Chapter 162
At the break of dawn, Leanne pulled herself out of bed before the alarm even had the
chance to ring.
Groggy and slow to react, she stumbled out of her room, ready to rouse Joy and Selina for the day ahead.
When she spotted Curtis outside her door, she thought she was still trapped in a dream.
He leaned against the wall, his gaze fixed on some distant point, lost in thought.
He was still in the clothes from the previous day, a cigarette dangling from his hand, burning away into the quiet haze, its smoke curling around his slender, distinct fingers.
The stillness of the early morning enshrouded the hotel, and the night stretched its shadows over his shoulders, a cloak of solitude.
Leanne instinctively reached for her phone to check the time, it was 4:30 AM.
Her gaze shifted back to Curtis, still not fully awake.
Curtis noticed her and promptly snuffed out his cigarette. His eyes were deeper than the night outside, his voice gravelly, either from the smoke or the sleepless night, “Morning.”
Leanne hadn’t expected such a simple greeting and reflexively responded, “…Morning.”
She meant to ask why he was standing there instead of sleeping, but the words fell away before reaching her lips.
She hadn’t slept well either.
Despite her efforts to control her thoughts, Curtis had easily stirred her emotions into. disarray.
It was like a stone thrown into a lake; even if you don’t want to cause ripples, they spread far and wide, refusing to settle.
They locked eyes in a moment of silence.
Curtis began to speak again, his voice low and hoarse, “Leanne…”
Right then, Joy and Selina emerged from their rooms, looking like zombies.
Passing by Curtis, Joy, barely keeping her eyes open, turned to Selina and mumbled, “Bite him.”
Selina yawned so wide it seemed her jaw might dislocate, then silently closed her mouth, “Can’t do. We’ll die.”
“Let’s go.” Leanne walked straight past Curtis.
11:29
Chapter 162
Jeremy had already brought the car around to the hotel’s entrance. The Hot Spring Hotel wasn’t far from Echo Summit, just a ten-minute drive to the base of the mountain.
The chill of the mountain forest was even sharper than at the hotel, and at this hour, the entire mountain was cloaked in darkness.
Stepping out into the biting pre-dawn wind, Joy’s teeth chattered as she confronted the instigator of this sunrise hike, “Have you been living so comfortably that you’re seeking
How about I help by adding a couple of slaps into the mix?”
South
Selina burrowed into her puffer jacket, shivering, “In my life, I’ve never watched the sun, rise… from a mountain…”
“That’s because you never get up when we call Only they can get you moving,” Jeremy retorted, unloading everyone’s backpacks from the car.
Handing Leanne her pack, Jeremy asked, “Are you cold?”
Leanne shook her head; her puffer jacket was wind-resistant, and she was well-equipped with a scarf, hat, and gloves.
She slung the pack over her back, feeling a bit clumsy in the bulky jacket, “I’m good, not
cold.”
Just then, headlights pierced the darkness as an SUV pulled up nearby.
The sight of Devin, decked out in his hiking gear, getting out of the driver’s seat elicited a groan from Joy, “Great, like stepping in dog poop first thing in the morning. My luck’s just fantastic today!”
Joy’s taunt lit a fire under Devin, who glowered “Say that again, I dare you!”
Joy didn’t miss a beat, “Like stepping in dog poop first thing in the morning. My luck’s just fantastic today!”
THE
“You asking for trouble?!”
Devin was about to explode when Curtis stepped out of the passenger side. A glance from him was all it took for Devin to swallow his anger and mutter resentfully.
Leanne turned to find herself caught in Curtis’ gaze.
Dressed in a black jacket that accentuated the sharpness of his features, his eyes anchored on her, deep and unfathomable against the dawn’s early light.
Then another car arrived. Skyler was driving, with Grace and Suzan tagging along.
could’ve waited for us.
Grace greeted them cheerfully, “Leanne, you guys We almost missed out!”
Leanne wasn’t sure if their arrival was coincidence or planned. She glanced over them and withdrew her attention, her tone unruffled, “You’re here now, aren’t you?”
11:29
Chapter 162
Without further ado, she began the hike up the mountain with Joy and the others, ignoring the rest of the group.
Skyler hefted his backpack, “Let’s move. It’ll take an hour and a half to get to the top. Any later and we’ll miss the sunrise.”
Curtis remained still, watching them move ahead. A cool glance at Devin, his tone icy, “I invited you to hike, not for team building. What you didn’t want to rent a bus and bring along the whole hotel staff-the reception, cleaners, chefs?”
11:29
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