Chapter 14
SAMANTHA
Despite our late night, Weston is up bright and early at our agreed time - 4.30am. I want to see the sunrise on this hike and make the most of being in the heart of nature. We meet at the base of the stairs, and he shows up in proper hiking gear. The wooly fleece he’s wearing is a far cry from his usual sharp dressing, and it makes me smile. Somehow, it makes him come across as gentler, sweeter. He sticks his hands in his pockets, smiling at me.
“I hope you’re happy with yourself. It takes a lot to get me out of bed this early.”
I zip up my jacket. “I’m used to early starts. It’s all part of working at a school. This is practically sleeping in for me.”
“This early, every day? You can’t be serious!”
“Well, maybe I’m exaggerating just a tad…but I definitely had some pretty early mornings.”
“I bet you never spent the night before school drinking copious amounts of whiskey though.”
“Don’t be so sure. It’s practically impossible to get through a day with thirty kids without a shot,” I say with a wink. Weston grins, leading me towards the door.
“Why, Samantha, I believe you’re revealing your wild side.”
I know he’s joking, but I feel like I am too. He makes me want to play around. He makes me want to have fun. I’ve gotten over my shyness to reveal the best in me - the side that I only reveal to the people who really take the time to get to know me. It’s the side of me that Ashley sees in me after all our years of friendship. Now, I’ve found the courage to show it to someone I’ve only known for a few days. To me, that’s a lot.
We step out of the house together. Despite our early start, the sun is already beginning to make an appearance. I had been hoping to watch the sunrise from the top of the mini-mountain we’re climbing today, but after last night’s drinking session, there’s no way we could have been up any earlier. I almost flinch as Weston’s hand finds the small of my back, nudging me forward.
“Come on. I know a place we can stop to watch the sunrise. We can carry on the hike from there.”
“Okay. I guess it’s wise to trust the local here,” I say. “Last time I ignored a local’s advice...well, we know how that ended.”
Weston chuckles, leading the way through the ranch grounds. “That couldn’t have gone much worse for you, could it?”
If it hadn’t happened, I would never have met you, I want to say, but I keep the thought to myself. Instead, I just smile and roll my eyes. “Yeah, well, we all make stupid mistakes. My friend Ashley tried to warn me too, but I couldn’t have been dissuaded. I think I really needed that walk to clear my head. No regrets!”
Weston nods. “I know how you feel. A walk in the fresh air is sometimes the only way to solve a problem. I used to do it a lot. I’ve seen a lot of sunrises here. I used to suffer from insomnia, so I’d lie awake for hours before deciding to come out here and take a walk. That’s how I know of this spot we’re heading to. It’s a really good place to catch a sunrise.”
I’m still a little surprised at how open Weston is being. When we first met, I couldn’t imagine him ever telling me he had a sleep disorder. Now, he mentions it with a casual nonchalance. I guess that means he’s comfortable with me, which makes me happier than it probably should. I don’t want to pry further about his experience with insomnia, so we press on with our walk without saying much of anything.
As the incline increases, I get myself in the zone. It’s so quiet and peaceful out here that it’s not hard to focus on the task ahead. It’s a little off the beaten track, but despite my huge mishap the other day, I’m comfortable with this. It’s familiar territory from other walks I’ve been on. Colin and I used to drive out of the city together to take long hikes up into the mountains or through National Parks. But the whole way, Colin would be chattering away, stealing my focus from the scenery. It was the only time I felt a little annoyed at him, really. I kept hinting to him that half of the point was to remove ourselves from normality and embrace nature and the silence that comes with it, but I guess Colin never really understood. Not in the way Weston does. I’m almost glad now that I’m here with him instead of with Colin. As much as I miss him, this holiday wouldn’t have been the same as a honeymoon. I don’t think I would be enjoying myself as much as I am now, even if Colin and I were still together.
I guess my breakup has taught me to appreciate everything that I have. I’m not busy taking a man for granted anymore. I appreciate how beautiful it is here. I appreciate how I’ve managed to turn a disaster into an adventure. I appreciate how quiet Weston is right now, though he probably doesn’t realize what a blessing it is. I smile to myself, pressing on with the walk and enjoying the knowledge that while things may not be perfect right now, they’re pretty damn close.
We walk for around half an hour before we reach a point on the hill where we can sit down and watch the sunrise. Weston gets a blanket out of his rucksack and a flask of coffee. We sit side by side, looking out over the jagged hills. He sighs, closing his eyes and enjoying the end of summer breeze on his face.
“I’ve missed this,” he says. “I haven’t had time to go walking for a while. Not with Eric home from school for summer.” He opens his eyes, glancing my way. “What made you decide on a walking holiday? I mean, you’ve shown today that you can hike, but somehow, I just didn’t think it would be up your street.”
“Why?”
“Well, you’re just such a city girl! You’ve got that look about you...I guess looks can be deceiving, but even though you’re here, I just can’t seem to place you in this environment.”
“Trust me, this is my kind of environment,” I tell him, gazing around at the beautiful vista. “I’ve always loved outdoor holidays. My parents were super into it. I guess I got it from them. While other kids were getting psyched for Disneyland, I was out hiking with Mom and Dad. We usually camped, too, so we’d spend evenings crowded around a tiny fire, barbecuing burgers that always made my dad sick.” I chuckle to myself. “But we wouldn’t have changed it for the world. We always looked forward to those trips. I remember one year, it rained the whole time, but it didn’t stop us. We were still up at the crack of dawn to go hiking. We still camped out, even though most of the campers on our site left early. It was all part of the fun, in our mind.”
Weston smiles at me. “I guess everyone has their limits. I’m not sure I could camp out in the rain.”
I laugh. “I guess you’re more used to trips to the Bahamas on private jets, huh?”
Weston frowns. “What makes you say that?”
I blush. I forgot that I hadn’t told him about Ashley's research project on him. I clear my throat, hoping to cover my tracks. “Well, you’re clearly not bad off...especially if you’re from New York. It’s not cheap to live there.”
Weston is still frowning at me suspiciously, but he lets my comment slide. “Well, actually, you’re not far wrong...I should mention, my family is very...successful. We own a very large, very profitable company. And when I was the CEO, I had a lot of cash behind me. Enough so I don’t have to work now, or ever again if I want. I’ve got enough money to send Eric to college, and never have him wanting for anything. But I’ve never told him that. He was too young to remember the mansion we had, the fancy sports cars, even the expensive jewelry his mom used to wear…”
I hold my breath. Is Weston going to tell me what happened with his wife?
He glances at me, blushing. “So, yes, you’re right. I was used to a certain kind of lifestyle. But I didn’t hesitate before leaving it behind. And honestly, I don’t miss it much. I have everything I need here. Money can’t solve everything, right?”
I nod, but I can’t help being a little disappointed. I was hoping he was about to tell me something more. I guess he doesn’t owe me any kind of explanation. I mean, what are we, really? Acquaintances with chemistry, at best. He doesn’t know me yet. He doesn’t have to tell me anything. But I can see him fighting with himself, his face full of conflict. Maybe he wants to tell me, but he’s scared. I have so many questions, but I keep my mouth shut. I don’t want to push him and scare him off.
I turn to watch the sunrise, instead. The sky is a collision of colors, each shade of orange and yellow fading into the next. I smile to myself. A beautiful sight, good company...I guess it doesn’t matter what Weston’s past is. He’s here with me, now. That’s enough.
“Samantha?”
I turn to Weston. His usual cheeky smile has faded and he looks like he’s barely holding it together. I open my mouth to say something, but he shakes his head at me.
“It’s okay, Samantha, honestly. I just...I just wanted to say thank you for not pressing me about all of this. I know you must have questions about why I left New York...why I wear a wedding ring, when you’ve never seen my wife.” He swallows, looking uncomfortable. “I’ll talk about it eventually...but right now, I just want to enjoy right now. Is that okay?”
I can’t help being confused. He’s giving so little away that it’s hard to know what he wants from me. And he knows there’s a time limit on us. I have to go home in a few days. Does he plan to speak to me before then, or am I going to be left in the dark forever? Is he putting off talking about this so much that the conversation just won’t happen?
But I can’t ask him anything else. He’s made it clear he’s not ready to talk. So I just smile and nod. I don’t even want to say anything out loud and ruin the moment. Weston manages a smile.
“Thank you, Samantha. I really appreciate this.”
I simply nod and smile, scared that if I speak, my mouth might betray me and say something it shouldn’t. So I tell myself to shut up and enjoy the sunrise because I might never get a moment like this again.
Especially not with Weston by my side.