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Dickhead. “Skylenna…”
“I’m on it!” she hollers back. Pop! I throw my head back to cackle.
“We’re ready for you, Ruth!” Dessin shouts, adjusting his footing near the others.
I squeal, tapping my feet simultaneously on the ladder. Adrenaline, jittering anticipation, and youthful happiness flooding my veins. “Ahhh!” I screech, jumping forward, and latching onto the swing with success!
“Yeah!” I cheer, swinging my legs back and forth to get some momentum.
The stadium blurs into a smear of glowing red and charcoal black. I laugh again, kicking my legs around like a toddler.
“Promise you’ll catch me?” I screech.
“It’s certainly a possibility!” Niles shoots back.
“We’ll catch you! And I’ll smack Niles again when I have a free hand!” Skylenna promises.
“I’m not going to let you fall.” I can’t look down, but I know the texture of that low, rugged voice. His statement makes my toes curl. It’s enough to make me let go.
With a yelp like that of a small animal, I drop through the cool air, hair flying wildly around my face. And like the chicken coward I am, my eyes squeeze shut. Just as my stomach dips, taking a dive into my throat, a firm web of arms breaks my fall. Breath whooshes out of me as Niles groans dramatically.
“You didn’t break your legs!” Warrose whistles, helping me stand upright.
“There wasn’t an ounce of pizzazz in that performance, Ruthie! Watch the master take a whack at it.” Niles lets go of the leg he caught and struts up to the ladder.
“Anyone wanna have some fun with Asshole Niles for this round?” Dessin asks us with raised eyebrows.
We answer in yeps, mm-hms, and say more.
“That’s what I thought.” He smirks with menacing thoughts swirling behind his eyes. “When we catch him, everyone needs to make noise like he’s the heaviest fucking human you’ve ever encountered, then bend your knees to cushion his fall and collapse onto the stage.”
“So, catch him, then flatten like a house of cards.” Warrose grins, and I’m ogling his stunning face with a huge smile back. He blinks as his intense, fiery eyes cross paths with mine. And something about how he won’t break eye contact, how he holds my stare like he’s trying to figure something out, like he’s digging into the earth of my soul. Something about it drops into the pit of my stomach.
“Are you peasants ready for my godly descent to the mortal world?!” Niles spreads his arms wide at an invisible sun that’s shining down on his overinflated ego.
Regardless of his idiocy, Skylenna and I snigger.
“Oh, we’re ready,” Dessin mutters to just us.
I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen so much merriment on his face. He’s not exactly smiling. But that stain of a permanent scowl isn’t present either. The pronounced brooding that makes him so unapproachable is lessened. His features are somewhat lighter. And I’m sure it has to do with the fact that he keeps stealing glances at a tittering Skylenna, her cheeks bright red from sporting a constant grin.
“You got this, Niles! The worst that can happen is a broken neck!” Warrose taunts with a falsely supportive tone.
“And there’s certainly a possibility that we’ll catch you!” I mock.
We all sag forward and chortle obnoxiously.
“Ha, ha, ha!” Niles drops into a squat, positioning his arms outward, and leaps like a cute little frog. “Wheeeeeee!”
He sticks the landing, whooping breathlessly.
“If anyone gets wet or hard from having to touch my body, don’t be embarrassed! It’s totally normal!” Niles calls out.
“Pfft,” Skylenna chuffs.
Dessin closes his eyes to suppress an eye roll.
“He’s certainly confident,” Marilynn says, watching him swing back and forth over our heads.
