“Err...” Henry squinted, trying to make out the people.
Dom chuckled beside him. “I’m kidding. I would never try and force you. But you can watch me from the safety of the ground. Okay?”
“How high is it again? And did you say there’s a zipwire at the end?” Henry studied the trees again, but they were too far away to make anything out. He didn’t fancy being tied to a rope and wobbling about up in the trees, but the zipwire... he’d always secretly fancied the idea of that, but his fear of heights stopped him.
“Come with me.” Dom tugged on his arm until Henry started walking again.
Their fingers brushed, and Henry took a chance entwining them. His heart raced and he held his breath for Dom’s reaction. It was a small thing, they weren’t even holding hands properly, but when Dom’s palm slid against his, gripping Henry tight, warmth filled his chest and he smiled to himself.
Yeah, doing this for the next week was an awesome idea.
Chapter 5
Dom led Henry down the path to the bottom of the hill towards the start of the aerial walkway, hands still clasped together. That had surprised him, pleasantly though. He hadn’t expected Henry to be so openly tactile.
You hardly know him,Dom reminded himself.
Something he could remedy over the next few days. He hadn’t come out that morning with the intention of asking Henry to spend the week together, but as they were walking and talking, it had suddenly made perfect sense.
They were both here on their own and if last night and this morning were anything to go by, they liked each other’s company. Why not spend the week together? It’d save a lot of awkward moments wondering whether to ask Henry to do things or not.
A week with great company and no expectations was exactly what Dom needed. And Henry too, judging by how quickly he’d agreed.
With a new spring in his step, Dom walked over to the gate in front of them. “This is where you start.” He pointed to the tree trunk that connected the ground to the first aerial base in the trees. It had a rope suspended above it, about waist height in an adult. “You hold on to that and use it to walk up the tree trunk to the first tree.”
“Hmm.” Henry eyed it like it was an unexploded bomb.
Tugging on his hand Dom led him along the path, pointing out the various stages. Squeals and laughter sounded up above them as children and adults alike made their way through the course.
“You’re attached to the overhead rope and you’re wearing a harness. You can’t fall off.”
“I know that,” Henry grumbled.
Dom nudged him playfully. “It’s totally fine that you don’t fancy it. Don’t stress.”
“Show me the zipwire bit.”
They walked through the trees with Dom pointing out the rest of the course until they came to the end part.
“Wow.” Henry looked up, shielding his eyes from the sun. “That looks high.”
From where they were stood, it really did.
They watched a couple of people step off the platform and whizz overhead along the zipwire, legs and arms flailing about.
“Fun, though,” Dom murmured, excitement building as he thought about doing it himself.
“They look like spiders from down here,” Henry mused, still looking up as a particularly gangly bloke passed overhead. “Big, black spiders.”
“That’s what I’ll look like too, then.”
Henry’s gaze snapped to his. “You definitely gonna do it?”
“Yeah, I think so. Probably book it for Friday afternoon, when it’s not so busy.”
And you might have gone home.
He didn’t say that though. No point wishing their time away. “Come on, I’m going to go book it at the sports place and you can see if there’s anything else you fancy doing.”
