“Oh my god, my baby!” Monroe cries, andTiberius lets out a low growl again.
“Monroe,” I say. “Shut up. Just shut up.”
“It’s okay, baby,” Monroe says, though her sob-choked voice isn’t convincing anyone, let aloneTiberius. “You’ll be okay. Just hold still for the nice man.”
Tiberius’s growl rises in pitch.
“Jason?” Emily’s voice comes over the radio. “Jason, are you okay? Geoff’s going to let you down.”
I can feel him letting out the rope, slowly lowering me. I manage to finagle one finger to the button on the radio without releasing my hold onTiberius. My hand and arm smart where he bit me, but I think I’ve got him now.
“Good,” I say over the radio.
All around me, Monroe, Destyny, and Kate simultaneously burst into tears.
“Do you want the others lowered as well?” Emily asks.
“No,” I tell her.Then, to the Not-Wives, I say, “Hey, we’re halfway, okay? Just keep walking. One foot behind the other.”
“Just keep walking!” Monroe shrieks, though she sounds hysterical, andTiberius twists his head, trying anew to escape from my grasp. I lock my elbow down around his body so hard I might be hurting him, but not as much as a fifty-foot drop.
“I’m afraid your dog will die!” Calista shouts.
“I’m afraid my dog will die!” Monroe answers, followed by shouts of “Me too!” from the other Not-Wives.
“I’m afraid I’ll never be happy again!” Genesis calls out.
“I’m afraidI’llnever be happy again,” Destyny responds. “I’m afraid that I’m past my prime, and no man will ever love me—”
“Me too!” Genesis shouts. “And . . . and I’m afraid that I’ve completely lost my best friend.” She says this in such a rush it’s practically all one word.
I’m passing them now as Geoff is lowering me, which is good, because I’m crunched up into a ball trying to keepTiberius from escaping. But I can still see the aghast look on Destyny’s face as she twists to look at Genesis.
“You are?” she asks.
Tears run down Genesis’s cheeks and plummet down the mountain. “I am,” Genesis admits.
“Me too!” Destyny says, and she scoots across Monroe’s ropes to try to get to Genesis.
“Don’t,” I say. Destyny takes a look at me and gets back into place.
“I thought we’d never be friends again!” she shouts instead.
“Me too!” Genesis says. “I cared about that more than losing Keith.”
“Oh my god, me too! But once you found out, I thought the damage was done.”
“The damage isneverdone!” Monroe calls, trying to re-exert her therapy role past herTiberius panic. “Forgive each other, ladies.Take your power back!”
Tiberius squirms his head up to look at her, and Monroe makes kissy faces down at him.Tiberius tenses in my arms, but he stops wiggling.
Thank god.
“What about you, Jason?” Monroe asks, and I think for a second she’s asking about my fears again. “Do you have my baby?”
“I do,” I say. “I was afraid I was going to drop him, but I’ve got him.”
“I’m afraid of the fallout from grabbing your ass!” Kate yells. “I’m sorry, Jason, I shouldn’t have done that.”
