Page 53 of Crystal Iris
I have no idea what to pack. I bought a pair of boots that seem fitting for mud and a few other accessories the sales guy insisted I couldn’t live without, even though I told him I’m only staying for a few days. All my clothes are either too dressed up or too casual. I want to look decent without trying too hard.I have no idea how to pull that off.
I realize I’ve never had to impress Aaron. We met as teens, and we skipped a lot of the normal dating stuff. Akira and I are going for four days, although my bag screams otherwise. It’s so stuffed that I have to sit on it to close it.
Aaron and I had another fight last night regarding the trip. I lost it when he said I should be spending my time off packing and finally moving in. I mentioned needing to relax, and he threw it in my face that my job wasn’t that demanding. I hate it when he, or I, compare our jobs. It never ends well. Still, it was easier to leave after the argument, and I wonder if I picked the fight on purpose.
The airport is crowded with everyone who had the same idea as us—to leave for break. I can tell by their age that most are students going back home. For a second, I let myself wonder what it would have been like to have a family to visit—or a family at all. I shake the sadness away.
“What’s the plan when we get there?” Akira asks as we eat dinner and wait for boarding.
“Absolutely no idea,” I reply, stealing one of her fries.
“It’ll be good for you. Us. Nature is… healthy.”
“What kind of animals do you think we’ll see?”
“Horses, for sure.” I take a sip of my wine.
“I hope we see a bear or an owl.”
“For being such an animal lover, I can’t believe you don’t have a bunch of pets.”
“I like the wild ones.”
“To the wild ones,” I say, lifting my glass.
And I think she knows I don’t meanjustthe animals.
The flight would’ve been terribly long if Aaron hadn’t switched our tickets to first class. I had no idea he’d done it until we were boarding. He texted:I upgraded your seats. Enjoy your trip.I swallowed hard after reading it. Why does he have to be so nice? It made me nauseous for the entire seven-hour trip. No matter what happens in Montana, I’ll be telling him the wedding is off as soon as I get back. I can’t stomach this any longer, quite literally.
“Are you feeling better?” Akira asks as we wait for our luggage.
“A little.” I open my water bottle and take another sip.
I’m about to use my new yoga strength to haul our bags onto a cart when another hand grabs them.
“Welcome to Montana,” Hoyt says, looking painfully hot in his casual jeans.
Fourteen
“Great art picks up where nature ends.” – Marc Chagall
I’m not sure what I was expecting Montana to look like, but I didn’t expect it to be this beautiful. Our late-night flight arrived just in time for us to witness a stunning sunrise during the drive to Hoyt’s place. Mountains higher than the clouds surround the highway, making me feel both small and safe. I’m gawking at the nature outside my window when Hoyt says, “There’s a road a few hours away called Going-to-the-Sun Road, which has the best view of the mountains around here.”
“I can’t imagine it getting better than this,” I say, taking it all in.
“It is,” he replies with a smile.
“It’s all so... natural. Like civilization hasn’t arrived here yet,” I note, seeing no man-made structures besides the road in front of us.
“And hopefully, it’ll stay that way. That’s my only goal with my lands—to keep them safe from men and their destruction.”
I glance at him.
“This sounds more like a mission than a business plan,” Akira says from the backseat.
“Thanks,” Hoyt replies.
He turns on the radio to a country station, and I let myself relax. I can see why people feel more at ease in places like this. The city feels like a different world from here.
