Page 30 of Return to Me Always

Soon after we went "off-piste," the terrain turned wilder, and the din of traffic grew fainter until it vanished entirely. For a while, the walking was level and easy. But then, the gradient increased, and we were hiking uphill on rougher ground.

We started climbing rocky paths toward the peak of a majestic mountain that towered above through the cover of puffy clouds. The trail was grueling, and my feet started to ache again as well as my back. I didn't say anything, though, because this was better than the alternative which was traveling near the busy road. At least, this way I felt safe even though it hurt like hell.

When we finally reached the top, relief swept through me. The trek down would surely be easier, right?

After a quick snack while we appreciated the stunning view, we started our descent. And boy, was I wrong. Going down was definitely more difficult. My thighs were shaking like pudding with the effort.

At times, the path was so rocky and steep, Tyler slowed down to give me pointers—"Edge down sideways here" or "Take short steps and keep your knees bent."

Hours after dusk fell, Tyler finally called it and said we should stop to camp for the night. This time, I figured out how to set up the tent—thank you very much—while Tyler gathered wood and cooked dinner.

Sitting on a rock by the fire, I savored the taste of the stew Tyler had made. What was it about being outdoors that made the food taste even better? Or maybe it was the fact that I was starving from walking fifty hours today.

We were both quiet while we inhaled our meal, but when we finished, Tyler met my eyes over the fire, something about the focus on his face making my breath catch and my heart gallop.

"So tell me, what's your family situation like?" he asked.

My jaw dropped. "Excuse me? Are you seriously asking me a personal question?"

His half-grin slayed me. "Aye. I suppose I am."

I paused, both shocked and unsure what to say.

"Only if you want to talk about it, that is," he added, casting his eyes down while nudging the fire with a stick.

"Sure. Yeah. Well, it's just me and my mom. My dad left when I was a baby, and we've never heard from him. So I have no clue where he is... if he's even still alive."

"I'm sorry to hear that," he said, looking up at me with a crease between his brows.

"Thanks. But it's okay. To be honest, it sounds worse than it is. My mom has a big family, and I never really missed him," I tried to explain. "Ugh, that sounds terrible, doesn't it?"

"Nah. Not really," he said with a soft smile. "I get it."

"Well, thanks. That makes me feel better." And it truly did to know that Tyler didn't think any worse of me. "So yeah. Just the two of us."

"What's your mum like?"

"She's pretty cool actually. She's the one who encouraged me to take a year off before college and just travel. She studied abroad when she was in college and said it was the best experience she ever had. Well, you know, besides becoming a mom. But she kind of has to say that, right?"

His grin made my heart leap. "I guess. But she sounds really nice."

"She is." I stretched my neck from side to side in an attempt to ease the stiffness. "I hope she's not freaking out right now about me. I never told you, but I called her from that house, you know, right before Malcolm burst in."

Tyler's eyebrows shot up. "You did?"

"Yeah. She didn't answer, though. She might have been asleep. But I left her a message that I was going up north and wasn't sure if I'd have cell service."

"I'm glad you did," Tyler said, nodding. "Maybe she won't be so worried then."

"One can hope. Unless, of course, the police have been in contact with her. Oh, my goodness. Who knows what she would do. She's probably on her way to London right now. We might have started some sort of international incident." Fear and anxiety suddenly rushed through my body. Just thinking about my mom was making me freak out.

"Hey, I can see you're going down a bad road," Tyler said.

You could say that again. "Yeah. I'm kind of spiraling."

Tyler's eyebrows drew together with concern. "I get that. But please don't worry. We'll sort this all out. I know we will."

"But how?"

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