Xander smirked back, “Surprise it is, then. It’s gonna be a little bit of a workout, though.” That didn’t ruin the surprise, but it was something she needed to be prepared for. After all, he wasn’t going to free climb the entire way with the food and her on his back. He’d actually thought about this a bit, and he was careful not to choose anything that would make her run away. But she was a broken bird, and he’d always had a soft spot for the disenfranchised. 

And there it was. He smiled now, softly and to himself. “Well that’s good. Biggest hurdle of the night, over with.” Because honestly, if she didn’t trust him, none of this would go the way he wanted. The broken bird was gonna learn how to fly tonight. As they pulled up to the large hill, he turned the car off, but left the lights on. If everything went right, they’d be at the top of the cliff to watch the sunrise before jumping off. “Right, c’mon. I gotta get you ready in your gear.”  He shot over his shoulder before going around to the trunk to get it all out.