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Was that it? It had been so quick, and she nearly demanded that they go on it again. Within seconds, the instructor grabbed her rope and dragged her to the end of the line, where Chris waited patiently. Her cheeks, cold from the wind, were suddenly burning. Chris grinned so wide at her that his dimples were the deepest she’d ever seen.
As the new instructor undid her clips and ropes, she and Chris stared at each other. Lucie’s face displayed the same grin. Thrills of excitement covered her skin.
“You can go,” the instructor said as soon as he’d finished, and she ran into Chris’s arms. They jumped up and down and cheered together. It was a messy embrace with neither remaining still due to the adrenaline and excitement.
“You’re incredible, Lucie. I’m so proud of you,” Chris shouted.
“I was the exception,” she replied and hugged him harder.
Chapter Twenty-Six
“I can’t believe we did it!” Lucie shouted, throwing her head back.
They sat on the edge of the beach, tucking into the snacks Chris brought as a birthday treat. High above them, legs waggled, and strangers screamed as they took their turn on the zip wire that Lucie and Chris had enjoyed hours earlier.
Each time someone zipped down, a hint of the rush she’d experienced tickled her belly. Finally, she’d conquered her fears and taken the jump.
“You’re amazing, Lucie,” Chris said, his dimples showing as he stared at her.
Lucie shrugged as she bit into her apple, but she couldn’t hide her joy, and a grin covered her lips as she crunched through the usually tart-tasting Braeburn. It tasted sweeter than she remembered. Everything was different. Was it due to conquering the zip wire or because she’d admitted her anxiety attack and got through it? Or was it Chris? Maybe it was because she wasn’t scared of everything anymore.
The teenagers from the first day walked past, joking and shoving each other.
“Thank you for shouting hello earlier. It made me smile so much,” she called out to them.
“That was you on the zip wire? Oh my god, you looked so cool,” the oldest girl replied.
“Thanks,” Lucie replied, wiping her apple juice–covered hands on her shorts. “It was a lot of fun.”
“Were you scared?” one of the guys asked.
“A little,” she said with a shrug. “I was petrified before I went on, but then when I was in the sky, it was incredible. You should totally do it.”
“I couldn’t. What if I fell off or vomited?” one of the guys said, and his friends nudged him and laughed.
“What if you never do it, and then you regret it forever?” she replied. “I wouldn’t have done it without Chris.” She was surprised at the intensity with which Chris stared at her. Hairs rose on the back of her neck, and she fought the temptation to hold his hand. As if reading her mind, Chris held out his hand, and she took it.
“Maybe I should do it,” the youngest lad piped up. The group turned to him with their mouths open. He was the one they’d been burying in the sand on Friday. Had they presumed he wasn’t confident enough to make the jump? “If someone came with me.”
“I will,” one of the girls said. “Let’s go before we chicken out.”
They headed off quickly before shouting their goodbyes and thank yous.
Lucie and Chris waved their goodbyes as they ate the last bites of their apples to the background noise of birds and lapping water. A comfortable silence descended between Lucie and Chris as they ate through the snack bars, sandwiches, and crisps that Chris brought.
It was tricky to eat and keep holding hands, but they didn’t break them.
“What was scarier, telling me about your anxiety attack or the zip wire?” Chris asked, scooting closer.
Lucie smiled. “I can think of something scarier.”
“Yeah?”
Lucie couldn’t look at him. She needed to ask the question before she chickened out. “Do you want to meet up again after this weekend?”
He stared at her. “Yeah, I really do. That was one of the reasons why I wanted to learn about your attacks. I want to see you again and make sure I don’t do anything to make themworse,” he said slowly. She did look at him then, out of the corner of her eye. He turned to the water, and their thighs touched as she stared into the water too.
“When do you start uni?” she asked.
