Chapter 45 Going hiking
When Nelson had said, "This would do just fine", Irene had thought he had been momentarily insane. Because... Unless he wanted her to embarrass herself, there was nowhere she could go with that outfit that would seem reasonable.
Well... That was what she thought until they arrived at their destination.
Irene's eyes widened in shock, and her mouth parted slightly. She looked up, cranking her neck to see if she could see the top of the huge mountain-like structure in front of her, but she couldn't. She just couldn't!
"Hiking?! You're taking me hiking?!" She yelled, still staring at the mountain.
Was that a punishment of some kind? Was it because of what she wore? Because, if it was because of that, Irene could change it.
Because... What the fuck was this?
If Nelson hadn't known she hated it, then at least she would know that it wasn't intentional.
But he knew. She said it just yesterday and he heard it... She said the two main things she was terrified of and he was in the car.
So what was this?
Did he want to kill her?
Maybe... Maybe he was actually annoyed that she was present in his wife's body, and figured that the best way to take her out and send her back would be by killing her.
Irene would have agreed to this... If she were certain that she would return to her own universe.
But she wasn't.
What if she died too?
No.
"What the fuck is this?" She exclaimed shaking her head. Nelson... who was wearing something not so different from what she was had begun walking towards the mountain, a small backpack on his back that Irene could only hope contained snacks.
She had eaten before leaving the hotel, but all this refusal was making her hungry again.
She watched as Nelson walked closer to the mansion and shook her head again, crossing her hands before stomping her feet. "I'm not moving an inch from here. " She said and huffed, turning her face away from him.
It was then that Nelson finally turned around.
"Irene come on." He said, trying hard to resist the urge to roll his eyes at her reaction. "We have to start now if we want to get to the top and back before the sun sets."
Yeah... She had said she didn't like it. But, he was trying to test something.
"Why?" Irene turned to him, her expression pleading. "Why do we need to get to the top and back? Why can't we just stay on the ground?"
What was the use of going back up, if they would return to the ground?
They were already on the ground... Couldn't they just stay there?
"Irene..."
"What is it?" Irene cried, her pitch coming out a little higher than she had intended. Then she sniffled, "Why do you hate me so much? I told you I hate climbing mountains and this stupid shit, why am I here?"
Again... Nelson wanted to roll his eyes, but then he mumbled. "From what I can remember, you haven't gone hiking yet... So you can't say that you hate it."Irene heard it and her eyes immediately widened.
"What?"
What did he just say?
How did he know that?
As though Nelson had just realized what he said, he turned around and began walking towards the mountain again.
"Nothing." He said, "Just thinking about something, let's go."
But Irene couldn't let it go. She jogged up to meet him. "Wait, how did you know I hadn't gone hiking before?"
Yes. She hated hiking... That's why she had never been. And how could she, when she hated it?
She hated most exercises. Irene was used to feeling extremely weak even after just a few minutes of running, her body wasn't built for exercising... That was what she thought, and so far, it was true.
But what Irene didn't understand was how Nelson knew it... And the way he said it...
She hadn't told anyone about this.
"A lucky guess," Nelson answered when he noticed Irene walking next to him. He hadn't expected to slip up like that, but... As long as she was following him.
He knew it was a risky plan to take her hiking, especially after she had proclaimed that she hated it.
But this was the best place to talk to her... To him. And he still had a few things to confirm... Until now, he wasn't sure what was truly wrong with Irene, but by the end of this trip, he would have found out.
"No, but you said..." Irene didn't want to let it go. But Nelson interrupted her.
"How about we do this?" he began, turning to his side to look at her briefly before looking back up. "I'd answer any and all of your questions, once we reach the top. But until we get there, you'd answer mine. Are you in?
Irene blinked. She stopped walking and looked straight ahead at the huge pathway in front of her.
"So you brought me all the way here just to ask questions?" She asked dumbly.
All she could see was the height... When she finally got to that height, she would fall.
"Fine." She finally nodded, pushing her fear of heights aside before looking back at Nelson. "But if I fall and die... Just know that your wife is gone too. And who knows, maybe that would be the required jump I need to return to my universe."
Nelson didn't answer, he only began to walk again. Irene followed him.
She was only doing this because of the questions... Not the one he was asking her, but the one she would ask him.
Nelson was a confusing person, in whatever universe she was, and now she has a free ticket to view the inside of his mind... Of course, she would take it.
"So... You're eighteen?" She heard Nelson as they began their journey.
"Yes." Irene nodded, following him closely.
She had mentioned that at least a dozen times now, but it was a nice way to start the conversation.
"Is there a me in..." Nelson paused, he took a second to breathe, before continuing. "...In your universe?"
He didn't believe in the separate universe talk, but that was what Irene believed, so... Okay.
"Yes." Irene nodded, a side of her lips raising. She was glad that Nelson was finally coming around, but then she remembered who he was asking about, and her smile fell. "But he's a bit different from you."
"How so?" Nelson asked again.
"Apart from the fact your older and much more mature than him, you gave nice times. And you're in love with your wife... At least it seems so. The Enel in my universe can never love anyone apart from himself. I doubt he loves his girlfriend."
What?
Nelson stopped suddenly... That was something he definitely wasn't expecting. "His girlfriend?"