Dakota sat under the eaves, her gaze fixed on the path leading down the mountain. She clasped her hands tightly, feeling a hollow ache in her heart and a thin layer of cold sweat breaking out.
The rain had lessened somewhat.
But the sky remained gloomy.
Waiting was always torturous.
Especially since Curtis's phone was dead, making the worry even more palpable.
The agreed-upon two hours had passed.
Noe muttered softly, "Why isn't he back yet? Curtis usually has better stamina than this..."
This made Dakota even more anxious.
The rain stopped.
The clouds that had gathered over the mountain were parted by rays of sunshine, creating a mist that refracted into a rainbow when the sun shone through.
Dakota stood up, "I'm going up the mountain to look for him."
Jasiah and Noe also stood, ready to go with her.
But just as they were about to move, a tall figure appeared at the end of the walkway.
Curtis was still wearing the same outfit.
But he wasn't wearing his jacket, perhaps because it had become soaked in the rain and he had taken it off once it stopped, draping it over his arm.
Compared to his pre-climb demeanor, he looked more disheveled now, with wet hair plastered to his forehead, but his posture remained defiant and upright.
"Hey? Curtis!"
Noe was the first to spot Curtis, hurriedly grabbing Jasiah's arm beside him.
Dakota immediately looked up at the sound.
Sure enough, there he was—the man she'd worried about for over two hours—walking along the wooden pathway, a rainbow arching behind him.
In that moment, it felt like all the sunlight in the world was shining on him.
Dakota's heart, which had been clenched tight, felt like a sponge suddenly dried out by the sun, expanding and softening again.
She felt her heart open completely.
Not even caring that Noe and Jasiah were standing nearby, she ran straight toward Curtis.
Noe had been about to head toward Curtis too, but a blur of motion zipped past him like a cat, and Dakota leapt straight into Curtis's arms.
Noe: ?
Curtis clearly hadn't expected Dakota to jump into his arms.
He had been in the rain for hours, completely drenched, even though his jacket had some water resistance. His clothes were sticky and uncomfortable.
The moment Dakota threw herself into his arms,
he instinctively wrapped his arms around her waist but kept a gentlemanly distance. He looked down at her with a helpless smile, "I'm all dirty."
Dakota shook her head and stepped even closer.
She didn't care that Curtis was soaked or dirty; she didn't think he was dirty at all. Instead, she wrapped her arms tighter around his waist, burying her face in his chest.
Noe: "???"
"Wait, what—" Noe was completely confused, turning to Jasiah, not knowing what to make of the situation.
By now, most of the people had left the pavilion halfway up the mountain.
Most had headed down once the rain stopped, leaving the place quiet, adding to the atmosphere.
"Let Curtis explain later," Jasiah said, pulling Noe away.
"Let's go. Give them some space."
Noe: ????
"Space for what?"
"Wait, what's going on with them?"
"Did I miss something huge???"
"Isn't Dakota already with someone?"
"She's cheating!"
"She's cheating with Curtis!!"
"MMM—!"
Noe, completely bewildered, flailed in confusion, wanting to charge over and demand answers from the couple.
Jasiah had a massive headache.
He clamped a hand over Noe's mouth and dragged him away.
But Dakota wasn't paying attention to either of them. Right now, hidden marriages and keeping secrets from old friends didn't seem to matter.
She even took off her trench coat.
She draped it over both of their heads.
Curtis knew there was no pushing Dakota away. He gently cupped her face in his hands, leaning down with a soft, amused smile. "What's going on, Mrs. Pineda?"
Dakota's trench coat was long.
She had draped it over both their heads, the long fabric trailing down behind them, creating a private little world between them, full of a teasing intimacy.
It was as if they were about to do something secretive.
Something meant to be hidden from the world.
Dakota felt embarrassed. She wasn't usually this open with her feelings, and rushing into his arms had been completely impulsive.
She could feel how wet Curtis was.
For over two hours.
She had been watching the mountain peak the entire time, the clouds barely breaking. It wasn't until just before Curtis came down that the rain finally stopped. She couldn't imagine how long he had been climbing, soaked to the bone.
Dakota shook her head gently. "Curtis, it wasn't worth it."
"It was worth it." Curtis lifted her face in his hand. "Dakota, I hung your wish plaque."
Dakota felt her eyes begin to sting with tears.
In the dim light under the coat, Curtis noticed her emotions.
He gently cupped her face, his knuckles brushing lightly across her eyelids. "The plaque with your name—I hung it on the sacred tree for you."
Dakota choked back a sob as a single tear rolled down her cheek.
Curtis gently wiped the tear away. "You know, the weather was actually perfect today. The universe was never working against us, Kota."
"You're lying," Dakota mumbled softly, her voice catching. "It was pouring all day."
"I'm not lying, who would lie to you?"
Curtis smiled helplessly and coaxed her softly, "Didn't we all see it when we were eating the vegetarian pasta? There was light at the top of the mountain."
Dakota choked back tears suddenly.
She looked unusually cute, lifting her eyes, recalling the celestial sight they saw while eating the vegetarian pasta.
The sky over N Mountain was split, with one side stormy and the other side clear.
But they could still see the peak where a few rays of sunlight had split the clouds, revealing a small patch of clear sky.
"Really?" Dakota slowly lifted her eyes.
"Really." Curtis spoke firmly, "When I reached the summit, there was no rain. The rain didn't wash away your name when I hung the wish plaque."
"Kota."
"The mountain heard your wish. I saw a beam of light shining on Dakota's wish plaque."
A beam of light...
Shining on Dakota's wish plaque.
Dakota didn't know if sunlight had truly fallen on her wish plaque, but she knew that at this moment, Curtis was like a beam of light shining in her heart.
She lifted her eyes to look at the man before her.
His brows were slightly lowered, his appearance dazzling. Though he was someone who was usually so rebellious, he was willing to submit to her, climbing the mountain in the rain to make a wish for her.
Dakota's heart stirred.
She rose on her tiptoes and kissed him suddenly.
