Page 6 of Off Trail Love
Jack Donovan tends to bring out the worst in me.
And now this. War. What exactly does that mean? What will it entail? Will he pull pranks on me like he did in high school? Putting Silly String in my locker, wrapping up my favorite seat in AP History with bubble wrap? Most of our pranks were harmless. He was everyone’s favorite student, but he was also the class clown, and I was public enemy number one.
Well, sort of. Underneath all of the pranks, we were actually friends. He knew me better than anyone. Our pranks were just something silly and fun, a way to get through high school. And I could dish them out just like he could. Until his final prank, when he crossed the line. I push the thought out of my mind. I never think of that night, and I’m not about to start today.
We’re adults now. I’m supposed to be figuring out what the heck I’m going to do next with my life. My stomach clenches with anxiety. Right. I need to figure out my life. I don’t know how to figure out what I’m going to do next. To be completely honest, I’m not sure I even want to work in real estate anymore. But I’m not sure what else there is. I don’t exactly have money to go back to school, and I have no other real skills. I should have listened when my parents encouraged me not to get an apartment that was so high above a reasonable price range. But I was making good money then, so it was fine.
Until it wasn’t.
Basically, I’m screwed.
I take a deep breath as we drive through the main street of Estes Park, taking in all the cute shops and cafes on the corners.
“You ever been here before?” Graham asks, pulling me out of my spiraling thoughts.
“To Estes? I came up here one time with a few of my roommates when I was at CU. We went to the Stanley Hotel, but that’s all. I’ve been wanting to hike Longs Peak ever since then. When my friend Fiona asked if I wanted to come, I kind of jumped on it.”
I can feel Graham’s eyes on me. “I know I don’t really know you well, but you don’t strike me as someone who does impulsive things.”
I let out a shaky laugh and wring my fingers together. I get that a lot, actually. It’s one of the reasons I ended things with my ex-fiancé almost nine months ago. He was too impulsive, and I’m just me. Boring old me who likes her plans and lists. “Not really, no.”
“That’s okay, hopefully the hike will be fun. I wanted to put together these groups so that people who haven’t hiked up the mountain could do it with a small group, with someone who has hiked it before.”
“So you’ve done the hike?” That makes me feel a lot better. At least someone will know where we’re going. When I used to hike with Fiona, and sometimes even my roommate Sadie, we always were so careful to follow whatever maps we had and stick to the trail. It’s always better to follow the rules and go where you’re supposed to. But Fiona, while she always indulged me and my stickler map habits, wanted to go exploring. So it’ll be good that someone who knows where we’re going is with us. We won’t get lost that way.
“Twice,” Graham says. “Once just two weeks ago, actually.”
“Oh, wow.”
“Do you live near mountains?”
“No, I live in California. But my parents love camping and hiking, so I’ve been hiking my entire life.”
“Is that how you know Jack? Do you two live in the same place in California?”
“Unfortunately,” I grumble. Then realize my mistake. “Sorry, that was rude. Yes. We went to high school together. I haven’t seen him since graduation.” It’s hard to believe that out of all the places in the world Jack could be right now, he’s in the same car as I am, headed to the same hike, that his cousin just so happensto host. I wonder if Fiona has any idea. I mean, I doubt it, she wouldn’t do that to me. But still. What are the chances?
“He’s a good kid,” Graham says, breaking up my thoughts.
“Mhm,” is all I answer, because what am I supposed to say to that? He’s the bane of my existence. Our pranks were all fun and games until the last one he pulled. I don’t think he’s a good “kid”, or man, or anything good at all. If my head was screwed on correctly, I’d be thinking of ways I could get him back for what he did to me. But I can’t seem to think clearly with him just a couple of feet away. His citrusy ocean scent fills the entire car, and all I seem to be able to think about is him.
I can’t fall for him. No matter how good he smells or if those smells bring back primarily good memories. But I push those out of my head. I don’t need Jack in my life again. I won’t fall for him.
It can’t happen.
CHAPTER FOUR
jack
War.
I declared war on Maggie. I’ve imagined our reunion a thousand times. In my head, we’d always run into each other on the beach or the grocery store and catch up. She’d tell me all about her time at college and I’d tell her that deep down, I hate working for my father. By the end of our conversation, I would have her phone number. And a date. I’d finally be able to confess all the feelings I had when we were teens, and we would live happily ever after.
Declaring a prank war on her? That was never part of the daydream.
Teasing and pranking Maggie was one of the highlights of high school—not that there were a ton of highlights—so maybe this isn’t all bad. It means she’ll be paying attention to me on this hike. It means—hopefully—that we’ll be flirting and having fun like we used to. And maybe I can figure out why the heck she hates me so much.
I open my eyes when we get to Graham’s property in Estes Park. I didn’t actually sleep on the car ride. Instead, I was awake the entire painfully quiet car ride. Sure, Graham and Maggie just barely started talking, but still. I should have broughtheadphones so I didn’t have to be alone with my thoughts. Lately, my thoughts are straying too far into territory I don’t like.
