AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter Three
Iris
If someone had told me this morning that I’d be driving up a mountain with a hot guy to spend a few days in nature, I would have thought they’d lost their minds, yet here I am.
My wedding dress is squashed into the passenger seat, flowing over to Falcon’s side of the car. I can’t wait to get it off and slip into something more comfortable.
I hope my parents caught Joshua and his mistress or one-night-stand or whatever she was, even though I’m not sure it matters anymore. The damage is done. Nothing he says or does will ever make things right.
“Where were you staying before running off?” Falcon asks, breaking the silence between us.
“At a hotel.”
He frowns. “Seriously? The closest one is ten miles from here. You walked all the way to Bearclaw Ridge in that dress, and no one stopped to help you?”
“I did get some super weird looks, that’s for sure. But I was also crying, so I think people were afraid to approach me. Walking the ten miles was nothing, though. It’s amazing how far you can get when you’re angry and full of adrenaline.” I bite my bottom lip, debating whether to be even more honest. “It felt good to be outside and move my body. My mother doesn’t believe in running as exercise. She says it’s for commoners, but I love it.”
“Your mother disapproves of running? How old are you, Iris?”
“Twenty-six.”
He raises an eyebrow. “So you’re an adult. You can make your own choices and go running, hiking, or whatever you want.”
“I know, but it’s a bit more complicated than that. My family isn’t like other families. My mother has unattainable standards. Her only goal in life is to raise perfect daughters. She hates that running has always been my escape. It’s my way of rebelling against the stuffiness of my life. I hate that everything needs to be picture-perfect all the time. When I run… it feels like freedom, you know?”
He smiles. “Yeah, it’s the same with hiking for me. I'm happiest when I’m up on the mountain, alone in the woods.”
“Are you close with your family?” I ask.
He nods. “My three brothers—Titan, Blaze, and Skyler—and I are super close. We run a company called RidgeRoam Adventure Tours, and we still have dinner at our parents’ place every week or so, even though we’re all in our thirties.”
“I wish I grew up like that,” I admit. “Thank you for taking me with you. I don’t know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t found me.”
“One of my brothers would’ve caught you sneaking around the premises.”
His jawline tightens as if he’s jealous, but I must be imagining things, right? Why would he be jealous of his brothers finding me instead of him?
Falcon slows the car until we can’t go any further, thanks to the narrow forest road in front of us.
“This is our starting point,” he says and hops out. “Why don’t you get changed?”
“Here? Out in the open?”
He chuckles. “Trust me, there isn’t a soul here. I’ll turn around to give you your privacy. Throw your wedding dress on the passenger seat when you’re done. We’ll deal with that later.”
“We’re not taking it with us? I thought we could make a campfire and burn it,” I joke.
He grabs his backpack and slings it over his shoulder. “Only if you’re carrying it.”
“Change of clothes it is, then,” I say with a wink.
He turns around as promised, and I wrestle myself out of the dress. I found a shirt with the tags still on in the lost-and-found box at Falcon’s shed and a pair of warm leggings. They look brand-new. Thank goodness I ran away in sneakers. Although not ideal for hiking, it’s better than walking around in heels in the woods. I pair the shirt and leggings with an oversized flannel shirt that falls to my knees. It may not be glamorous, but it’ll keep me warm, and that’s all that matters. I’ve had enough to deal with already. I’m not planning to add freezing to death to my list of misfortunes.
I throw the dress on the passenger seat and slam the door shut.
“Are you sure you’re up for this? It’s not too late to turn back,” Falcon says.
“I’m good.”
