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"Less than one in a million."
"But there is a chance," I say through gritted teeth.
"You can jump whenever you're ready," Max calls. He and the other guy are right behind me, waiting for my signal so they can get me started.
I don't move, stuck to the edge of the platform, without the courage to go forward. I am so not ready. But sometimes getting unstuck means taking a jump even when you're not ready, so I do. I signal Max, raising my arms to the sides and leaning forward, gasping as my feet leave the platform. The fall is quick, a hole springing up in my stomach, getting bigger and bigger the lower I go. I hurtle toward the ground like it's nobody's business, and when the air is so cutting that my eyes water, I close them. That very second, I feel a pull around my waist, and I bounce back upward. Cold panic grips me, making my heart beat with lightning-quick speed. The up and down movement goes on for a while, and when I open my eyes, the world is upside-down. At first, I can’t make sense of anything. I try to hone in my eyes on a familiar point in the sea of unknown, but even trees and roads look foreign when viewed upside-down. Eventually, my eyes settle on the only unchanged point: the sun.
My heartbeat steadies as I use the sun as a point of reference and then slowly place everything else. Mental note for the future: when everything looks upside-down, it’s enough to find one point to ground myself. Then things become clearer.
As I am pulled up toward the platform, something much more dangerous replaces fear. Nausea. I close my hands over my mouth, tasting bile at the back of my throat, breathing in deeply as I'm being pulled up.
"You okay?" Max asks when I’m on the platform and he removes my gear.
"Yep, but I thought I’d throw up."
"Happens to some people," he admits.
"Well, thank God I wasn't one of them. Can't spoil my date." Realizing I'm completely out of the gear, I wink goodbye. "It was nice meeting you, thanks."
Five short minutes later, I’m on the ground, running straight into Damon's arms.
"This was fun." I grin as he pulls me into a hug. I lose myself in it, inhaling his scent, ruffling his hair as I peek at the jumping platform. It's not something I'd do again, but I discovered something interesting when my feet left that platform to plunge into nothingness. Something exquisite lies beyond fear: freedom. As Damon tightens the hug, I become certain of one thing: whatever happens, no matter how upside-down things look, I can count on him to ground me.
"Ready for the next part?" Damon murmurs in my ear.
"Absolutely."
"There's something I want to tell you first." The seriousness in his tone makes me stand up straighter.
"Okay."
"You remember Gabe?"
"Yes." A hollowness forms in my stomach, rising all the way up to my throat. "He's out of jail?"
"He got out a month ago."
"Did you run into him?"
"He sought me out."
"Why?" A hundred different reasons pop up in my mind, one less plausible than the other.
"He wants revenge on James and me for sending him to jail."
"His illegal behavior sent him there."
"Yeah, well, he needs someone to blame." Taking a deep breath, he reaches for my hand. "He threatened to hurt you."
"W-why?" I squeeze his hand tightly, my chest heaving restlessly.
"It's the easiest way to hurt me and James, because we both love you."
"That's why you met with James." It all makes sense now.
"Yes. The job was a pleasant side effect. I know Gabe's involved in drug dealing right now, and James and I are looking for some proof. He should be locked up for a long time if we succeed. In the meantime, I want you to be careful. If anything looks suspicious, I want to know, okay? Keep your eyes open, but don't worry too much."
"Okay."
