Conflict of Heart

Chapter 27

An uncomfortable silence had settled over Ryker and Isabella as they travelled. Well, maybe it was only uncomfortable for Isabella, who was still getting over the embarrassment of being a sobbing mess in front of a man whom she should consider a stranger. But he had not once mentioned it to her, and for that she was grateful.

For the past hour that Ryker drove, she sat firmly facing the window, watching as the massive skyscrapers and bustling sidewalks slowly gave way to open roads and vegetation. Multiple times throughout the trip she had thought of asking Ryker to take her back to the hospital, having realized that continuously being in his company was doing her far more harm than good.

But for some unknown reason, her lips just didn't seem able to form the words. And so, she sat in the dreadful silence, doing her best to mask how uncomfortable she felt in being so near to the man who seemed to have gained her attention without any effort.

It was something that had frightened her. She had not expected for any feelings to form for him, and especially not in such a small space of time. And it was that fear, she reasoned, that kept her from asking to go back. He would ask why she had a sudden change of heart, and she couldn't give her reasoning. For saying it out loud would be a harsh acknowledgment, and that was something she was not ready to hear.

It was also something that she would never allow to leave her lips.

"We're here," Ryker's smooth voice jarred her from her thoughts, and she blinked as she focused on their surroundings.

They were currently situated in a parking lot, and all around them loomed large mountains clothed in thick foliage.

"A mountain range?" she asked, glancing at the man beside her. But she looked away immediately as soon as his gaze caught hers.

"Yes. You wanted to know where I go,"—he gestured to the nature surrounding them—"this is it."

She nodded slowly and watched him get out the car before doing the same. "So, you go on a walk in the mountains?" she asked as she closed the car door behind her, leaving her makeshift blanket on the seat.

"There's nothing quite like it," he admitted as he walked around the car to come to her side. "Ready?"

As soon as he was close, Isabella felt her heart pick up its pace in her chest. She subtly drew in a deep breath to calm herself and nodded.

They left the parking lot and entered the forest through the main path. The sun filtering through the vibrant green leaves warmed the top of her head as she walked, and the rich earthy smell that came after a rain was fresh in the air, filling her lungs and easing her mind.

She was grateful that she had decided to dress casual today, as they started up a rather steep incline. It wasn't long before her breath started coming out in harsh pants that she desperately attempted to hide by pretending to take in the view every couple of minutes.

She knew that Ryker could see through her bluff, but she was too proud to admit that she may or may not have been indulging in more sugary treats than usual, her clothes feeling a little tighter around the hips and bust line.

But even though her lack of fitness was blindingly obvious, it did not stop her from taking in the nature that surrounded them as they ascended the mountain. She drew another deep breath into her lungs, allowing the calming scents of nature to envelope her as they walked. And while she began to feel her legs burn from exertion, it was undeniable that a weight was gradually lifting off her shoulders, and the whole mall fiasco almost left her mind completely bur for one small observation.

"What happened back there at the mall?" she asked, trying her best to hide how breathless she was.

"What do you mean?" Ryker asked, glancing over his shoulder to look at her.