He Abandoned Me On Snowy Mountain Chapter 01

He Abandoned Me On Snowy Mountain Chapter 01

The three of us went to Aspen for our honeymoon.

When we reached an altitude of twelve thousand feet, both Amber and I started coming down with severe altitude sickness.

My husband, completely naturally, passed the oxygen canister straight to her mouth.

Amber glared at him, trying to look fierce.

“Seriously? You’re failing Husband 101! Why aren’t you giving your wife oxygen first?”

Ethan laughed, teasing her. “She’s built like a tank. You think everyone’s as fragile as you?”

“Shut up! I’m perfectly fine. Keep talking and I’ll rip your head off!”

The two of them flirted and messed around in the front. Neither noticed my face growing paler by the second.

It wasn’t until the truck pulled into the rest stop in the Rockies that I covered my mouth and bolted for the restroom.

When I walked out after washing up, the Raptor was gone from its parking spot.

I froze for a few seconds, pulled out my phone, and dialed Ethan.

It finally went through on the seventh try.

“Your friend’s altitude sickness is too bad. She keeps throwing up.”

Ethan spoke incredibly fast.

“There’s not even a medical clinic at this rest stop. I have to get her down the mountain right now.”

“Just wait there for a bit, or Uber yourself down to the mountain lodge to meet us.”

I looked around at the snow-covered peaks.

A mountain pass over twelve thousand feet high. Aside from a few passing semi-trucks stopping for water, where the hell was I supposed to find an Uber?

“Ethan, you’re leaving me all alone at twelve thousand feet?”

Silence hung on the other end for a second.

“Amber is the one who set us up. Shouldn’t we treat her a little better?”

“Besides, she’s your best friend.”

“You’re being so dramatic. No wonder your parents got divorced and left you behind.”

Listening to his rapid-fire accusations, I didn’t even have the energy to argue.

Ever since Amber matched us up, my private life with Ethan had completely vanished.

If I wanted to go to a movie with Amber, Ethan insisted on tags along.

If I celebrated our anniversary with Ethan, Amber always happened to be at the table right next to us.

Even this time, Amber suddenly showed up at the rest stop acting weak, screaming that she needed to go down the mountain.

Without waiting for him to say anything else, I hung up.

I scrolled all the way to the bottom of my contacts and found a number I hadn’t dialed in two years.

My college classmate, Brooks.

“Hazel?” Brooks’s voice sounded surprised.

“Are you still guiding your off-road team out here in the Rockies?” I asked.

“I’m stuck at the rest stop. Can you come pick me up?”

Brooks didn’t hesitate. “Send your pins. I’ll be there in thirty minutes.”

…

After hanging up, I leaned against the freezing wall.

Cold air rushed down my collar and into my body.

Slowly, I lost all sensation in my limbs.

My phone screen lit up.

An iMessage from Ethan.

“Text me when you reach the lodge. Stop throwing a tantrum.”

Immediately after, another one popped up.

“Amber feels really guilty because of what you said earlier. Remember to comfort her when you get here.”

I stared at those two lines for a moment.

I didn’t reply.

With a light tap, I put his thread on Do Not Disturb.

Half an hour later, a heavy-duty Raptor tore to a stop in front of me.

The door swung open, and Brooks stepped down.

He wore a rugged shell jacket, his brows locked tight as he took in my blue, frozen lips.

“Get in.” He threw open the passenger door.

I climbed into the cab.

The blasting heater immediately enveloped my entire body.

My frozen fingers finally regained a bit of feeling.

Brooks handed me a hot cup of water and tossed a portable oxygen canister into my lap.

“Why are you out here alone? Where’s Ethan?”

Clutching the paper cup, I soaked in the warmth against my palms.

“He had an emergency. Left early.”

Brooks let out a cold laugh but didn’t press further.

“Where to?” He hit the gas.

“The mountain lodge,” I said. “My bags are still in his truck.”

The truck tore through the winding mountain roads.

Leaning back against the seat, I watched the scenery blur past the window.

Folk music drifted from the speakers.

My phone lay silently in my pocket.

No calls, not a single new message.

It was peaceful, honestly.

Ethan didn’t care at all if I could get a ride.

He was entirely certain I would just follow him obediently.

Just like countless times in the past, as long as he whistled, I would be waiting right where he left me.

But this time, he was dead wrong.

I wasn’t planning on waiting anymore.