Page 75 of 10 Days to Ruin

She jumped… Her hands were bruised…

“Are you going to stand there forever?” he snaps.

“Someone’s grumpy.” I toss my fanny pack onto his lap. “Carry this. It’s vintage.”

He doesn’t move. Just lets the bag slide to the floor as I clamber in. His gaze stays fixated on the way my leggings strain at the thigh, the wobble of my stupid heels. When I’m finally seated, he sighs.

The engine roars.

So does my pulse.

No turning back now.

25

ARIEL

The trailhead sign mocks me in cheerful Comic Sans:Fun & Adventure Awaits! Stay on marked paths!

I’m not so sure about the “fun” part.

As for adventure?

Well, some of us are about to venture a little farther than others.

I adjust my rhinestone-studded visor and crank my daisy-shaped speaker to max volume. Dua Lipa may be dancing the night away, but I’ll be lucky if I make it out alive.

“Ready?” Sasha’s leaning against a boulder, arms crossed, dressed like he’s about to summit Everest in a henley and jeans. Meanwhile, I look like a disco ball threw up on a Lululemon clearance rack.

“Born ready,” I lie, flicking dirt off my gold spray-painted stilettos. “Just… admiring nature’s beauty before we embark.”

His gaze drags down my neon-pink leggings, snagging on the bedazzledSNACKSpouch strapped to my thigh, which contains nothing but chewing gum. “You do know this is a mountain, not Coachella.”

“Details, shmetails.” I pull out my glitter-coated phone, angling for a duck-lipped selfie. “Woooo!”

And then we’re off.

The first mile is all performative misery. I fake-stumble over pebbles, whine about nonexistent blisters, and serenade him with endless off-key renditions ofI’m Just Ken.

But Sasha’s reactions are… underwhelming. He hikes ahead, a shadow carved from granite, testosterone, and suppressed rage, offering only an occasional muttered retort.

That doesn’t stop me from trying to push his buttons.

Mile 0.1:Tripping dramatically over a twig:“Who put all this wood out here?”

Mile 0.3:Pulling out my phone: “Wait, we need to document this for my new outdoor lifestyle blog. Should I use Valencia or Perpetua?”

Sasha: “Use airplane mode. Your battery’s at 12%.”

Mile 0.5:Blasting “Toxic” through the daisy speaker:“Sing with me! ‘I’m slippin’ under?—’”

Sasha, muttering: “This is what Judas hears in hell.”

Mile 0.7:Applying lip gloss mid-stride:“Do you prefer ‘Mojito Meltdown’ or ‘Cosmopolitan Crush’?”

Sasha, glancing at the sheer cliff drop beside us: “At this point, the sweet embrace of death.”

Mile 0.9:Stopping abruptly:“Wait. Is that abear?”

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