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đ˛ The Trucking Trail
âThe old logging truck rattled, carrying a dozen teens deeper into the misty mountains. The air was crisp, smelling of pine and damp earthâa world away from the city. But for Gabriella, the wild setting felt like a stage. She wasn't just Gabriella; she was also Andria, and the revenge plot she was cooking felt as heavy as the towering ancient trees around them.
âđĨ The Truth Slip
âThe truck finally ground to a halt. Gabriella and Jake hopped out, finding a secluded spot on a smooth, fallen log. The silence between them was charged, filled with a tension that hummed like a power line.
âJake, dressed in a designer hoodie and dark jeans, turned to her. His eyes, the color of stormy skies, held an unnerving intelligence.
â"You know," he started, his voice low, "even now, after all this time, you are the same." He leaned in just slightly, his gaze intense. "Too bold."
âHe stopped, a slow, knowing smirk spreading across his face. "Even when you... slapped Harry's face. Tightly."
âGabriella's heart hammered a wild rhythm against her ribs. Her eyes, wide and locked in his, betrayed her shock. Slapped Harry's face? That was an old, secret memory. One that belonged only to Andria.
âHow does he know this? a panicked thought screamed. Is that true? He knows me as Andria?
âBefore the whirlwind in her mind could settle, Jake stood up, the smirk now a cryptic, teasing smile. He walked away, leaving Gabriella frozen on the log, her past spinning wildly in the present moment.
â𧤠Han's Suspicion
âGabriella took a deep, shaky breath and forced herself to stand. She had to focus. She had to be Gabriella.
âShe suddenly came across Han, her cousin. Han was taller than her, with a friendly, easygoing face, but right now, his eyes were serious. He walked straight up to her and held out a pair of dark, slightly worn leather hand gloves.
â"Here," he said, "maybe you need these."
âThen he frowned, his eyes narrowing as he noticed the thin, fitted black gloves she was already wearing. "Wait, it's not yours, right? They look like men's gloves."
âGabriella felt a cold sweat. These were, in fact, Jake's. She quickly tried to hide the truth behind a casual, easy smile. "Oh, these? They're just one of my classmates' gloves. I borrowed them from him."
âHan wasn't buying it. His eyes narrowed further. "Who?" He needed to confirm his suspicion that it was Jake.
âInstead of answering, Gabriella gave him a sweet, fake smile and turned to walk away.
âđ The Truth About Selina
â"Are caring her that much, Han? More than Christina? Are you?"
âThe familiar voice was sharp and laced with malice. It belonged to Raina, a girl whose cold, composed expression rarely broke.
âHan immediately tensed, his face going red. "What do you want, Raina?"
âRaina gave a venomous smile. "Don't worry. I'm not here to talk about your new sister." The word "sister" hung heavy with sarcasm. "I'm here to talk about Selina."
âHan turned his back. "Everything ended up with me and Selina. I don't want to talk about it."
â"Wait." Raina's voice was suddenly cold, demanding. She stepped in front of him. "Then why did you care so much when she was vomiting in the bus?"
âHan hesitated. "Because..."
â"Because you still love her," Raina finished for him. "Don't deny it."
â"So what!" Han's frustration boiled over. "But I can't still forgive her! How could she bring up Christina's talk at the party?"
âRaina's face was straight and serious. "She said the truth, right? Gabriella isn't your biological sister. It doesn't change even if you call her as a sister for thousand times." Han's nerves were visible in his forehead. "Raina!" he shouted.
âRaina didn't flinch. Her voice dropped to a serious, almost gentle, tone. "Don't forget that Selina cared for Christina more than you did." For the first time, a tear welled up in Raina's eye, breaking her cold façade as she spoke about Christina. "She was even broken when we lost Christina."
âHan's eyes softened, a flicker of worry replacing his anger.
âRaina continued, her voice regaining its deeper coldness. "Selina was upset that you gave Christina's place to someone else. So she reacted like that. Anyway, you have to decide. Don't ignore your love for Selina."
âShe walked away. Han stood there, lost in a deep, agonizing thought.
âA few minutes later, Gabriella finally spotted Jake. She was about to walk toward him when he started acting strangely. He was wiggling his straight figure, bending and twisting almost like he was doing a ridiculous dance. Everyone stared. Gabriella didn't understand.
âSuddenly, he shouted. "Aw! There is something biting in my back!"
âGabby rushed to him. She lifted the hem of his hoodie and gasped. Embedded in his back were two bloated, blood-swallowing leeches. She swiftly plucked them off and threw them far away.
â"Are you alright?" she asked, her voice laced with genuine concern.
âHe nodded, relief flooding his features. She inhaled, letting out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding.
âđ Tent
âNight fell quickly on the mountain. The air was colder, and a scattering of tents dotted the clearing.
âSelina finished setting up her tent and sat next to Elisabeth, whose beauty was as sharp and unforgiving as her words. Elisabeth saw Selina's eyes locked on Han, who was just finishing his own tent.
âElisabeth's face was straight. "What's the point of looking at him with deep love? No use. You have to bring him under your feet, like a puppy."
âSelina was clearly pissed but didn't reply.
âElisabeth continued, her voice cold. "If you love someone, you should have that person yours. Only."
âSelina scoffed. "Like you chasing Jake, right?"
âElisabeth's cold face finally broke, a flash of pain in her eyes.
âSelina pushed on. "You don't know anything about love. You have to care about your partner's feelings. I understand because you are one-sided love with Jake, right? How did you know my love?"
â"Selina!" Elisabeth shouted.
âSelina ignored her and walked away.
â
âA little distance away, Gabriella was inside her tentâa dome of nylon and hope. She noticed Dona had five missed calls. She called her back immediately.
â"Finally, you called back!" Dona said, her voice shaky. "How many times have I called you before?"
âGabriella smiled, sinking onto her sleeping bag. "Sorry. My phone is silent, and I'm busy with the tent setup. Why is your voice different?"
â"Because... I was crying," Dona choked out.
â"What happened?" Gabriella was shocked.
â"My webnovel contract application got rejected," Dona cried. "I tried so much, and I put so many efforts. You know right." Her voice was full of pain. "I'm not worth it, I think. My parents were right. Passion always gives more pain and a harder path than a normal career."
â"Don't," Gabriella said, her voice suddenly serious, deep, and strongâthe voice of Andria. "No one can defeat you until you accept your self-defeat." She softened her tone. "And I know competition is high, but it doesn't mean that you are worthless. Your story is a hundred times worthier than others. You can see that by your readers' likes, right?"
âDona was still sobbing, but listening.
â"You lost because God has something better for you," Gabriella assured her. "Don't be upset, okay?"
â"Mm," Dona mumbled. "How is your journey so far?"
â"Good. The only one I am missing is you."
âDona chuckled a little. "I felt relief after talking to you. Bye. I'm so sleepy. I gotta go to bed."
â"Good night," Gabriella said, hanging up.
â
âIn Jake's tent, the lamp cast a warm, flickering glow. He wasn't wearing a shirt on his upper body, only his pants. He was struggling, twisting hard to reach his back to apply the ointment on the leech bites.
âSuddenly, he heard a voice. "Are you there, Jake? Can I come inside?"
âIt was Gabriella. Jake's heart thumped with sudden enthusiasm. He quickly threw a sleeveless, casual t-shirt over his head and zipped open the tent flap.
âShe entered and asked, "Are you okay?"
âJake smiled. She saw the white ointment smeared on his fingers. "Did you apply the ointment?" she asked in a lower voice.
â"Yes," he said, and then immediately, "No."
â"Let me."
âA few seconds later, she was sitting behind him. "Remove your clothes," she commanded softly.
âHe pulled off his upper clothes. Her eyes took in the wound and the powerful muscles of his back. She applied the ointment gently. He blushed; his ears turned bright red.
âHe smiled, then suddenly yelped, "Aw!"
â"Sorry," she whispered. "I will be more gentle." She paused. "Wait. Are you playing?" she asked, turning him around in mock anger.
âHe turned. She was stunned by his torsoâhis perfect abs, sculpted like a male model's. She swallowed and quickly looked away.
âJake smirked knowingly. "Are you blushing, Gabby?"
âHer heart beat raised, a frantic drum in her chest.
âJake leaned in, trapping Gabriella against the edge of the tent wall. He placed his hands on either side of her head, his body impossibly close.
âHe gazed into her eyes, his voice dropping to a low, husky whisper.
â"Are you ?"
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To be Continued...
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