Page 109 of The Firefighter's Fate

Yeah. Damn. I really, really liked that.

55

CONNOR

“Are we close to the river?” Ember asks me.

“No,” I reply. “Not yet.”

“Ah, okay. I was thinking we might be...”

“We’re not, Ember. We’re nowhere near the river.”

She doesn’t stop walking through the forest, even though she’s a lot slower than she’s used to being. We’ve been doing this for nearly half an hour. It’s good to see Ember back on her feet and moving again, even if she is going at a turtle’s pace. I’m just glad to see she’s out of the hospital. It’s good she’s becoming her cheeky self again.

I like it when she’s cheeky.

“Do you know how to get back to the cabin?” she asks, turning back to look at me. “Do you really? I’d hate it if we’re lost out here.”

I smile at her.

I’m taking her somewhere new today. It’s meant to be a surprise. I told her that before we set out, but she’s still insisting on knowing where. She keeps asking if we’re near the river. Her constant pestering reminds me of those first days after we met when she was nothing but a chatty, sunny thorn in my side.

It’s good to see she’s still a journalist - still peppering me with constant, annoying questions.

“I do know how to get back to the cabin, Ember.”

“Okay, I trust you but... how can you know your way back? It’s literally nothing but jungle out here.”

“I know exactly where we are.”

“That seriously can’t be true.”

“Don’t worry.”

“That’s hard to do when you’re being so damn secretive.”

“Keep heading straight ahead,” I instruct. “We’re almost there.”

“Where, Connor?”

Soon, the trees part into a clearing, just as I expected they would, and now we’re standing at a cliff’s edge looking out far into the horizon.

And below us, still a fair distance away, is the town of Crystal River. You can make out the tops of some of the buildings from up here. The university. The townhouse.

“Wait... is that Crystal River?” Ember asks me as we come to a stop to admire the view.

“Yep.”

She takes it in.

“This view is beautiful. This is where you wanted to take me? Your secret hike?”

“Yes. See, I do know where exactly we are. You like it?”

“Yeah, I love it.”

“Good.”

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