her perfectly arched brows.

“Sydney!” I shriek. “Yes, I blocked his number. I should have done that months ago, right after we broke up. But I don’t want to just move on with some random guy. I want to findthe one, ya know? My forever. And I don’t see that happening anytime soon.”

“Cheer up, sis. You’ll find him, eventually. At least you’re not a twenty-two-year-old virgin, like me. Who knows? Maybe there’s a sexy mountain man hiding on the trail up there, waiting to rescue you. Ha. But until you find Mr. Right, focus on you. Chris spent the last three years tearing you down, honey. It’s time to build back what he took from you. Remember, that’s why you wanted to hike the Cypress Valley Trail in the first place.”

“I know,” I agree. “No job and no boyfriend. Plenty of money in savings. It’s the perfect time to work on me. I need to get out of my shell and out of my apartment.”

“Exactly, and I promise I’ll be with you for the next item on your list. What was it again? Get a badass tattoo?”

I giggle again, Syd always knows how to lift my spirits. “Yes! Now that Chris’ judgy ass is out of the picture, I can finally get my first tattoo.”

My phone beeps in my hand.Shit.The battery is at 1% now.

“Listen, Syd, my battery is about to die. I’ll call you when I get–” The screen goes dark before I can finish. Damnit, now I’m alone in the woods without a phone. Time to get moving.

Bracing my hands on the tree, I slowly get to my aching feet.

I limp at a slow pace for another twenty minutes or so. The sun begins to sink down behind the treetops, their leaves starting to turn beautiful shades of yellow and orange with the early autumn weather. The view really is breathtaking, and the quiet of the woods is peaceful. Maybe, just maybe, this wasn’t such a terrible idea. As long as I make it back to my car before nightfall, that is.

Fading rays of the setting sun cast shadows across the path. Looking up at the sky, I see a riot of colors melting into the horizon as I pass over a small, dried-up creek bed. I’m pretty sure I remember walking through here this morning. I must be heading in the right direction.

Note to self: bring an old-school compass on your next hike–if there is a next hike.

Snap.

What is that? Whipping my head around, my eyes scour the woods, but I can’t see much in the sparse sunlight.

Snap. Snap.

There it is again. My heart kicks up a notch, thumping in my chest.

Squinting, I stare off into the trees, eyes searching beyond the treeline. I suck in a breath as I notice most of the trees lining the trail have large, vertical claw marks. There are even some tufts of hair sticking to the exposed sappy bark. Uh-oh, Sydney joked there are bears in these woods, but is this really bear territory?

At that moment, I swear a large dark shadow runs behind the trees.

What the hell is that?It looks massive and impossibly fast.

I don’t wait around to find out. Turning on my heels, I sprint back down the path. The blisters on my feet scream with the added friction from my swift pace. I hate running with a passion, but this is life or death.

My eyes are drawn to the right by a sudden flash of brown.Oh, shit!Whatever was in the treeline must be heading toward me.

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