Chapter 302
Chapter 302:
But just as she picked up her bag, another hand snatched it from her, and a voice chimed in, “Let me carry that.”
Fernanda turned sharply, her eyes locking onto Jeff.
Bobby, feeling a pang of wounded pride, frowned deeply, his mood souring.
What was Jeff insinuating? Was he belittling him, mocking him silently?
As Bobby plotted how to take Fernanda’s bag from Jeff, Jeff spoke up. “Sloane and I didn’t bring a bag along. We were hoping to pop the water into yours and carry it for you. You’re okay with that, right?”
In Jeff’s hand was a crinkled plastic bag filled with icy bottles of water, freshly purchased from the convenience store at the foot of the mountain.
“Sure, no problem,” Fernanda replied.
Jeff expertly tied the bag’s handles into a neat knot, then wiped away the condensation with a tissue before sliding it carefully into Fernanda’s backpack. The group of six started their ascent, making their way toward the mountain’s summit.
Tall trees flanked the path on either side, their branches weaving a delicate canopy that allowed sunlight to spill through, scattering soft, speckled patterns across the stone steps.
The late autumn sun, no longer blistering, cast a gentle warmth over the trail, while the mountain breeze swept past.
The air, tinged with the earthy scent of fallen leaves, carried a coolness that felt like silk brushing their faces.
Bobby, initially unimpressed by the hike, soon found himself energized, leaping ahead like a squirrel let loose.
Every so often, he glanced back, waving impatiently. “Come on! Why are you guys so slow?”
Wendy didn’t bother replying.
Knowing Bobby as well as she did, she was certain his newfound enthusiasm wouldn’t last longer than the average ad break.
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Predictably, just over twenty minutes later, Bobby was sprawled against a nearby trash can, gasping for breath.
“I can’t… keep going,” he wheezed, his face flushed. Licking his parched lips, he cast a despairing glance at the unending staircase. “How much farther is it?”
“We’ve barely made it a quarter of the way,” Sloane answered casually.
Bobby’s eyes widened in disbelief. “What did you just say?”
He felt like his lungs were on fire, and this was only the beginning?
The others, unfazed, strolled past him without a glance, leaving him to his frustrations.
Wendy led the group, her steps steady and deliberate, her composure untouched by the incline. She hadn’t broken a sweat since they’d set foot on the trail.
Behind her, Sloane and Bonita walked hand in hand, Sloane’s bright mountaineering outfit complementing her playful bun, secured with a glittering hairpin.
At the rear, Fernanda and Jeff walked side by side, their conversation flowing smoothly, their expressions composed.
Bobby narrowed his eyes, suspicion flickering in his gaze as he became certain that Jeff’s intentions toward Fernanda were far from innocent.
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