Defying Fate: The Unstoppable Eileen novel Chapter 88

Egbert rang back, sensing something off about the camp vibe.

"What's up?" he asked.

Eileen shot him a glance, but didn't answer. Burton and Elaine seemed to want to say something, but seeing Eileen's sour face, they swallowed their words and kept their heads down, packing their bags.

Ten minutes later, they started moving. Eileen was still leading the pack. They walked all morning.

By noon, they found a creek to rest by.

Eileen's anger towards Egbert from the morning had dissipated by lunchtime. While Elaine and Burton were busy preparing lunch, she walked over to Egbert with a blade of grass in hand and sat down next to him, "Hey."

Egbert glanced at her.

Eileen jerked her chin towards Elaine and Burton, "You knew them before, didn't you?"

Egbert nodded without hiding it, "In terms of family relations, I'm their elder."

Eileen scratched her face, "Why do they call me auntie then?"

Egbert was taken aback, then looked at her. Eileen raised an eyebrow, "Didn't you hear? Elaine has accidentally called me auntie a few times."

Egbert furrowed his brows, kept quiet for a moment, then said, "They might have made a mistake."

Eileen examined Egbert carefully.

At that moment, Elaine finished preparing lunch and called out, "Mr. Reed, Au... Eileen, come eat."

Eileen said to Egbert, "See, they did it again."

Egbert didn't respond. He stood up, extending a hand to help Eileen up. Eileen glared at him, refusing his help, and stood up on her own, walking towards Elaine.

Lunch was fruits and a soup made from leaves.

Burton, at 18, was still growing. This little food could hardly fill his stomach. After eating, he fetched a pot of creek water to stave off his hunger.

Eileen wasn't full either. Ever since they entered the rainforest, she was constantly hungry. But she learned to cope. Back in the Lopez family, she often came home late from school to find no food, she got used to the hunger after enduring it so many times.

"Here's water." Elaine handed Eileen some water.

Eileen took the water bottle and had a sip.

Looking at Elaine, she was still curious, "Is it a custom where you come from? To call me auntie?"

Elaine's eyes lit up. She was nervous all day because she couldn't answer Eileen's question that morning. She didn't expect Eileen to come up with this explanation after pondering on it all day!

She quickly responded, "Yes, yes, that's how we address older female relatives!"

Eileen frowned, "How strange."

Elaine awkwardly responded, "It's just a custom."

Eileen stared at her for a moment, then suddenly stood up. Elaine thought that since she had a valid reason now, she grew bolder and asked aloud, "Auntie, where are you going?"

Egbert, resting under a tree, and Burton, fetching water by the creek, both looked over.

Eileen, holding her pocket knife, didn't look back and said, "Wait for me here."

When Eileen left, Burton immediately ran over and asked Elaine, "What was that about just now..."

Elaine explained what happened. After hearing it, Burton scratched his head and muttered, "She seems a bit slow."