"Careful Eva," Logan said, grabbing my hand to help me up.
"I got it," I insisted, rubbing my sweaty hands on my cargo shorts to dust them off.
Logan and I were hiking. In the dark. We'd picked one of the easiest trails of the Grand Canyon to hike for a very important reason.
We wanted to see the sun rise over the Canyon.
To do that, you had to start off early. Very early. It was about four thirty in the morning. The sun was said to start its ascent in about an hour or so. That gave us time to hike the few miles we had left and get to a perfect spot.
We were on the East Rim trail and were making our way to Yaki point, which wasn't normally crowded with other early birds. After a short drive on the car trail, we'd parked close enough to hike to the point.
Since it was so early, we were alone and all was quiet but some crickets and a distant howling coyote.
Logan was a bundle of nerves while I was just completely ecstatic. People in the rangers office advised us to be careful because of prowling predators that hunted in the early hours like this.
Pumas had been a real concern and thanks to the jabbering rangers and their stories, Logan had been set on edge.
The hunting knives strapped to my and his hip reminded me of the threat, but I chose to not let it get to me.
We were also warned about venomous snakes that came out at dawn to sunbathe before it got too hot for them.
I could see why they weren't out right now. Darkness was still looming over the canyons and rocks. Nothing was holding heat and a chilled wind blew through the cracks of the fixtures.
It couldn't have been more than forty five degrees right now. I was wearing a jacket to keep me warm. My outfit only consisted of a tank top, shorts and boots. I was regretting the shorts right now.
Logan was in front of me, intent on leading us. The trail was somewhat easy. It was worn and almost seemed paved, yet he was still anxious.
I should've slipped a Xanax into his croissant earlier or something.
My backpack was a constant weight on my back as we walked. Logan kept a flashlight beam concentrated in front of us, routinely using it to look around.
I was already grinning, not caring that we had been up around three to get ready for this and that I was chilled to the bone.
I took Logan's free hand and swung it childishly while we walked. He chuckled and cracked a smile. The nearly full moon was already dipping low, stooping towards the rising cliffs.
Right now, everything was bathed in silver light. We almost didn't need the flashlight.
Although the trail was well worn, that didn't mean it wasn't a little strenuous. Rocks had to be maneuvered around or climbed over and we had to stay away from the crumbling edge of the trail.
We were pretty elevated on this trail. It ran along the side of some cliffs as it dipped around and zig zagged.
We were finally walking across some level ground for a change. Logan and I hiked in silence, a conversation not really needed between us.
I felt completely at ease with him as we walked.
An owl flew overhead, its shadow soaring over the rocks. I watched it fly silently.
Looking up, you could see the billions of stars that glittered in the sky. Swatches of the Milky Way stood out as a light contrast against the dark sky.
I've always been amazed by the sky and the secrets it held. Space. The great expanse. The void. Whatever you preferred it to be. It was so interesting and I had always been curious.
My mind shifted to a different field as I picked my way over a small pile of rubble.
I wondered what my parents would think of me now. I knew they'd be angry, that was a given and I was prepared for that. But what if they looked at me like they thought it'd been impossible? Impossible for me to be raised such a way and then suddenly break away.
What if a small piece of them wished that they had taken a chance like I did? Did it never cross their minds that there was something more beyond documents, galas, sky scrapers and money?
I questioned if either had ever looked out their windows at night and wished they were somewhere else. That they were someone else. Maybe at least one of them used to be me until they became corrupted.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Logan asked quietly, cutting through the silence and my thoughts.
I glanced at him and shrugged, "I was thinking about my parents."
"What for?" He mumbled casually, scanning the light around the trail as he checked for any snakes.
"Do you think they hate me?" I asked quietly.
Logan paused and looked at me seriously for a moment, "Hate you? Why would they hate you?"
I shrugged again, unsure how to string my thoughts into a sentence, "Well...I did run away and after people know that, it'll embarrass their name and company. I ran off with a boy I didn't know, cut my hair off, got a tattoo, stole fifteen thousand dollars, and most likely ruined a contract my father had been working on for months. They're going to hate me."
"Eva, don't you know how hard it is to hate you? I can't even do it and you kick me at night in your sleep,"Logan grinned at me.
I giggled, "Sorry."
"They may be angry, or even ashamed, but its only because they failed," he said, taking my hand and guiding me as we started walking again.
"They failed?"
"Yeah. What were they raising you to be? The next CEO of Rivers Co? I bet they never thought that you were capable of so much. They tried to force you into a mold you didn't fit in. You're parents tried to make you exactly like them. They failed," he clarified.
I smiled to myself. They did fail. Thank god.
"I think we need to find a spot," Logan said, looking up.
I looked at the horizon and saw the tints of purple and orange creeping up the sky. It was near sunrise and we needed to find a place to sit and watch.
I hurried along with Logan as we could now see the point. Logan switched off the flashlight as the grey light gave us enough illuminance to see.
We got to the point and I grinned. The view was already incredible. We stood at the very end of a narrowing cliff and looked out over the canyon.
The hues of new colors filtering into the sky made the view look like a mosaic.
I quickly pulled a blanket out of my backpack and laid it out on the cold rock. Logan pulled one out of his bag and wrapped it around us as we sat down.
I grabbed the thermos and poured Logan and myself a cup of hot chocolate. He chuckled as I handed it to him.
I wiggled closer to Logan and gripped the warm mug, enjoying the heat it radiated into my icy fingers.
Slowly yet steadily, purples, pinks, oranges, and a whole other array of colors began to streak the sky. It all reflected down onto the canyon walls and crevices.
The bright light of the sun cast into the shadows and the rocky outcrops around us seemed to be colored a brilliant orange or purple.
Logan and I sipped our hot chocolate as we watched the sun rise. Although the golden globe blasted us with blinding light, I still enjoyed one of the most beautiful sights I've ever seen.
Logan hugged me closer and I felt my heart flutter.
It didn't take long for the temperature to rise with the sun. I could feel the warmth on my face as we were bathed in the golden light.
"Eva?"
"Yeah?" I mumbled, not looking away from the sight before me.
"This is supposed to be one of the most beautiful sights in the world, and it kinda is. It's not my favorite though, I've seen better," Logan said.
I thought of all twelve destinations we'd been to and thought, of all the things we've seen, what could top this?
"What kind of beauty could top this?" I looked at him and realized he was already looking at me.
He grinned mischievously and I snorted, shoving his shoulder lightly as I blushed deeply, "Oh shut up."
We both turned back to the sunrise and I took a deep breath of contentment, letting it out slowly. I finally felt satisfied and at peace.
"Eva?" Logan mumbled.
"Logan?" I raised an eyebrow and didn't look away from my view.
"I love you," he said softly.
I turned to him and grinned, "I love you too."
He leaned in and his lips brushed mine. I tilted my chin and deepened our kiss.
Destination twelve, check.
----------------------------------------------
"So, what's the plan now? We've crossed everything off the list. We've accomplished everything, conquered the world, had sex in a kitchen, what's left now?" Logan chuckled as I smacked him playfully.
"Now we...." I brushed Nix aside so I wouldn't step on her, "We....head towards Louise's. I'd like to stop and see her on the way back."
Logan nodded and zipped his bag up, "Sounds fine by me. I'd love to meet your best friend."
"She's so excited to meet you. And Nix," I chuckled, picking Nix up as she stepped into my suitcase to snuffle around.
"What's she like?"
"Hmm, Louise is wonderful. She's incredibly kind, understanding and a great friend. Red hair, adorable outfits. She's one of those people who make you happy when you talk to them," I said thoughtfully, my best friends image in my mind.
I couldn't wait to see her, it'd felt like I hadn't seen her face in an eternity.
"So she's like you?" Logan raised an eyebrow and smiled at me.
I chuckled and zipped my bag up, "Sure. I guess that's why we get along so well."
"Anything else you feel like doing?" He sat on the edge of the bed and started to pull his boots on.
"If I see anything interesting and feel like exploring, I guess we can. We still have a bit until my birthday and I want to be eighteen by the time I walk into my parents house for my things."
"That's logical," Logan yawned.
It was late. We'd spent the day out on the trails and swimming at a river that we'd come by. The both of us were exhausted.
Starting tomorrow, we had a drive of over 2,000 miles. That would take about 35 hours and that didn't include stops for food, bathroom breaths, gas and sleep.
I bet it would take us about three or four days. Then we were going to stop in Georgia where Louise is now working at.
She'd gotten me to write down her address and said that we could show up whenever we got there.
She was taking her summer break now, considering the people she'd be working for in the fall thought their kid deserved to have a life.
Louise had spent an hour telling me about her cute little apartment and how she was going to clean it from top to bottom before I got there.
I was to warn her a few hours before we got to the city she was living in.
I pulled my hair out of the towel and let it start to air dry.
"Can I have your-"
Logan tossed his hoodie at me as he climbed into bed. I smiled and tugged it on. Nix jumped onto the bed and I made sure she stayed at my feet so I could snuggle with Logan.
"Goodnight Eva," Logan whispered, kissing my neck.
"Goodnight," I murmured, tossing my leg over Logan to get comfy.