Page 21 of Off Trail Love
“We’ll talk when you get back. I’ll take you to dinner, we’ll sign the papers.”
“Talk soon, Dad.”
I set my phone down after I hang up. Hopefully by the time I get back to California, he’ll have warmed up to the idea. Otherwise, I’ll have to put on my big-boy pants, stand up to my father, and fight for the life I want. Even if that life currently looks like a giant question mark.
But I did it. I quit my job.
I’m officially a free man.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
maggie
Gettingto the summit is nothing like I thought it would be. It’s even better. I feel like I’m on top of the world—but there’s a little hole in my heart that wasn’t there when I started the hike.
“I wish Jack were here to see this,” I whisper to the wind. I feel like we should do something to celebrate reaching the top of the mountain, but all I can do is look out and wish that he were here.
“I knew you liked him.” Fiona wraps an arm around my shoulders.
“What? No.” I try to play it off, but Fiona’s got me. I do like him. A lot. I want to get to know him again and maybe fall for him again, even if it’s a risk.
“You do.”
I sigh. “I shouldn’t, but I do.”
“He’s very likable.” She looks out at the view. “And from what I’ve seen of him on this trip, I think there’s more to the story than what happened to you. He doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who would flirt and tease you and be somewhat obvious about his crush on you and then ask you to meet him, only to show up with another girl.”
“I hope you’re right,” I say, but deep down, I still don’t know what to trust. I know what happened that night. I know what I saw. I also know that right now I’m a mess, and I don’t know if I’m ready for a relationship.
But I still like Jack. I can’t seem to help it. I guess it’s true what they say— you can’t help who you fall for.
“Talk to him,” Fiona encourages. “You know, that healthy thing people do to solve problems.”
I laugh. “I haven’t been very good at that lately.” After I ended things with my ex, I stopped talking to anyone about my real feelings. It’s the easiest way to not get hurt; keeping everything to yourself and acting like you’re fine. And after a while, you do feel fine.
Fine, but lonely.
“Talk to him,” she says again. “It’s obvious that he still feels something toward you. Or he wouldn’t have put those rocks in your pack.”
She’s teasing me. Or making fun of the silly pranks Jack and I pull on each other. “You’re never going to let that go, are you?”
“Nope.”
“Well, let’s think of a way to pull another prank on him.”
“Like what?” She laughs. “You didn’t like my idea of drawing a fake mustache on him last night while he slept, so what would you have done up here that was funny but also safe?”
“I don’t know, I could have tied something to his pack and made him think a little animal was following him.”
Fiona rolls her eyes. “I thought you were, like, the master pranker. That one is kind of lame.”
“I have an idea,” Graham says and I jump. I didn’t realize he was standing so close to us. I wonder how much of our conversation he heard. “But you’ll have to do exactly what I say for it to work.”
“Now this sounds like fun,” Fiona says, and we both lean in while Graham tells me the best way to prank Jack Freaking Donovan. If I only have one last prank, it’s got to be epic.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
jack
