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My Mountains, His Sea

My Mountains, His Sea

By:  Hazel LakeCompleted
Language: English
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Synopsis

Marriage

Cheating

Face Slapping

Bias

Mistress

Independence

Tragic Love

Melodramatic

I was always a step behind, while Ryan Walker, my childhood friend, and Claire Morgan, my best friend, were always in a rush. Whenever we ate together, they would finish before I was even halfway through. Then they would start talking about heading to the gaming lounge next door and leave me sitting alone in the restaurant. Once, while we were swimming, my leg cramped halfway across the pool. I called out for help, only to realize they had already gotten out and left. When it was time to submit our college applications, I had not even logged in when they submitted theirs and got up to leave. "Wendy, you take forever. I need to help Claire snag concert tickets, so we're leaving without you. "Claire and I both applied to Eastbridge University. Make sure you apply there too." As soon as Ryan finished speaking, Claire grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the door. They left in such a hurry that he never heard me say, "I'm not applying to Eastbridge University. "You won't ever have to wait for me again."

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Chapter 1

Chapter 1

I had always been a little slower than everyone else, no matter what I did.

By the time I submitted my college application, there was only one minute left before the deadline. After that, my decision would be final.

The thought of spending the next four years nearly 1,900 miles away from Ryan Walker made my heart ache.

Before I could shake off the sadness, my phone rang.

"Wendy Hayes, do you have any idea what time it is? You're still not ready?

"Jack set the get-together for six. Everyone's waiting on us. Can you hurry up?"

Ryan's voice was edged with impatience.

I jumped to my feet and ran for the door. In my haste, I scraped my leg against the chair, but I did not even stop to look.

Even after hurrying as fast as I could, all I saw when I reached the school entrance was their car disappearing down the road.

I stood there, stunned, until my phone rang again.

The call came from Ryan's number, but Claire Morgan was on the other end.

"Sorry, Wendy. Our ride got here, and the driver said he'd charge us extra if we kept him waiting. So Ryan and I went on ahead. Just call another ride, okay?"

My heart sank.

Again.

They always promised to wait, yet somehow they would leave a minute or two before I got there.

It had happened at the amusement park, and again when we went hiking.

Did a minute or two really matter that much?

I had no answer. Everything I wanted to say died in my throat, leaving behind a bitterness that refused to fade.

"Excuse me. Are you friends with that couple who just left?"

Still dazed, I turned as the security guard approached me.

He held out a photo booth print with nine shots on it.

The photos had been taken that very day. Ryan and Claire were in every one, posing close together and looking every bit like a couple.

As I stared at them, Ryan's words from the day before came rushing back.

"Wendy, haven't you always wanted to take photo booth pictures? I'll take some with you tomorrow after we submit our college applications."

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12 Chapters
Chapter 1
I had always been a little slower than everyone else, no matter what I did.By the time I submitted my college application, there was only one minute left before the deadline. After that, my decision would be final.The thought of spending the next four years nearly 1,900 miles away from Ryan Walker made my heart ache.Before I could shake off the sadness, my phone rang."Wendy Hayes, do you have any idea what time it is? You're still not ready?"Jack set the get-together for six. Everyone's waiting on us. Can you hurry up?"Ryan's voice was edged with impatience.I jumped to my feet and ran for the door. In my haste, I scraped my leg against the chair, but I did not even stop to look.Even after hurrying as fast as I could, all I saw when I reached the school entrance was their car disappearing down the road.I stood there, stunned, until my phone rang again.The call came from Ryan's number, but Claire Morgan was on the other end."Sorry, Wendy. Our ride got here, and the driver said
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Chapter 2
Ryan had never once offered to do something with me before, not in all of high school.I had been giddy all night. That morning, I had even followed a beauty influencer's makeup tutorial.Not only had he left me to submit my college application alone, but he had also taken someone else to do the very thing he'd promised to do with me.The hurt was so overwhelming that I could not get a single word out. I could only stand there, numb, while the security guard went on."Those two friends of yours are pretty impressive. They're both straight-A students."I heard they both applied to Eastbridge University. Guess dating hasn't hurt their grades one bit. They're both smart and good-looking. They really do make a great match."He paused and looked me up and down. "I never would've guessed someone as plain as you would be friends with them."A wave of humiliation hit me.I gave him a tight smile. "Yeah. Neither would I."With that, I left in a daze and took a rideshare to the hotel where the g
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Chapter 3
My face burned with embarrassment, and beneath the table, my hands curled into fists.Ryan must have noticed how uncomfortable I was, because he set his glass down with a sharp thud. "There's nothing to read into. The three of us are just friends.""Oh, just friends," Jack drawled.Claire hurriedly waved everyone off. "Come on, stop teasing us. My mom said I wasn't allowed to date until college."Her attempt to explain only made everyone more excited."Oh, so the only reason you two never got together was that Claire's mom was strict? Well, high school's over now. This is the perfect time to tell her how you feel!""Exactly! You're obviously into each other. Come on, Ryan. Don't chicken out!"More and more people joined in, but Ryan remained silent."Wendy, why do you look so upset about Ryan telling Claire how he feels?"My mind went blank.Before I could figure out how to respond, one of Claire's friends spoke up. "Ryan, a real friend wouldn't get upset if you started dating someone
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Chapter 4
Ryan noticed me staring blankly at my phone and nudged my arm. He sounded a little uneasy."The cell service outside school was terrible. I had to get the tickets one at a time."If you still want to go, I can buy you one from a reseller. You just won't be able to sit with me."Claire hurried to apologize as well. "Wendy, please don't be mad. You can have my ticket if you want to go.""No!" Ryan cut her off immediately. "You've been a fan of Mimi's for years. Why should you give up your ticket for her?"Then he shot me an annoyed look. "Wendy, don't be unreasonable."I had not said a word, yet somehow I was already the unreasonable one.My temper flared. "I wasn't planning to go anyway."I meant it.I had been a fan of Mimi's for ten years, but the concert was in Eastbridge the day before classes started. Southridge University was nearly 1,900 miles away. There was no way I could go to the concert and still make it to campus in time.But Ryan did not believe me. "I already told you I'd
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Chapter 5
Ryan spoke up beside me, sounding guilty. "Wendy, don't get the wrong idea."We didn't tell you because you're afraid of the water. We weren't trying to leave you out."We'll all be at Eastbridge University this fall anyway. Over winter break, I'll take you anywhere you want. It can be just the two of us, without Claire."I looked up at him.His eyes were bright, as though he truly believed in the future he was describing.The words I had been holding back rose to my lips. "Ryan, I'm not going to...""Ryan, have you seen our photo booth pictures? You didn't leave them with the security guard when you showed them to him, did you?"Claire's alarmed voice cut me off.Before I could take the photo strip out of my bag, she grabbed Ryan and hurried away with him.A few minutes later, Ryan texted me.Ryan: [Claire dragged me into the photo booth while we were waiting for you. I'll take some with you later, just the two of us.]Ryan: [It's getting late, so I called you a ride. Here's the licen
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Chapter 6
I did not block Ryan again.Still, by some unspoken agreement, neither of us contacted the other all summer. We simply continued on our separate trips.I hiked Mount Aurora through the night and watched the sunrise over a breathtaking sea of clouds.On the way down, my legs shook so badly that I could only inch forward, one careful step at a time. I must have looked like a snail.Maya Parker, a fellow hiker I had met by chance, never complained about my pace. Instead, she stayed with me and kept cheering me on."Wendy, you're amazing!"Your legs are shaking that badly, and you're still making your way down without any help. From now on, you're my hero!"Her praise made my face grow warm. "Why don't you go on ahead? I'm really slow. I don't want to hold you up or mess up the rest of your plans."Before Maya could answer, her older brother, Ethan Parker, smiled. "Don't worry. You're not holding us up."She probably wishes you'd go even slower. That way, she gets an excuse to rest."Maya
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Chapter 7
With Maya and Ethan by my side, I had a wonderful time climbing the remaining four mountains.Just as they had promised, neither of them rushed me once throughout all five climbs that summer.The moment I started to feel tired on the trail, they would immediately call for a break. "We're exhausted. Let's rest for a while."When it was time to order food, they were in no hurry either. They would study the menu, look up reviews of the dishes, and then discuss the options with me before deciding what to order.Once they noticed the eczema on my hands, neither of them mentioned it. They simply made sure none of the foods I needed to avoid ever appeared on our table.They were so thoughtful that even when photos of Ryan and Claire occasionally appeared on my Instagram feed, I no longer felt lonely.Whenever Claire sent me one of her usual bragging messages, I could simply ignore it.Even when Ryan occasionally posted little things he knew I would like, I felt nothing.Ryan: [One more gift f
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Chapter 8
Heat rushed to my face.Luckily, the boarding call came over the speakers just then. I managed a quick "Okay" and hurried away.Behind me, I heard Maya start playfully smacking Ethan again.By the time I got home, there was only one week left before college started.I spent the week buying everything I needed and catching up over meals with a few classmates who would be attending college in Eastbridge.When they heard I was going to Southridge University without Ryan and Claire, they were skeptical at first. Then they nodded emphatically."Wendy, I think keeping your distance from those two is a good idea."Ryan gives every girl the wrong idea, and Claire acts sweet and innocent while playing games. Being around them will only wear you down."I thought of how their constant disapproval had made me feel completely worthless.Smiling, I raised my glass. "Yeah. Things will only get better from here."After I said goodbye to my friends, the rest of the week flew by. Before I knew it, it wa
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Chapter 9
I had no idea what I'd said to set Ryan off.His face flushed as he shot to his feet. "At least you know your place!"With that, he stormed out and slammed the door behind him, leaving the suitcase of gifts behind.I looked at the remaining space in the suitcase and thought for a moment.Then I gathered every gift Ryan had given me over the years, including the rabbit charm I carried everywhere for comfort, and stuffed them all into the suitcase.It was so full that I could barely zip it shut.I told Mom to wait until Ryan called her the next day, then take the suitcase back to his house.Then I grabbed the luggage I'd already packed and left.I headed to the airport for my flight to Southridge.Once again, I made it just in time.But this time, no one was there urging me to hurry.The only message waiting for me was from Ethan.Ethan: [No need to rush. Just be careful. If you miss this flight, there's always another one. The university isn't going anywhere. Besides, Maya isn't even aw
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Chapter 10
At first, Ryan's plan worked exactly as he had hoped.When he arrived at school with Claire riding behind him on his bike, Wendy's smile faded by the tiniest fraction.No one else would have noticed, but Ryan could tell she was upset.They had grown up together. He knew her too well to miss it.Part of him was pleased to see her looking so down, though another part ached for her.So when Claire asked for his number that day, he did not give it to her right away. Instead, he turned to Wendy."Wendy, we've known each other forever. This girl wants my number. Do you think I should give it to her?"Wendy's face turned bright red, and Ryan felt a rush of satisfaction."Do whatever you want!"But instead of getting jealous and telling him not to, as he'd hoped, she turned and walked away in a huff.Ryan froze.Then he decided she was simply too shy to admit she cared. He would just have to keep making her jealous.So he exchanged numbers with Claire.As it turned out, Claire was in their cla
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