Cleo smiled as she sat down on top of the rock. The steep trek up had revealed a gorgeous view. She looked around, listening to the wind around her.
"Finally, some quiet." She sighed. There was no one in the parking lot at the lookout, and she hadn't passed anyone on the way up. The huge festival downtown had kept everyone away from the trails that day.
Cleo took off her thin jacket, adjusting the tank top underneath. The sun was beating down on her. She pulled her brunette curls out of the tight ponytail they were in and sighed as she stretched. Having short legs didn't make for the easiest hikes.
She sat there for a few minutes, enjoying the peace. Even though Cleo lived alone, she rarely had silence due to the sounds of the city. Her nose wrinkled as she heard a car driving into the parking lot. She closed her eyes as she heard doors slam, and low voices.
Cleo's skin prickled as she felt a presence close to her. She opened her big brown eyes and turned to see her ex-boyfriend Tom smiling at her.
"Hi baby." Tom said. "Fancy seeing you here." Cleo didn't respond as she pulled her jacket back on. Tom sat next to her and wrapped his arm around her. He was so much bigger than her tiny frame, a trait she had once loved. Now, the one-foot height difference made her nervous.
"Please don't touch me." She said quietly, shrugging his arm off. "Where's your new girlfriend?"
"Megan was just a plaything. She's nothing compared to you babe." Tom cupped Cleo's cheek, forcing her to look at him. Her sad brown eyes met his mischievous blue ones.
"You broke up with me two months ago. I don't know why you're here." Cleo barely spoke above a whisper, her voice caked with hurt.
"I saw on your Instagram story that you were hiking today, and I thought Avery and I could join you and have some fun." Cleo's face paled.
"Please tell me you didn't bring him." She begged. Avery was always a creep towards her and had tried to coerce her into sleeping with him multiple times before she dated Tom.
As if on cue, Avery sat down beside Cleo. He was a tall blonde like Tom, with gleaming green eyes. She jumped up, backing away.
"Could both of you leave me alone please?" Cleo asked as she stood up. She grabbed her backpack and slung it over her shoulder.
"Damn, don't cover up that big ass." Avery sneered. Cleo flushed red as she started to walk back towards the trail.
"Cleo wait." Tom called after her. He ran to her side and grabbed her hand. "I'm sorry, he's just messing around. Why don't you sit with us for a bit? I promise he'll behave."
"I should be getting home." She said meekly.
"Back to that tiny apartment? What are you going to do there Cleo, read some silly book?" Tom sneered. "Why don't you have a little fun for once?" He pulled her close, pushing her backpack to the ground.