His Destructive, Toxic Love

Eliza had planned on tackling the hike solo. Just as she was about to decline, he quickly chimed in, "It's always better with more company, more eyes to look out for each other. The trails here can be pretty tricky, and besides, it's not just us heading up today."

Eliza studied the guy standing in front of her. It was like he could sense what was on her mind. Offering an explanation felt a little too calculated.

She paused for a moment, "Is your girlfriend coming along?"

"She went back to Falconridge. You know, after what happened with Kate yesterday..." He figured Eliza could fill in the blanks, so he let the sentence trail

off.

No need to dig further when it was all in the open.

"So, what time are we heading out? I'm not even packed yet."

She didn't want to be the one holding everyone back. If time was tight, she could always stroll along at her own pace. After all, this trip was meant to clear her head, not race to the top. She wasn't a fan of big groups anyway.

"No rush, get your stuff together and I'll swing by to get you," Gabe said, his laid- back demeanor coupled with a hint of a smile.

Eliza nodded, "Alright, sounds good."

Back in her room, she switched into some comfy hiking clothes and shoes. She wasn't exactly kitted out for this-no fancy gear, not even a hiking stick.

Half an hour later, the doorbell rang.

"Eliza, ready to go?" Gabe's voice came from the hallway.

Eliza grabbed her backpack and opened the door, "Yep, let's hit it."

Downstairs, the hotel lobby was buzzing. A small group of hikers, seven or eight of them, fully geared up, chatting and laughing, brimming with the thrill of new adventures.

With a light call from the group leader, they set off. The trail wound through breathtaking views, each twist and turn more stunning than the last. Unlike the others who were all about the climb, Eliza was more into soaking up the scenery.

The mountains were gorgeous, even in this season, carrying their own unique alture. With her camera in hand, every so often she'd pause to snap @few shots. Sometimes it was the fandscape; other times, a selfie with the backdrop.

Lost in her own little world, she didn't realize how far ahead the other hikers had gotten. The trail started getting steeper, making the trek tougher. Then, out of nowhere, delicate snowflakes began to drift down from the sky.

She found a big rock to perch on and decided to take a breather. Gabe, who had gone ahead with the group, jogged back to see her safely resting there, letting out a sigh of relief.

"You had me worried sick! Why didn't you keep up? I thought you'd gotten lost," Gabe said, plopping down beside her and handing over a bottle of water, "Feeling tired?"

Eliza shook her head; hiking wasn't really her main agenda-she was here for the views.

"You should go join them, don't worry about me. I might hike a bit more, but I'll probably head back soon," she suggested gently, her eyes soft and apologetic. Gabe glanced toward the direction the others had taken, "They're long gone. I'II stick with you for a bit. If you're done, we can head back to the hotel together."

She was about to refuse again, "No, really, you..."noveldrama

"They're way ahead now, no point trying to catch up." "Okay, then."

When she was on her own, Eliza spent most of her time capturing the scenery. With Gabe around, she felt a bit self-conscious just snapping away on her phone.

So, they walked side by side at times, paused to admire the view at others, and exchanged polite yet distant smiles now and then. Luckily, Gabe was quite the chatterbox, mostly about his work.

"You organize jewelry trade shows? That's funny, we're kind of in the same industry," Eliza was pleasantly surprised to find out their jobs had a bit of overlap.