Discovering Mack

14| Fourteen

"How long did you say this walk was again?" I huffed out before taking another swig of my water bottle.

Tristan had dragged me out early on a Sunday morning for this walk he had been talking about for weeks. Fortunately for me, after our night clubbing last weekend, Mel hadn't dragged me out this weekend. I had actually had a fairly quiet week. Alex has left me alone for the most part and we have not talked about that night. I don't think we ever will, and that's perfectly fine with me. I don't want complicated, and avoiding the matter completely feels like safest bet.

"It's only 6km around, come on Mack, Flinder's Peak is the easier of the tracks and you're struggling!" Tristan teased. "I've seen little kids and little old ladies do this walk."

"Sorry mister swim-10km-a-day, some of us aren't as fit as you!" I said, stopping to catch my breath and trying not to look at the hill in front of me. There's these big steps, and I can see the path ahead of me still winding up and around.

"Just a little further and we'll hit the lookout, then you can rest," he said, standing in front of me, holding his hands out as though he would pull me the rest of the way and trying not to laugh at the state I was in.

"Alright," I grumbled, taking steps to follow him but dismissing his hands.

He wasn't lying and it was only a little further to the top. At the top is a lookout, and a couple of seats, which I immediately take refuge on. Once I catch my breath I scan my eyes around and the view in front of me, and it really is breathtaking. You can see for miles around us in all directions.

Tristan throws his arms into the air, acting as though he created the landscape before us himself, rather than just bringing me up here. I laugh at the cocky grin on his face and shove him slightly as I do a full 360 to see as much as I could.

The sun is shining, but being late March and heading into the cooler months and still early in the morning, it wasn't an overly warm. Surprisingly for a Sunday morning, there weren't many other people around just yet, or if they were they were running the track up and down without savouring the view. Fitness freaks. Regardless, we were practically alone up here.

"Look, you can just about see our apartment," I joke, pointing to the city skyline.

"Not quite, but just down there is my parents house," Tristan sits beside me and points out to the left.

"Wait, you're serious? Just down there?"

"Yep. I used to come up here a lot," he confirms. "So did I did ok then, for our first bush walk?"

"Well I haven't died yet! Still have to make it back to the car," I try to say seriously, but a smile breaks through.

"I'll carry you if I have to," he says. "These muscles aren't just for looking at," he winks while flexing his biceps and I can't even stop the roll of my eyes.

"Hey, I wanted to ask you something," I say, turning on the seat, placing one leg either side, straddling it so I'm fully facing him.

Tristan hummed as a response, encouraging me to go on. "I've been invited to an engagement party in a few weeks, they are mutual friends of Noah's and I. Would you maybe want to come with me?"

"Like as your date?" He asked, raising one eyebrow.

"Umm, yeah? I guess," I replied, taking a mouthful of my water, not so much because I was thirsty, but because it was a distraction.

"Why me? Why not Alex?"

That mouthful of water I just took ended up going down the wrong way at Tristan's question and the bitterness behind his words didn't go unnoticed either. I cough and cough, pounding my chest and trying to catch my breath again as he rubs my back.