"This is what she had become."
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Cleopatra Banks' last week in the small town of New Chelsea is nothing like she would have imagined it, but nothing could have prepared her for the stinging betrayal she's faced with and suddenly the prospect of...
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We end up walking further into the tranquil woodland, past a few streams, over an old stone bridge with moss and vines covering its entire frame –which I nearly fell off of twice— and beyond a couple of rock formations until we finally stop in front of a few pools of water at varying heights joined together.
If it weren't for my sweat covered forehead, damp underarms and sheer exhaustion, I would actually be looking at everything in awe. What even is this place? It almost feels like we're in some enchanted forest and small little pixies will start peering at us through the trees or little water nymphs will jump out of the water at any minute.
"Next time you decide to bring me here, warn me in advance so I can wear something appropriate," I let Ethan know as I try to catch my breath with my hands on my knees.
He just looks at me, giving me a light shrug and I find myself getting irritated at his lack of sweat or heavy breathing. Clearly he's not new to this.
"You're evil," I sneer at him.
"I think we've already established that the evil one between the two of us is you. You're the one constantly talking about serial killers. Maybe I should be the wary one," he says, taking a swig out of a bottle I failed to notice before.
I brush his comment aside and keep my eyes on the bottle.
"You want some water?" he asks with a raised eyebrow and I give him an are-you-kidding-me-right-now expression.
He hands the bottle to me and our fingers gently brush against one another just as I take the bottle from him. A tinge of pink may or may not have appeared in his cheeks but I guess I'll never know because he's now focused on removing something from his backpack.
It's a good thing he took the weight of those baked goodies off my back and onto his. They nearly toppled out of my hands and into the river beneath us when I almost lost my balance.
He removes a navy blue object from his backpack and begins walking in a different direction and I have to roll my eyes because this means more physical activity.
"Can't we rest for a bit before we start walking again?" I complain.
"That's what we're doing," he replies without looking back at me.
"By walking some more?" I ask. He ignores me and deciding that I don't want to be left alone in the middle of some forest thing I scamper after him.
He stops abruptly without warning and I find myself crashing into his hard back. "Warn a girl!" I mutter and he turns around. I look up to meet his gaze but all he does is lick his bottom lip and then he pins my eyes down with his.
I swallow down a lump in my throat and step back a little.
Ethan turns around again and unfolds what is actually a polar fleece blanket on the ground beneath us covered in short spikes of grass and dead leaves.
