CHAPTER :17

The trip

After going home they both went straight to there beds Dee reply back to stapes .

~ "don't worry I got this . It doesn't matter how much trouble I will face for my father for king I got this . I also wanna know more about Rayyan and lab".

After texting she sleep .

At morning Dee woke up by Rayyan voice "it's morning Dee wake up" .

She get up and see Rayyan holding breakfast . "Thanks" she says . She wash up and eat the breakfast.

Rayyan look different. *What happened" Dee ask. "Nothing some office work . I'm tired Dee . It's to much for me" Rayyan says dramatically.

"Oh..why don't you ask someone to handle it". Dee says . "I can't . I already send my trusted people's for that shitty lab experiment. I wanted that to stop". Rayyan says . "O...then how about I help you with your office work" Dee says .

"Can you?" Rayyan ask . "Yeah how about this I will come to your office and help you after I finish telling my professor at university that I'm busy and I won't goes there" Dee says .

"That's great". Rayyan says and hug her .

*Dee about the question_" Rayyan suddenly remember the past .

"It's okay forget then I won't ask you anything. Just don't ask me anything. Let past lie there" Dee says and get up.

"I'm going to the University" she says and walk outside.

After some hours Dee came to Rayyan company she walk straight to his office .

Manager tried to stop her but Rayyan came and take her in .

---

Rayyan's office still looked as though an over-caffeinated octopus had tried its hand at bookkeeping, but Dee had made progress—colour-coded folders on the left, stapler safely quarantined on the right. She was scribbling a note when Rayyan appeared behind her, peering over her shoulder.

"Neat handwriting," he remarked. "Almost criminally neat. Are you sure you're not forging evidence?"

Dee tapped her pen against her chin. "If I were, I'd use your signature. Nobody would suspect a thing—illegible scribbles are your brand."

He laughed, stealing her highlighter. "Admit it, you'd miss me if I suddenly became organised."

"I'd throw a parade," she said, grabbing the highlighter back. Their fingers brushed; she pretended not to feel the jolt. "Confetti, fireworks, the works."

"Confetti?" He leaned in, conspiratorial. "I thought you hated mess."

"Your mess," she corrected. "Confetti is festive. Your desk is a public menace."

Rayyan opened his mouth for a retort, but the ringtone on his phone—an embarrassingly peppy pop song—blared through the room. Dee lifted an eyebrow.

"I'm judging you for that playlist."

"It was on shuffle," he said, cheeks faintly pink. "Besides, you dance to worse when you think no one's looking."

She swatted him with a file. "Stop spying on me, stalker."

"Stop being adorable, distraction."

She rolled her eyes, though her cheeks warmed at the word.

---

Two days later they set off for the forest, and the teasing began before they'd even left the driveway. Dee insisted on navigating; Rayyan insisted her phone's GPS mispronounced every place-name on purpose. They spent forty minutes arguing whether to take the scenic route ("Scenic means longer, Rayyan!") until a pothole jarred them both into laughter so hard the argument evaporated.

By the time they pulled into the clearing, dusk was painting gold across the pond. Dee stepped out first, inhaling pine-sweet air, then shot him a sceptical look.

"Where are the blood-thirsty mosquitoes you promised? I brought industrial-strength repellent."

"Maybe they heard you were coming and fled," he said, yanking the tent bag from the trunk. "Even bugs respect a ruthless queen."

"Flattery won't save you when you start whining about your back," she warned, snatching the instructions.

"How hard can it be?" He tried to snap two poles together; they sprang apart and smacked his shin. "Ow! They're possessed."

She burst out laughing. "Hand them over, Bear Grylls."

He grumbled but obeyed. She assembled the frame with nimble efficiency, narrating each step in a mock-documentary voice: "Observe the wild Rayyan, incapable of basic survival tasks, yet strangely confident."

"I resent that," he said, wrestling the rain-fly into place. It slapped him across the face like a damp flag. "And I revoke your documentary rights."

"Too late," she teased. "I'm pitching it to Netflix: Clueless in the Wild."

"Starring you as the snarky narrator? Dream big, Deirdre."

She froze, surprised he remembered the full version of her name. He winked, and for a second the air thickened—until a squirrel scurried over her boot. She shrieked, leaping behind him.

"Ah, yes," Rayyan said, deadpan. "Fearless narrator."

"Shut up and defend me!"

He waved his arms theatrically. "Be gone, mighty beast!" The squirrel chattered, unimpressed, then bounded away. Rayyan turned, smug. "See? Protector."

"I'm never living this down, am I?"

"Not a chance."

---

Later, they perched on a log while embers glowed ruby and orange. Dee roasted a marshmallow to perfect caramel; Rayyan incinerated his, holding up the charred lump with pride.

"Blackened for extra flavour."

"That is not a culinary method," she snorted.

"Sure it is—'artisan charcoal.'"

"Next you'll bottle smoke and call it gourmet."

He leaned closer, eyes glinting. "If I did, you'd be my first customer."

She pretended outrage, then nudged him with her shoulder, almost knocking him off the log. He caught his balance, but not before his hand landed over hers. The touch lingered. Heat from the fire? Maybe. Heat from something else? Definitely.

She cleared her throat. "You still owe me a pond swim."

He glanced at the dark ripple beyond the trees. "Tell you what—if you manage not to scream this time, I'll jump first."

"I never scream." She stood, dusting off her jeans. "I make dignified noises of surprise."

"That 'dignified noise' last time shattered the peace treaty with the squirrels."

"Keep talking and I'll push you in fully clothed."

He stalked ahead, unbuttoning his flannel. "You wouldn't dare."

"Watch me."

They reached the water's edge; moonlight draped silver sheets across the surface. Rayyan dipped a toe and hissed. "Glacier temperature. Perfect."

"Cold therapy is fashionable," she quipped, peeling off her socks. "Hashtag wellness."

By the time she reached the edge of the clearing near the water, Rayyan was already pulling off his shirt.

And that's when Dee's brain stopped functioning for a full three seconds.

His back muscles flexed as he tossed the shirt aside casually. The warm glow of the sunset still lingered in the air, casting golden shadows along the curve of his shoulders, his arms, the way his abs moved slightly as he breathed.

Her mouth went a little dry.

Rayyan stepped into the water, completely unaware of the mini heart attack happening behind him.

Dee crossed her arms and muttered to herself, "This man has no business looking that good in the wilderness."

Rayyan dip in water punching the breath from his lungs. They surfaced together, sputtering and laughing, hair plastered to their faces.

"Told you—ice bath," he teased.

She flicked water at him. "Confession: this was my plan to shut you up."

He splashed back, closing the distance. "And how's that working?"

They treaded water, noses inches apart, breath turning to mist. For a second neither spoke. Then Dee ducked under, grabbed his ankle, and yanked. Rayyan yelped and went under, emerging with his laugh echoing across the pond.

---

Wrapped in towels, they sat back at the fire, steam curling from their hair. Rayyan draped his jacket over her shoulders without comment; she kept it, pretending not to notice how it smelled faintly of cedar and whatever cologne he always forgot to name.

"I added something to my bucket list tonight," she murmured.

"Oh?" He tilted his head.

"Win the bickering championship."

He laughed softly. "Fair warning: I'm undefeated."

"We'll see." She yawned, then leaned against his arm—not quite an embrace, not quite innocent. "But even if I lose, the view's worth it."

He looked down at her, firelit eyes half-lidded with sleep, and thought the same thing.

---

Later That Night…

As the night deepened, the cool forest air crept into the tent, and silence settled between them. Despite the earlier closeness, Dee subtly shifted to the far edge of her sleeping bag, rolling away under the excuse of needing "space."

Rayyan noticed but said nothing. He just smiled to himself in the dark. Of course she pulled away. That's what she did—right before she let her walls fall just a little more.

"Still not snoring," he mumbled, trying to lighten the mood.

"I'm monitoring," Dee whispered from her cocoon of blankets.

They both fell asleep that way—him facing her back, her stubbornly holding distance, their breaths steady but synced. Somewhere in the night, the lines between them blurred.

---

The Next Morning

A soft chirp of birds. The golden light of early sun peeking through the tent flap.

Rayyan stirred, eyes fluttering open… only to freeze.

Dee.

She was practically on top of him. Her arm sprawled across his chest, her leg hooked lazily over his, her face nestled near the crook of his neck. Her breath was warm against his skin, and her hair tickled his jaw like silk.

Rayyan didn't dare move.

His heart, normally so steady, was now racing like they were in another kind of race—one he was definitely losing. He glanced down slowly. Her lips, just inches from his collarbone. Her fingers curled slightly against his shirt like she was holding onto him even in her sleep.

God, he thought. She's going to kill me like this.

He took a breath, trying to burn this moment into memory, because it felt like something rare. Something fragile. He couldn't help but smile, even as he closed his eyes quickly—pretending to sleep the moment he felt her stir.

---

Dee blinked her eyes open… and nearly died.

Oh no. Oh no. Oh no.

Her cheek was resting on Rayyan's chest. Her leg was draped over his like she owned him. Her hand—why was her hand there?

For a second, she panicked. Maybe if she moved very slowly, she could untangle herself without waking him up—

Before she could even twitch, Rayyan's arm curled around her waist and pulled her even closer.

"Don't move," he whispered, eyes still closed.

Dee froze. "You're awake?!"

"Barely." His voice was husky, heavy with sleep. "And I'm having a really nice dream. Please don't ruin it."

She tried to wiggle away, but he tightened his grip, holding her against him like she belonged there.

"You're such a drama queen," she whispered, flustered.

"And you're surprisingly cuddly for someone who threatens me with marshmallows," he murmured, a smile tugging at his lips.

She let out a breath. "This is weird."

"This is perfect."

Dee rested her forehead against his shoulder, torn between laughing and melting. "You're enjoying this way too much."

"I woke up to the prettiest sight in the world. Let me have my moment."

She rolled her eyes, but her cheeks were pink and warm. "Rayyan…"

"Hmm?"

"I'm still not kissing you."

"Not yet," he said with a smirk. "But I'm patient."

"Smug jerk."

"Admit it," he whispered. "You like waking up like this."

She didn't respond right away.

Because the truth was... she did.

The tent was warm, the morning air crisp, and for once in her complicated, walled-up life, Dee felt something terrifyingly close to happiness. Not the kind that explodes like fireworks—but the quiet kind that sneaks in, slow and dangerous, like a sunrise you didn't expect.

They stayed like that for a few minutes more. No racing. No lies. Just breath, skin, and two people finally letting their guards fall untill Rayyan speak again .

"Hmm . Tell you the truth … you move a lot in your sleep," he mumbled, eyes still closed.

Dee tried to pull away, but he gently tightened his hold.

"Rayyan…" she whispered. "It's time for breakfast. Free me."

"Just a few more seconds," he murmured, his voice husky and warm. "This is comfortable."

"Comfortable? I'm not a pillow, you idiot."

"You kind of are," he muttered, nuzzling closer. "A grumpy one, but still soft."

Dee's heart did a full somersault, but she forced a dramatic sigh. "Fine. You have five seconds before I bite you."

"Worth it."

Eventually, they untangled, got out of the tent, and began prepping a messy but cheerful breakfast together. Dee chopped vegetables while Rayyan tried (and failed) to flip an omelet without it turning into scrambled eggs.

As they sat down to eat, Dee suddenly paused.

"Wait... it's been days since Ayat called," she said, frowning.

Rayyan raised an eyebrow. "Seriously?"

"Yeah. And we didn't even tell her we came here." Dee grabbed her phone. "She must be wondering where I am."

"Or she's enjoying the silence."

Dee shot him a glare as she dialed Ayat's number. It rang... and rang... until voicemail beeped.

"She's not picking up," Dee said, biting her lip. "That's not like her."

Rayyan shrugged, chewing on toast. "Maybe she's busy? She's got her own secret life now too, remember? Underground powers and all."

Dee wasn't satisfied. "Still... it's weird. I'll try again later."

---

Later That Afternoon...

After lunch, Rayyan stood up, stretching with a smirk. "Alright, hiker girl. Ready to conquer the wild?"

Dee jumped up enthusiastically. "Heck yes! This forest isn't ready for me."

"Please don't scare the animals."

With high spirits and fake confidence, Dee marched ahead like an explorer in a commercial. "I feel alive! Look at me, thriving in nature!"

Rayyan chuckled. "It's been ten minutes."

But by the time the sun was high and the trail got steeper, Dee slowed down dramatically. Sweat trickled down her back, and her legs felt like jelly.

"I'm not alive anymore," she panted. "I'm very much dying."

"Told you not to wear those cute boots," Rayyan said, not even breaking a sweat.

"They were stylish and I stand by them," Dee mumbled, before collapsing under a shady tree. "Okay. Break time. Possibly forever."

Rayyan sat beside her, pulling an apple from his bag. With casual skill, he peeled it with his pocket knife and handed her slices one by one.

"Here. Recharge."

Dee took a bite, fanning herself with one hand. "You know... if you weren't such a pain most of the time, I'd think you're sweet."

Rayyan smiled. "Don't fall in love with me, Dee. I'm trouble."

"Ugh, you're lucky I'm too tired to throw this apple at you."

They sat in the shade, Dee resting her head back against the tree. Slowly, almost without realizing it, her head tilted and landed softly on Rayyan's shoulder.

He stiffened for a second—then smiled.

"I knew you'd fall for my shoulder eventually," he whispered.

"Shut up," she muttered sleepily, but didn't move away.

---

Evening Approaches…

The sky began to shift, the blue slowly giving way to warmer hues.

Rayyan nudged Dee gently. "Hey... it's getting late. Let's head back."

But she sat up, blinking at the sky. "Wait. I want to see the sunset."

Rayyan glanced up the trail. "It's a bit of a hike to the best spot."

"I don't care. I want to see it."

She started walking, full of stubborn energy. But five minutes in, her legs gave up again.

"I regret everything," she whined. "Carry me."

Rayyan laughed. "Seriously?"

"Dead serious."

Without another word, he crouched in front of her. "Hop on."

Dee blinked. "You're really going to—"

"Before I change my mind, Catherine."

She grinned and jumped onto his back. "If you drop me, I'm haunting you."

"You already haunt me."

He carried her up the trail, her arms around his neck, her cheek resting lightly against his back.

"You know," she said softly, "you're kinda strong."

"And you're kinda light."

"You trying to flirt?"

"I don't need to try."

She rolled her eyes with a smile, hiding her face in his shoulder again.

---

At the Top...

They finally reached a wide open space, where the trees opened up to reveal a sky set on fire. The clouds were streaked with orange, pink, and gold. The sun hadn't fully set yet, but its glow bathed everything in magic.

Dee slipped off his back, staring in awe. "It's... wow."

"Yeah," Rayyan murmured, but he was watching her again, not the sky.

They sat down side by side on a flat rock, silence settling over them.

The wind ruffled Dee's hair, and Rayyan gently tucked a strand behind her ear. His fingers brushed her skin, and for a second, neither of them breathed.

"You know," he said, "this feels like a memory I don't want to end."

Dee looked at him, her voice soft. "Me too."

They sat in stillness, watching the sky turn gold to pink to deep purple—two people who never planned to fall into something this real.

But here they were.

They were absorbed in that moment suddenly Dee phone ring Inspector Kang at this moment .

What does he need . Rayyan seeing the callee ID get angry .

"Don't pick up and ruin the moment" Dee wanna know but Rayyan stare at her .

"Okay I won't" Dee says.

Dee felt bad . She knows that it's bad using someone bit she's feeling happy with Rayyan his words his embrace everything about him seems touching and she hates that she love it to much . She shouldn't be like this .

She pull herself. I will be right back she says and walk away from Rayyan . Rayyan sit there "I'm waiting!" He shouts ..

Dee hear him but she walk away .

"I shouldn't be like this Dee it's fake remember. You have to find king . You have to help him . He's lying to you . He's using you . He's going to break you . Don't be stupid" see says to herself.

Tears start falling from her eyes she couldn't hold it back . She hear her phone rings again.

It's Ayat . She lying to Ayat is lying to they both are betraying her. They both are staying on her back .

Suddenly asoem messages pop up on the lock screen. Dee thought it will be stape but it was Duke .

"I never thought that you would be to busy to forget your friend . Ayat is here with me . It's been days . I thought about contacting you at first but then I thought that you will do it . I have been waiting for your call . Well, whatever. I have abducted Ayat".

Another text pop up .

"Don't tell Rayyan about this I may hurt her more".

"I will send you the location it's not Ayat that I want it's you so show up at that time I will text you again".

Wait what Ayat is kidnap . How could Duke will do that . What's happening.

I have to go now I have to tell Rayyan but no why would I tell him .

She text stape "I have a favour".