Rafe and Hayes check the rope. It’s anchored to the roof through a series of knots I don’t understand. Rafe looks at me, his eyes warm and friendly
Reassuring.
Understanding.
“Are you ready, Kaye?”
I take a deep breath before responding.
“Yes.”
But the real answer is: No way in hell am I ready. I’m not like Carmen or Rosalie. They’re brave and fearless.
Carmen jumped on the end of a rope dangling from a helicopter, literally hanging onto Rafe for dear life as they flew over the rainforests of Nicaragua.
Fear didn’t stop her.
Rosalie, grew up in those same rainforests and she escaped through them by using the trees as her highway. She not only climbed through the trees, but swam down rapids and climbed down a waterfall.
They face their fears.
Me?
I run.
And there are two things I fear the most: heights and dangling from a rope as I glide from one roof to another.
I give a reassuring smile and thumbs up. Inside, I’m nauseous and sick to my stomach. There’s no way I can do this.
Rafe checks the tension in the line one more time while Hayes adjusts the harness they wrapped around me. Rafe comes over and double-checks Hayes’s work, then they both look to me.
“Remember,” Hayes says, “you don’t do anything. You can hold the rope that goes from your harness to the line, but don’t grab the line itself. You’ll injure yourself.”
“And if I flip upside down?” This is what I fear the most. What if I fall out of the harness while I’m a gazillion feet in the air?
“You’re not going to flip.” Rafe pats me on the back. “It’s like every other zip line. All you do is slide down and go for a ride.”
“I’ve never been on a zip line before.” I swallow the lump of fear congealing in the back of my throat. “Just tell me I’m going to be fine.”
“You’re going to be fine.” Hayes grabs the end of the short piece of rope that connects my harness to the line stretching between our roof and that of the building down the hill.
“Remember—” Rafe goes over things one more time. “Do not grab the rope overhead. You can hold this one here.” He places my hands where they will be about chest high once I’m on the line. “Close your eyes if that helps. Zeb will catch you on the other side.” He gives me a quick demo one more time on how to sit in the harness correctly.
And he’s right. All I have to do is sit.
“Okay.” My hands tremble and fear grabs hold of my heart. I can’t help but feel like I’m hurtling to my death.
“Are you ready?” Hayes cocks his head. “We’re going to help you to the edge of the roof.”
“No, but yes. Better now than never.” I force a smile; certain I look like a fool.
“Come on.” Rafe laughs. Not at me, but with me. “Take my hand. You’ve got this.”
I don’t believe him, but I place my hand in his. It’s nice. Warm. But feels nothing like when Zeb holds my hand.
Zeb’s hand fits. Rafe’s doesn’t.
They walk me to the edge of the roof. Rafe helps me to sit down on the edge. One peek over the side and it feels like the world spins beneath my feet.
Note to self: Do not look down!
I give myself a little pep talk. Like: You’ve got this, and It’ll be over before you know it, and Zeb wouldn’t have you do this if he didn’t think it was safe.
Of course, he and his teammates climb rock walls for fun. I don’t do that and am happy as a clam when my feet are on the ground right where they belong. None of this dangling-in-the-air stuff.
While Rafe holds me, Hayes clips the other end of the line to the rope stretching between the buildings.
I gulp and try to swallow that knot of fear lodged firmly in my throat.
“Now, just hold onto the rope with both hands.” Hayes shows me exactly where to put my hands and demonstrates how to keep a firm grip. “When you’re ready, scoot off the edge. Gravity will do the rest.”
“You realize you’re asking me to literally jump off a building.”
“Yeah,” Hayes grins, “but in a really cool way. Remember, people do this for fun.”
“And they’re all crazy.”
Rosalie and Carmen walk up behind me. They squat and give me a hug.
“You’ve got this,” Carmen says.
“Don’t look down and keep your eyes on Zeb,” Rosalie gives me one final pep talk. “Your Guardian is down there, waiting to catch you. Failing that, close your eyes, but whatever you do, don’t scream.”
“Why?”
“No one needs to look up and see you flying through the air.” She’s right, of course.
I take another deep breath before nodding. I turn toward Hayes for one last look of reassurance before leaning back.
“We’ll count from three to one.” Rafe places one hand on my hip, the other under my arm. Hayes kneels down on my other side and does the same.
“Now three, two…” I wait for one, but Rafe and Hayes lift me up and toss me into the air.
I bite back a scream, knowing I’m going to die, but then a sharp jerk stops my fall.
I’m moving.
Wind whistles through my hair, blowing it back, and swallows the tiny shriek I make.
I open my eyes, then promptly close them tight. I don’t want to remember any of this. The carabiner hisses as it slides down the rope. I glide through the air, toward Zeb, who waits for me on the other side, ready to catch me.
It feels like forever but is less than a few breaths when strong arms wrap around me and I come to a sudden stop with bone-jarring force. As soon as both of my feet are firmly planted on the roof, I open my eyes.
Zeb works to unclip me from the line. I step free, and he releases the anchor. The line slips over the roof, falling to the ground, where Rafe and Hayes gather it in.
I breathe a sigh of relief as my entire body shakes. When Zeb wraps his arms around me, his skin is warm. His muscles tense. The strength of his body makes me feel sheltered and safe.
“I never want to do that again.” I look up at him, trying to make light of that terrifying ride, and find his dark eyes glittering with admiration.
“It takes a brave person to do what you just did. Never doubt yourself.”
He releases me but holds my gaze for a moment longer. His smile turns into something else—something warm and tender that burns all the way through to my soul.
I’ll never forget this.
For the first time, I feel truly alive.
The cool evening air brushes against my skin as I stand on my toes and loop my arms around Zeb’s neck. His dark eyes twinkle and a small smile tugs at the corners of his lips.
“Admit it,” he says, “you secretly enjoyed that.”
“Never.”
He breathes out and the heat of his breath tickles my skin while sending shivers down my spine. He dips his head until our lips crash together, soft at first, but the kiss transforms from heated passion to a beautiful harmony where we’re perfectly in step.
As if we’ve done this a thousand times before.
He cups the back of my neck, controlling my head, and uses his hand on the small of my back to obliterate any space between us. Deepening our kiss, each flick of his tongue sends sparks of pleasure coursing through my body, and a delicious trickle of heat builds in my core.