Chapter 94 Chasing Distance
Alex: POV
The dry Arizona heat slammed into me the second I stepped off the plane at Tucson International. After weeks of San Francisco's cool fog, it was like someone had opened an oven door right in my face.
I squinted hard against the sun, damn grateful for my sunglasses as I headed toward baggage claim.
Two months in the Sonoran Desert. Two months away from San Francisco, my apartment, work. Away from Daniel.
Just thinking his name made my stomach clench. I still couldn't wrap my head around what happened between us. Every time my brain drifted back to that hotel room—Daniel standing there in nothing but a towel, taking my hand and guiding it to his chest—panic and confusion hit me so hard I wanted to run even farther than Arizona.
"Get it together, Hamilton," I muttered, yanking my duffel bag off the carousel. "You're here to clear your head, not lose it completely."
I pulled up the confirmation email on my phone. The expedition team was meeting at some place called Desert Bloom, about fifteen minutes from the airport. Lunch, introductions, go over the schedule, then head to our first campsite.
The Uber driver picked up pretty quick that I wasn't in a chatty mood. I just stared out the window at the landscape—those tall saguaro cacti standing around like guards, rocky mountains way off in the distance, everything lit up in this crazy bright desert light that made the colors pop way more than back home.
Beautiful, but harsh as hell. Nothing like Northern California. Nothing like home.
Home. The word felt weird now. I'd been so focused on getting the hell out that I hadn't really thought about what I was leaving. My place, my job, my friends...
"Fuck," I whispered, pressing my forehead against the cool glass. Would I ever be able to think about my best friend without feeling like I was gonna puke?
"Here you go, sir," the driver said, pulling up to this rustic-looking restaurant with a patio covered by these twisted mesquite trees.
I thanked him, grabbed my stuff, and went inside. The hostess pointed me toward a big table in back where four people were already sitting. There was a handwritten sign on the table: "Sonoran Expedition."
"You must be Alex," this tall, weathered guy said, standing up to shake my hand. He had that deep tan you only get from years in the sun, with smile lines around his eyes. "I'm Jack Reeves, your expedition leader."
I shook his hand—definitely felt those calluses. "Alex Hamilton. Nice to meet you."
"Grab a seat," Jack said. "We're waiting on a couple more folks."
I sat down and checked out the others. Two women sitting real close together—one with short black hair and glasses, the other with a blonde ponytail—and some guy about my age with a neat beard.
"I'm Megan," the dark-haired woman said with a friendly smile, wrapping her arm around the other woman's shoulder. "And this is my girlfriend, Lily. We're from Portland."
"Alex," I said. "San Francisco."
"What brings you out to the desert?" Lily asked, sipping her iced tea. "You don't really look like the outdoorsy type."
I glanced down at my designer jeans and button-up. Fair point. "Just needed a change of scenery. Sometimes you gotta get away, you know?"
"Running from something?" the bearded guy asked with this knowing smirk.
My face got hot. "Just looking for some creative inspiration. I'm an architect."
"Cool," he said, reaching out his hand. "I'm Trevor. Photographer from Chicago. Also here for inspiration, though I'm not running from anything." He winked, and I couldn't tell if he was hitting on me or just being friendly.
Great, now I'm paranoid about every guy I meet. Thanks a lot, Daniel.
Before I could say anything, two more guys showed up—one muscular dude with a shaved head and a lankier guy with shaggy brown hair.
"Marcus," the muscular one said with a nod. "Former Marine. Looking forward to getting back to basics."
"Kevin," the other one added. "Wildlife biologist. Here to study the desert ecosystem."
We all made small talk while waiting for the last person. Trevor was doing some photo series on American deserts, and Marcus was... well, Marcus was intense and didn't share much besides his military background.
Right when our drinks came, the last guy rushed in—around my age with curly brown hair and this enthusiastic smile.
"Sorry I'm late!" he said, out of breath. "My connecting flight got delayed. I'm Brian."
Jack waved him to the empty seat across from me. "No worries, Brian. We're just getting started."
Brian sat down, caught my eye, and gave me a friendly nod. I nodded back, then looked away quick, focusing on the menu.
Jack cleared his throat. "Alright, now that everyone's here, let's go over the basics. We'll be spending two months in the Sonoran Desert, hiking about eight to ten miles a day, with rest days every fifth day. The route takes us through different ecosystems—cactus forests, mountain passes, old riverbeds."
He pulled out a tablet and started scrolling through some presentation. "This isn't some easy nature walk," he said, getting serious. "The desert's beautiful but it can kill you. Temperatures go over 100 during the day, drop near freezing at night. Water's scarce. Wildlife can be dangerous. You need to follow instructions and watch out for each other."
Listening to him, I felt this weird mix of nerves and excitement building up.
"Any questions?" Jack asked, looking around.
"When do we actually start hiking?" Marcus asked, looking ready to go.
Jack smiled. "Not today. Today's for getting used to the climate and getting to know each other. We'll spend tonight at a campground just outside the city, hit the trail at dawn tomorrow."
After lunch, we loaded our gear into Jack's van and drove to the campground. Pretty simple setup—a clearing surrounded by scrubby trees and cacti, with spots marked out for tents and a fire pit in the middle.
"We need to pair up for tents," Jack announced. "Safer and more efficient that way. Megan and Lily, I'm guessing you two will share?"
They nodded, already unpacking.
"Rest of you figure it out," Jack said. "Just make sure everyone's got a partner."
I looked around, wondering who I'd end up with. I thought Jack would assign us, but apparently we were on our own. Marcus and Kevin paired up right away, already talking about where to set up their tent.
That left me, Trevor, and Brian.
I was trying to figure out if I should just pick someone or what, when Trevor walked over and clapped me on the shoulder. "Wanna room with me, Alex? I promise I don't snore."