Natalie struggled a bit.
Isaac held her tighter, not letting go.
"Honey, I really know I was wrong."
He gripped her shoulders, turned her around, and took her hand, pressing it to his own face, "Or you can just hit a few tis to let off so steam."
Natalie’s face was blank, she moved her hand, but he held it tightly.
She said calmly, "Didn’t you just tell to hit you to vent?"
Isaac instantly let go, even tilted his head slightly, totally cooperative: "Go ahead, hit ."
Natalie shot him a cold look, turned, and walked away.
"Honey!"
Isaac reached out instinctively to grab her.
She dodged him, saying, "Stay here, don’t move. I’m going out to get sothing."
That ant she’d be back in a minute.
Isaac stood still, not moving.
In no ti, Natalie ca back, carrying a first aid kit.
His mouth and cheekbone were both bruised.
After she finished applying dicine, he hugged her again just as she was putting the kit away.
He nuzzled against the back of her neck, his breath hot, voice low and soft: "I didn’t not trust you, I just lost my mind for a mont."
"Mm."
His tone brightened a bit: "You’re not mad anymore?"
"Mm."
——
Franklin Finch kicked Isaac’s calf, "Isaac Vaughn, let ask you, how long has it been? How long have you not contacted ? Isaac, you have no heart!"
Isaac couldn’t even be bothered to lift his eyelids.
Franklin rolled his eyes: "Didn’t Natalie say she’s not mad anymore? Who are you trying to impress by acting half dead?"
"Those reporters who took pictures, took screenshots, wrote all that nonsense, you already gave them hell."
"Natalie’s still not satisfied?"
Isaac kept his head down, drinking.
Franklin pouted, leaning in closer, "Fine, drink as much as you want. Once you’re flat on your face, I’ll call Natalie to co pick you up."
"Play the victim a bit, and I bet your wife will turn soft."
A flicker flashed in Isaac’s eyes, but he didn’t stop drinking.
No one knows how many bottles he downed, he forced himself to keep up, finally shoved his phone into Franklin’s hand, "Call..."
Franklin cursed, "I’m such a sucker for you!"
*
Forty minutes later.
Natalie pushed open the door to the private room and ca in.
Franklin pointed at Isaac, who’d passed out on the couch, "Isaac said he was an ass the last couple days and pissed you off."
"He’s just in a bad mood, so he drank too much."
"Take him ho, okay? Poor guy, he even cried just now."
Natalie looked at Franklin coolly.
That look made Franklin a little uneasy inside.
Did he exaggerate too much?
Shouldn’t have said he cried...
Natalie walked over, squatted in front of the couch, touched Isaac’s face, and called his na.
Isaac wasn’t completely wasted yet.
He squinted at her for a few seconds, then grinned foolishly and pressed his face into her palm: "Honey."
Natalie: "Yeah, let’s go ho."
——
The next day.
Isaac woke up aching all over, realizing he’d slept on the living room floor.
He was dazed for a few seconds, then heard the bedroom door open.
Natalie ca out, saw he was awake, and asked with concern, "Are you okay?"
"Yeah." Isaac stood up.
Because his body ached so much, he couldn’t help but groan and whine a little.
Natalie went to pour a glass of warm water for him, "You were so drunk, I really couldn’t move you."
Isaac took the water and finished it in one go, his dry throat finally feeling better.
He hugged her, kissed her hair, "I won’t drink that much again. I didn’t bother you last night, did I?"
Natalie shook her head, "Go back to the bedroom and sleep a little longer."
"Okay, I’ll take a shower first."
Isaac headed for the bedroom.
Natalie watched him disappear through the door, then turned away, her face blank, and went to the kitchen to make breakfast.
After showering, Isaac ca out and called Franklin Finch.
About last night, he hadn’t exactly blacked out, but only had a vague mory of things.
"Hey, Isaac, what’s up?"
"When Natalie ca to find last night, how was she acting towards ?"
"...Man, you’re too much! Showing off your happy life in my face first thing in the morning, huh?"
"Enough with the crap, just answer my question!"
Franklin gritted his teeth, "Great! She treated you like a treasure! You refused to go, and she was so patient coaxing you! She almost sang you a lullaby, man!"
Isaac hung up after hearing that.
Turns out he’d been overthinking it.
She was slim, of course she couldn’t move him—why would she purposely leave him passed out on the floor?
Isaac ca out to find Natalie had already made sandwiches and ward up the milk.
During breakfast, they chatted about the weekend hiking event.
It was a company team-building for the shareholders and higher-ups.
Most of them were already middle-aged or older, but for so reason, all of them were obsessed with conquering the mountain.
She felt it was a good way to build relations with them, so she joined in.
Isaac couldn’t go because of work, so he told her he’d try to finish up and pick her up when the event ended.
——
Soon it was the weekend.
Early in the morning, everyone took a bus to the foot of the mountain.
Actually, there was a cable car, and Natalie wanted to take it.
But all those sixty-sothing shareholders and execs were full of energy, eager to hike, not a single one planning to ride the cable car.
Natalie had no choice but to join in.
It would take five or six hours to climb from the bottom to the top.
Natalie was exhausted and hungry, eating bread while watching those super-fit uncles.
Every one of them kept a steady pace, not rushing, not even out of breath.
"What’s wrong?"
Julian, who’d been walking in front, slowed down to wait for her. Seeing her face was flushed from the heat, he asked, "Are you okay? If you really can’t keep going, don’t push yourself."
"I’m fine."
"Give your bag."
Julian took Natalie’s backpack and packed it together with his own.
He steadied her with one hand, "Let’s go."
After another twenty minutes, Julian spotted a big rock and suggested Natalie rest a bit.
She drank water, sweat streaming down her face.
Julian handed her a tissue.
"Ten more minutes ahead, there’s a cable car. You can take it up then."
"Forget it." Natalie shook her head.
Can’t even conquer a single mountain.
Wonder what the shareholders and execs will say behind my back.
Maybe sensing what she was thinking, Julian said in a low voice, "It’s a pointless activity anyway. You’re a woman, if you can’t keep up, no one’s going to bla you."
"Next ti just don’t co, I’ll talk to them."
Natalie looked at him and suddenly called, "Julian."
"Yeah?"
"You must be really mad at for not listening to you, right?"
Julian’s expression darkened slightly.
"Nat, if you’re talking about Isaac... I still think you two breaking up would be better for you."
"Why? Julian, why are you so insistent that we split up?"
For a mont, Julian almost blurted out the agreent between Isaac and Grandpa.
"Julian, let’s go."
Up ahead, Matthew Beckett called out to them, afraid they’d fall behind.
The conversation was cut short.
Natalie put her water away.
"Let’s go."
But just as she stood up from the rock, she accidentally twisted her ankle.
An intense wave of pain hit her, draining the color from her face and making her eyes fill with tears.
"Nat!"
Julian quickly caught her.
After a quick check, he decided she had to go down the mountain right away.
Julian carried Natalie and took the cable car down.
——
Isaac ended his business early, planning to go up the mountain to find Natalie.
But he heard she’d twisted her ankle and was coming down, so he rushed to the cable car station to wait.
Julian handed Natalie over to Isaac and told him to take her to the doctor.
At the hospital.
Fortunately, the diagnosis was just a minor sprain—she’d be fine after a few days of rest.
Isaac carried Natalie ho.
While applying dicine to her ankle, he suddenly asked, "Little Ear, did you get your mory back?"
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