I guess we are.
So, it should be okay to open up a little too.
“I wouldn’t know,” I shrug, “Never had any friends before.”
“Well, get used to it then because you have three now,” he says nonchalantly, and my lips curl into a smile. “What’s your dirty little secret?” Misha probes, his tone teasing but underlined with genuine interest.
“Mydirty little secret?” I echo, caught off guard.
“Yes, I told you that I used women to cope, and it didn’t work. Now, what do you do to cope?”
I don’t think stealing fish from the company’s aquarium counts as coping.
“I really don’t. That’s the problem.”
Misha nods understandingly. “Well, let’s see if we can fix that with a sunrise.”
We pull into a parking spot surrounded by trees, and it’s pitch-black outside when Misha turns off the headlights. He hops out and comes to open my door before I can, holding out a hand to help me out. Then he opens the trunk, dim light from the inside of the car shining on us as he sits on the edge to change into his hiking shoes. I watch like a fool, but once he’s done, he stands, gesturing for me to sit down. While I take off my sneakers, he grabs my hiking boots and kneels in front of me to help me put them on.
“I can do that,” I protest.
Misha flashes a cheeky grin. “Grey may be the one calling youprincess, but I’m the one who gives you the princess treatment.”
“You’re an idiot,” I retort with a laugh, shaking my head.
Misha laughs, too, his eyes twinkling in the dim light. Then he stands, and after we secure our backpacks, he closes the lid with a thunk and locks the car, pocketing the key.
Pulling on his headlamp, he clicks it on, sending a beam through the velvety black of the early morning. We stand side by side at the trailhead, the path ahead impossible to make out.
“I’d have you walk in front of me, but then you’d be standing in the light and wouldn’t see well enough directly in front of you,” he explains, glancing back at me with a practical tone.
A shiver runs down my spine at the idea. Misha accidentally blinds me with his headlamp and quickly apologizes, adjusting the light upwards. “Are you afraid of the dark?”
“I’m not, or I thought I wouldn’t be, but this is kind of creepy,” I admit.
They always grab them from behind in horror movies, right?
“Do you want to have the light and walk up front?” he asks, already reaching up to pull it off his head.
“No, please, keep the responsibility. I’m just along for the ride.”
Misha smirks and steps in front of me, reaching back his hand and wiggling his fingers in invitation. I take it, feeling reassured by his firm grip. “Don’t worry, I’ve got you. Just hold on, watch where you step, and we’ll be up there in no time.”
As we hike, the path eventually widens and becomes steeper, allowing me to walk beside him, though he doesn’t let go of my hand, which I like more than I care to admit.
The forest around us begins to lighten with the predawn glow, shadows dancing between the trees.
“Why do you have hiking boots?” Misha asks, his tone casual.
“I used to go on hikes with my brother back home.”
“Oh, really, what was your favorite?”
“Seven Sisters Cliffs,” I say, thinking about the gorgeous view over the sea.
“I’ve never heard of it. But I never thought about going on a hike around London. I thought it was flat over there.”
“It is.” I laugh. “At least compared to here. But I haven’t been on any hikes here before this one, so what do I know.” I grip his hand a little tighter as we navigate a particularly rocky stretch.
