“…Nearlyall our clothes off and jump off that cliff into the sea.”
She points to the cliff above us. It juts out menacingly, like it’s reminding me to check my will.
“Liam,” she says, making me laugh. “By doing this, you’re telling the world you’re ready for something new. This night has been like no other, and what if it was the last night of our lives? Would you want to remember it? I’ll let you wear the bracelet.”
I don’t know if it’s her wink, cheeky grin, or how I’ve spent the last eight months. If this were my last night, I’d want to do something I was proud of and not be remembered as I am now.
“Okay, and if I survive, I’ll go home.”
“And if I survive, I’ll follow my dreams.”
“You make it sound so easy.” At her full-lipped smile, I nod. “Let’s do it.” I barely finish my sentence before she undoes her dress.
If this is how I die, it will be worth it.
CHAPTER 6
Niki
I’m standing at the precipice of change. My vision is fuzzy, and I can’t remember how to move my legs. Our clothes are on the beach, and I’m quaking like a man who’s about to die. Bella squeezes my hand and stares at me.
“You’ve got this, Liam. I’m here with you.”
I gulp loudly.
Her body trembles, and I’m grateful the moon temporarily hides behind clouds, because I don’t want her to gape at the scars on my head.
“Tell me you’re scared,” I say. My heart rate shoots up as I struggle to form words in my dry mouth. “I need to know it’s not just me.”
“I’m thinking of all the ways I might die.” She chuckles as she glances over the edge. I stare into the inky black water with her. It’s so far away. It’s like we’re about to jump into the depths of hell. My stomach drops, and I squeeze my hands to stop them shaking. “I’ve faced massive women on the rugby pitch and not been this scared.”
My eyebrow lifts at the image as she says, “On the count of three—count with me.”
She holds out her hand, and I grasp it for something to hold on to. I haven’t forgotten my fear of germs, but as I’m about to jump to my death, the panic about getting ill temporarily subsides.
We step back for a run up. I want to gaze at this beautiful stranger in her black and turquoise underwear. I take it as a sign that she’s dressed in the colours of my racing team that maybe I was meant to meet her tonight. This could be the start of my journey home.
“One,” we say together, staring into each other’s eyes. Hers sparkle with possibility.
My face is numb, and I can’t decide if I’m going to vomit or faint.
“Two.” I’ve let someone touch me for the first time in nearly a year. I can do this.
“Three,” we squeal and run over the edge.
As we soar into the sky, we drop our hands, and I miss it instantly.
But I did it. I fucking did it. I faced my terrors and jumped.
The rush of pressure as I fall through the air reminds me of racing. I miss driving a car at dangerous speeds so fucking much. I want to race, but that means risking illness.
I flap my arms as if I’m trying to fly, and she does the same.
This right here is freedom.
She closes her eyes and squeezes her nose with her fingers. I manage the same as I hit the water.
The cold ocean swallows me. I fight against the way it pulls me down, using my arms to drag myself up, until I’m pushing through the surface with a gasp. Adrenaline races through me. I conquered a fear!
