TrustFall | Under HEAVY Revision & Editing

Chapter 23: Scarlett

I watched her chest slowly rise up and down as she slept. I loved Audrey, more than anyone I've ever loved, which included Abriana. And tomorrow, I was ready to reveal a little more of myself and my past to her.

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"Where are we going exactly?" Audrey asked me as we hiked along the path.

"You'll see," I answered. "I promise, you'll love it."

Audrey and I were walking up one of the hike trails at the park near Los Angeles. Most of it was just plain desert with dusty winds and barely green plants struggling to survive in the sizzling heat as the hot sun bore down on the land.

But I knew of a place that held the remedy to any stress or problem in my life. It was a little off the normal trail for hikers and visitors, well okay, more like a mile off, but the distance was well worth the result.

"Here," I said as we approached the valley and came upon huge rocks surrounding a clearing filled with trees.

I could hear the welcoming sound of water rushing from the other side. The whole place was surrounded by cliffs and rocks from all sides, but there was a tiny opening that allowed a person to easily squeeze through to the magic located within.

"What... is this place?" Audrey asked in awe.

"You'll be even more impressed once we get to the other side," I replied with a grin.

Once I slid my way through, I reached my hand towards her through the gap.

"Watch your step," I added as I grabbed her hand.

We were both finally inside the rock formations and I glanced over at Audrey to see her reaction. Her dropped jaw and wide eyes were enough to tell me that she was just as breathless as I would have been the first time I discovered this place if I wasn't escaping from my problems.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" I asked, giving Audrey a smile.

"It's...breathtaking," she replied in awe as she looked all around.

Inside the magnificent rock formations was a crystal-clear creek about sixty-feet wide which flowed for a few hundred feet before it ended in a small, gentle ten-foot waterfall that splashed against the rocks below. Water lilies floated on the surface and I could even see several turtles perched on the logs that had fallen into the creek.

"How did you... how did you find this place?" Audrey asked as she turned towards me, her face still frozen in admiration. "I mean, it must be at least a mile from the main trail."

"It's a... long story," I told her as I sat down on my usual spot atop my favorite rock and patted the seat beside me.

Audrey sat down and wrapped her arms around her knees while I folded my legs in a criss-cross position. I sighed and looked out at the creek, its rippling surface glinting in the sun. Neither of us spoke for a good minute while I contemplated what I was going to tell her.

"Remember when Andrew attacked you and I told him something which hinted that we knew each other?"

Audrey nodded, her eyes not leaving my face.

"We dated back in high school," I said, not daring to look at her to avoid seeing her reaction. However, the sharp inhale that followed right after told me what I needed to know.

"I didn't love him," I resumed. "Did he love me? Probably not. I was just the popular girl that the quarterback wanted, partly for his image and partly because I was the prettiest in that school. At least, that's what everyone told me. I used him for my image as well, because I was a teenage girl hell-bent on being admired and envied." I scoffed. "You know how it is."