His Innocent Sera novel Chapter 41

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It was her 18th birthday, but nobody here had a clue. Sera also kept the fact to herself.

She started her morning by opening the little box Dyson had given her before she set out for the trip. He had firmly instructed her not to open it until her birthday. Smiling, she lifted the lid only to discover a bracelet nestled inside. Warm tears moistened her eyes as she retrieved the piece from the box. He had been saving up his money for the last few weeks. Now she realised what it was for.

She wiped away a lone tear and excitedly draped the bracelet around her wrist. The bracelet might have cost little, but to her, it was priceless, much like the chocolate he’d given her when he was only four, its crumpled wrapper still tucked away with all his other cherished gifts. When no one would even remember her birthday, Dyson would surprise her every year with a gift. These gifts from Dyson were far more valuable than the ones Nate had gifted her.

Giovanni stepped into the low tent, his head bent to fit.

"Everyone is ready, are you?" he asked, appraising her.

"Yes," she said, standing up. She was ready, too. The girl followed him outside, not noticing she’d forgotten her phone in the tent.

Today was the last day of their trip, and they had decided to do a little bbq to conclude their excursion.

The duties were divided in two. The first group would cook, and the second would collect firewood from the forest. Sera and Giovanni were in the second group. They left to gather wood. Her phone was still in the tent, long forgotten.

They roamed around, searching for wood, but found little to gather.

"I think we'll find lots of firewood there," Giovanni pointed towards a treeline in the distance. Sera squinted to get a better look.

"It's too far," Sera said.

"It isn't. We'll make a quick trip, gather wood, and come back," Giovanni assured.

"I don't think we should." Sera wasn't convinced.

"Loosen up, Diaz. Live a little," Giovanni approached her, smirking. He stopped before her and added, "feel the air, chase some chaos, You are too bottled up." His eyes locked with hers, challenging her to tell him differently. She was living like a prisoner, and that was too evident.

She swallowed, her gaze wandering to the treeline marking the edge of her view. Maybe he was right. She had been so cautious of everything that life was passing her by. She had never done anything remotely thrilling in her life, never stepped out of the line, never stirred a chaos. And this was her last day.

And how would he know? He wasn't even here. The treeline was calling her to explore its vastness. Maybe she can gift herself a taste of freedom today. Her mind set, she looked over at Giovanni.