Page 16 of His Untamed Craving
"Hey, nice work out there, Croft!"
The gruff call pulls me from my thoughts. I glance over to find Mitch Hollis offering me a thumbs up, the old alpinist's beard twitching in a rare smile. A few other climbers who'd been milling about join in, offering nods and words of congratulations.
My brow furrows in confusion as I scan the small crowd, wondering what's gotten into them. It's not like me to seek out that kind of attention, especially not after a climb.
Daisy doesn't seem perturbed, though. She just flashes me a wink before shouldering her pack.
"Be right back," she murmurs, jerking her chin toward the restrooms across the way. "Nature calls."
I watch her go for a beat, admiring the sway of those hips and the tousled tumble of dark curls spilling over her shoulders. Christ, I could get used to views like that.
A low whistle beside me draws my attention. I glance over to find my best friend, Stylz Steele, eyeing me with one arched brow, a shit-eating grin plastered across his tanned features.
"Damn, brother," he drawls, clapping me on the shoulder. "Didn't realize you were finally embracing the whole social media game."
Immediately, my hackles rise at the implication. "The fuck are you talking about?"
Rather than answering, Stylz pulls out his phone and taps the screen a few times before angling it in my direction. I frown as I lean in, studying the shaky first-person footage that fills the display.
The camera bobs and weaves, offering an intimate view of the granite face looming before the lens. I instantly recognize the exposed headwall pitch on the Fang that I had just led the previous day. The view jerks upward, and a figure appears in the frame. It's me, captured mid-pitch in all my sweat-soaked glory.
"Pretty fuckin' badass footage." The sound of Stylz's voice finally cuts through the haze of confusion clouding my thoughts. “I might need your girl to tag along with me sometime.”
I tear my stare away from the screen, jaw clenched so tightly it throbs, looking up just in time to see Daisy approaching us again.
Her smile falters as she picks up on my thunderous expression. "What's going on?"
I shove Stylz's phone into her hands so she can see the footage for herself. "Care to explain this?"
Her eyes widen momentarily before understanding settles in. "Oh, that? Yeah, I posted some clips to build hype for the scholarship fund."
Anger surges through me. "After everything we talked about? After everything I told you?"
Daisy shakes her head vehemently. "No, Wyatt, it's not like that at all. I thought—"
"Save it." I cut her off with a curt wave of my hand. "I can't believe I actually thought you gave a damn about me."
"Wyatt, please..." Her voice drips with panic, but I'm too far gone to let it sway me now.
"You know what? Forget it." I turn on my heel and storm away, every muscle coiled with tension. "Have fun chasing those clicks or whatever the hell it is you do."
Her plaintive call follows me, but I don't slow my pace. I need to get the hell out of here before I say something I'll really regret.
The short hike back to my truck passes in a blur of seething rage. By the time I reach the trailhead, my hands are shaking with the force of my emotion. I hurl my pack onto the truck bed with more force than necessary, chest heaving.
I don't know what hurts more—the fact that she clearly never gave a shit about me, or the realization that I actually let myself fall for her act.
With a disgusted huff, I crank the engine to life and peel out of the parking area, eager to put distance between me and her camera.
****
I stomp into the Blackwood Mountain Rescue Station, jaw still clenched tight. My blood boils as I replay those damned videos Stylz showed me, Daisy's betrayal hitting me like an avalanche.
How could she be so goddamn careless with what matters most? After everything I'd opened up about, she still went and plastered my private passion all over the internet.
A commotion from the main room pulls me up short. I pause in the hallway, brows furrowing as young voices filter through—high-pitched and filled with excitement.
Curiosity getting the better of me, I round the corner to find none other than Garrett Blackwood himself holding court over a gaggle of starstruck kids. The big man has that trademark easy grin plastered across his tanned features as he regales them with some wild tale, no doubt involving a harrowing rescue mission.
