‹ Prequel: Freefall
Status: Complete
Plummet
06
When Embry pulled to a stop, I almost couldn’t get out of the car, my knees were shaking so bad. But wasn’t this the spontaneity I’d been craving? Besides, Embry was looking at me like he knew I wanted to back out, and like he’d never let me live it down.
That was all the push I needed to get out. When I did, he took my hand again and smiled. He led me to the cliff and I couldn’t help myself; I looked down.
It was a long, long drop.
I backed up involuntarily and he laughed. “Scared?”
“What? No.” Yes.
“Then go on,” he said. I looked up and saw that he was grinning like a fool.
“Fine. But… you aren’t going to jump first? And you’re absolutely sure this is safe?”
“I’ve done it loads of times,” he assured me. I took a step forward. Two steps.
“Then let’s do it together,” I suggested. He stepped up so that he was right to the edge of the cliff like I was and took my hand. I felt immediately safer.
“Three,” I whispered nervously.
“Two,” he continued.
“One,” we both said at once, and jumped.
It was exhilarating. It was a long enough drop that I had time to look over at Embry while we were falling. I could only imagine how I looked, with my hair streaming above me and what I was sure was a too-bright glint to my eyes. But he was looking at me like I was the most beautiful girl in the world.
I couldn’t say I minded it. Not one bit.
We hit the water and the current ripped our hands apart. I managed to keep above water and swim back to shore and I looked out over the water, searching for that mess of dark hair.
Where was he?
But then he came up, spluttering and looking around frantically. When he saw me, he swam over incredibly fast. I hadn’t known people could have that kind of strength in real life. When he reached me, he enveloped me in a bone-crushing hug. “I’m so sorry,” he murmured. “This was stupid.”
I pulled away from him and studied his face. He looked wretched. “You were afraid for me,” I whispered, shocked. “I know how to swim, you know.”
He looked pained. “But I-”
“Can we go again?” I asked, cutting him off. He studied me for several long seconds, then smiled the grin I was coming to love.
“Absolutely.”
“I’ll race you to the top,” I challenged, already sprinting up the hill.
“You don’t stand a chance,” he called as he passed me. When I got to the top, I was heaving and he was leaning back against a tree, looking for all the world like he was posing for a photo shoot. He hadn’t even broken a sweat. I rolled my eyes and tried to keep the heaving to a minimum.
That was all the push I needed to get out. When I did, he took my hand again and smiled. He led me to the cliff and I couldn’t help myself; I looked down.
It was a long, long drop.
I backed up involuntarily and he laughed. “Scared?”
“What? No.” Yes.
“Then go on,” he said. I looked up and saw that he was grinning like a fool.
“Fine. But… you aren’t going to jump first? And you’re absolutely sure this is safe?”
“I’ve done it loads of times,” he assured me. I took a step forward. Two steps.
“Then let’s do it together,” I suggested. He stepped up so that he was right to the edge of the cliff like I was and took my hand. I felt immediately safer.
“Three,” I whispered nervously.
“Two,” he continued.
“One,” we both said at once, and jumped.
It was exhilarating. It was a long enough drop that I had time to look over at Embry while we were falling. I could only imagine how I looked, with my hair streaming above me and what I was sure was a too-bright glint to my eyes. But he was looking at me like I was the most beautiful girl in the world.
I couldn’t say I minded it. Not one bit.
We hit the water and the current ripped our hands apart. I managed to keep above water and swim back to shore and I looked out over the water, searching for that mess of dark hair.
Where was he?
But then he came up, spluttering and looking around frantically. When he saw me, he swam over incredibly fast. I hadn’t known people could have that kind of strength in real life. When he reached me, he enveloped me in a bone-crushing hug. “I’m so sorry,” he murmured. “This was stupid.”
I pulled away from him and studied his face. He looked wretched. “You were afraid for me,” I whispered, shocked. “I know how to swim, you know.”
He looked pained. “But I-”
“Can we go again?” I asked, cutting him off. He studied me for several long seconds, then smiled the grin I was coming to love.
“Absolutely.”
“I’ll race you to the top,” I challenged, already sprinting up the hill.
“You don’t stand a chance,” he called as he passed me. When I got to the top, I was heaving and he was leaning back against a tree, looking for all the world like he was posing for a photo shoot. He hadn’t even broken a sweat. I rolled my eyes and tried to keep the heaving to a minimum.