Page 66 of Break

The grin that spreads across my face is the biggest one I’ve let out in a long time. “That he won’t.”

Chapter 29

Eden

Ethan

As we drive out of town in my pickup, the silence inside the cab is palpable. Vincent is sitting up front, singing along to the radio like he usually does. I think he’s being more energetic than normal to give Mina the ability to sit in silence and get herself comfortable being holed up with all of us in a small space. I can feel the tension emanating from her in the backseat as she watches the scenery pass us by in green and brown streaks.

I try to focus on the road, but my mind keeps wandering to thoughts of her. It’s been a while since I’ve felt this drawn to someone, and it’s both exhilarating and terrifying. I can’t help but wonder if she feels even a fraction of interest or curiosity toward me. Orus. She’s been through an extremely traumatic event recently, and that’s not considering the fact that she’s been married to that asshole for years. I’m not in any rush to push anything. But I’m interested. I also see the interest in both of my friends’ gazes when their eyes find their way to her profile.

We finally make it to the site we’ve chosen for the next few days, and Mina’s eyes widen in amazement as she takes in the view. It’s like she has no control over her body as her feet draw her further toward the woods. She looks around her surroundings, then tilts her head up when she hears the birds chirping.

Walter follows her to edge of the clearing and sits on the ground next to her. Leaning his body against hers, I assume he can feel the peace she’s experiencing because he releases a huffing breath and relaxes.

None of us move as we watch her take everything in, breathing deeply. It’s as if the scents and sounds of nature completely wash every bad experience and thought away from her, easing her mind and body until her shoulders relax.

Max and Vincent are standing on either side of me, both watching like they’ve never seen anything like her before. When she turns around to face the three of us, her expression is absolutely breathtaking.

Running her eyes over each of us, they glitter with tears as she clasps her hands to her chest. “Thank you. This is just… it’s what you’d think the garden of Eden would be like.”

I can see the gratitude in her eyes, and it makes me feel so fucking good that we could give her this experience. “Of course,” I say, a little gruffly.

Vincent clears his throat of the emotion clogging it. “Come on, sweetpea. Let’s get everything unloaded and set up the site, then we can all do a bit of exploring.”

“Oh! Yes. What should I do? I want to help with everything,” she asks, looking around the area. Her enthusiasm is intoxicating, and it’s leaving me at a loss for words. Max too, apparently, since he’s still standing there and just watching her against the backdrop of the forest.

Nudging him, he shakes off whatever trance the vision of Mina had left him in, and we all spend the next hour or two setting up camp, collecting wood, and starting a fire. Mina insisted on being a part of everything, pitching in as much as she could and asking questions about why we did things a certain way or about the area. She seems to be getting more comfortable with us as time goes on, quietly laughing at Vincent’s jokes and Max’s grumbling over making sure everything is set up perfectly.

With the sun beginning to dip below the horizon and the clouds turning shades of pink and orange, I suggest we take a walk through the woods. Mina’s eyes light up with interest, already standing and bouncing on the balls of her feet.

“I’m down with going for a walk to burn off dinner. Do you have a camera you’d like to bring along just in case?” Max asks her.

Slipping her hands into the pocket of her jacket, she tightens her arms closer to her body in an attempt to fend off the chill that’s rolled in with the setting sun. “Nope, but that’s okay. I’ll remember it all perfectly.”

Holding up his phone, Vincent waves it toward her. “I’ll take pictures if there’s anything you see and want to keep.” She flashes a smile of thanks, and then we’re off.

“This path here is a shorter loop around that’s a little under a mile. We’ll make it back before it gets fully dark,” Max informs her. He walks ahead of everyone since he’s most familiar with the land and trails out here with Mina only a few feet behind him. I step up to her right and walk alongside her, monitoring her footing to make sure she doesn’t trip over any roots or rocks protruding from the ground.

Vincent is following in the back, calling out occasionally to alert us of any hazards or interesting sights Mina should check out. Her head is twisting in all directions as she tries to take in every inch of the view.

After about thirty minutes of walking, I can hear her breath pick up a touch from the exertion and her pace has slowed a bit. Looking down at her, I see a small tremor rattle through her from the cold. The temperature is dropping quickly, so I touch her elbow to stop her.

Unzipping my jacket, I pull off my sweatshirt I’m wearing underneath it and hand it over. “Here. You’re cold.”

Her eyes are bright, lit up from her enjoyment of our hike, even though her teeth are chattering. “Oh, no thank you. You’ll be cold with only a t-shirt and jacket.”

Vincent chuckles, taking the sweatshirt from my hand and slipping it over her head. “Ethan will be perfectly fine, sweetheart. If he gets cold, I’ll give him a snuggle next to the fire when we get back.”

I start to roll my eyes at him but stop when she lets out a giggle at his teasing. Biting her lip, she looks up at me shyly. “That’d be a sight, wouldn’t it?”

My heart thumps in my chest at the sound of her laughter, and I can’t help but feel a surge of desire course through me. She looks so damn beautiful, with her rosy cheeks and disheveled hair being whipped around her face by the breeze picking up. “It’d be something,” I murmur, thinking about snuggling up with her instead.

She doesn’t laugh, but her eyes glitter with amusement. Turning when Max calls out to us that our site is up ahead, she takes a step but stumbles over Walter. Stinking dog had been trudging along next to her, but stopped in front of her without her noticing.

Quickly reaching out, I grab her around the waist to catch her from hitting the ground. Her bark of laughter causes Max to turn around and walk back, looking her over with concern. “Walter! Come on, man. You okay, Mina?”

Laughing, she waves us off. Her cheeks pink up in the dimming light, a bit embarrassed over tripping. “I’m fine, just wasn’t paying attention.”

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