Page 66 of The Trouble with Love and Ink
“If you weren’t so locked in on being dramatic, you’d see that we’re almost there.”
We were nineteen rungs up. I looked back, and the ground seemed to waver. I couldn’t even see the faces of the people in the pool. Normally, heights didn’t frighten me. But if I slipped or if one of these rungs came loose, I’d shatter a leg on the rocks. Possibly worse.
Beck, who’d already made it over the top, peeked back down to see me clinging to a rung.
His expression turned serious. “You’ve almost got it. Just don’t look down.”
“Too late,” I said, but I managed to make my arms and legs move and finished the climb.
With sure hands, Beck ushered me away from the edge. “See. Not so bad. Right?”
“Now we only have to jump off this fucking cliff we just climbed,” I said, eyeing the rushing water warily.
“No,” Beck said, “we only have to sit and let the water push us off the cliff.”
“Oh great. That’s so much better, letting Mother Nature push me to my death.”
“Look,” Beck said, hands resting on my shoulders. “You might be able to climb back down the rungs if no one is coming, but I think slipping on the way down is more of a threat than sliding into a body of water.”
I paled.
“And this way will be infinitely more fun,” Beck said in an almost sing-song voice.
I gave him a face, ready to tell him that I’d meet him at the bottom, that I’d take my chances on the rungs. But then I remembered I was supposed to be trying on Hailey’s life. She wouldn’t think twice about a jump like this. She wouldn’t analyze it. She would jump. And seeing as I only had a limited time to enjoy this life Hailey had loaned me . . .
I walked over to the rushing water, heart in my throat.
“That’s it,” Beck encouraged. “I’ll be right after you.”
“Wait. You’re making me go first?”
“Yes. Definitely.”
“Why?”
“Because I know I’m going to make the jump. I’m afraid you are going to chicken out and get stuck up here.”
“That could be an option, though, right? Staying up here for the rest of my life. Living with the monkeys.”
Beck guided me by the elbow to where the water was a gentle stream. I sat down but couldn’t make myself move into the rougher water, to the part that would push me over the edge. “Emily,” Beck said, and I felt myself lock onto that voice, a deep calm in all the panic. “Sometimes you just have to jump and hope for the best.”
Before the fear could paralyze me, I took a steadying breath and then pushed myself into the rushing water.
I screamed as it carried me forward until I was hurdled over the cliff and free-fell toward the water. And somehow, the flip in my stomach turned my scream into a burbling laugh. At the last second, I tucked my limbs in for a safer plunge into the water, the rush of which was a shock of its own. As I emerged at the surface, the thought of Beck being greeted by the cold water had me laughing again.
And sure enough, as soon as I made it a safe distance away, I heard him hollering and laughing before the splash of water and a wave that propelled me forward.
“Jesus!” Beck gasped, joining me with a few strokes. “How is the water this cold?” He shivered.
I laughed, and the action made me sink into the water a bit. Beck grabbed my arm to help me until I could tread again. His hand’s touch was so warm compared to the water around us. While finding a good rhythm for treading, I accidentally sent my body into his, my bikini-clad chest colliding with his bare torso.
My skin seemed to electrify at the point of contact, the cells swarming and coming to life. Beck’s slippery, wet body against mine. It was too much. And the heaviness in his expression was confusing because he’d told me, just the night before, how he didn’t want to pursue this—me.
“Sorry,” I mumbled, then rushed to pull away and put distance between us.
“Why are you apologizing?” Beck said, jogging lightly to catch up to me. Because once my toes met the muddy bottom, I all but bolted to the edge of the pool. He grabbed my hand, and I turned to face him. Ready to get the conversation over with, to rip it off like a Band-Aid.
“I’m apologizing because I’m not trying to disrespect your boundaries,” I said, slipping my hand out of his. “Because you made yourself clear about how you feel about me.”
