WYATT HAD COME HOME. I could barely breathe from the flutters of excitement overtaking every emotion. We spent the next day basically in my bed. Our bed. He was staying. Diana had made arrangements for Wyatt to work at a dog shelter in Tulsa until the terms of his parole were completed. He was staying with me. We were staying together.
Every moment felt like a new beginning. He was different. He felt different. Lighter. Younger. We ventured out to a movie theater. We had dinner at a restaurant. According to Wyatt, that night was technically our first date. And then a few days later, he took me dancing. I learned something new about Wyatt Carter. He was really good at dancing, all sweet and sexy as he guided me across the floor.
I loved spending time with him. And I loved him. I didn’t think it was possible to love him more than I had a year ago. But I did. I loved that Wyatt and I loved this Wyatt, the one who woke every morning with a giant smile spread across his lips.
And I loved walking outside of the little house, seeing the familiar silver and black bike parked in the driveway. It was funny. Every time I saw Priscilla, I thought about Mr. Hughes.
My old neighbor and I still exchanged letters. I had even mailed him a picture of me sitting right on the back of Priscilla. And in return, Mr. Hughes had sent a weathered photo of a familiar, younger man, sitting astride the very same motorcycle on the California coast.
Wyatt and I road everywhere together while the weather was still warm. We visited his family. And he finally met mine. My father gave him a leery stare at first, but he had a private talk with Wyatt, which seemed to settle his nerves. I didn’t know the words that transpired between them, and probably never would. However, the whole family eventually warmed up to the idea of Wyatt. How could they not? He loved me and would break every bone in his body before ever hurting me.
Everything seemed surreal as our future plans gradually came to light. Wyatt talked about all the ideas he had for us. For him. And I knew every one of those ideas tied back to something that provided redemption to his soul.
And then one afternoon, I came home from work and found Wyatt on the phone with Diana. His face was tight with emotion as he spoke to her. “I promise. I’m okay. I need to do this.”
He listened as she talked, nodding his head a few times. “Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
After they hung up, Wyatt came back into the living room. He wrapped his arms tight around me, clutching me against his chest.
“What’s wrong?”
He buried his nose into my hair, pressing his lips gently against my neck. “I called Diana.”
“I figured out that part.”
“I’ve been thinking about what I said to you last year. How I want to make this better. I told Diana that I would like to get a group together to talk to some of the high schools in the area. Like a panel thing. I . . . um . . . I’m going to tell my story.”
My thoughts spun back to all the times I had begged him to share his story, to share the piece that had twisted him up so tight. And now, he was willing to share that story with strangers in an effort to right his wrongs. I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Are you ready to do that yet?”
“I doubt that I will ever be ready.”
“I know,” I whispered.
He held me tighter, letting out a deep breath. “But I need to do it, whether I’m ready or not. And I won’t hold anything back or sugarcoat the truth. If it stops just one person, then it’s worth exploiting my sins to the world.”
My heart ached for him. I knew this was important to Wyatt. “You can do this.”
“Only because of you, Emma. You make me feel like I can do anything.”
We stayed cuddled up on the couch as Cye slept on the floor in front of us. Wyatt kissed the back of my neck and whispered, “There’s something else I want to do.”
“What?”
“I’ve been thinking about a contract you signed last year.”
“A contract?” I turned around in his arms, giving Wyatt a funny look.
“Something about Emma Sawyer jumping out of a plane with Wyatt Carter.”
My eyes got a little big. “Oh, that contract.”
“I’ve been looking into it. You can go or just watch.” He pressed his lips to mine, kissing me softly. “I was kidding about the contract.”
I shook my head. “No, I want to jump.”
“You sure?” His eyes teased me with the challenge.
“I signed the contract. I’m going.” My sister was right. It was just a matter of time before my stupid decisions would get me killed.
A few days later, I climbed on the back of Priscilla, wrapping my arms around Wyatt. We took off toward the sky-diving place outside of town. I loved riding with him, holding on tight with my body pressed snug against his shoulders, feeling my hair swirl around in the cool November air.
The training class lasted most of the morning. With each practice session, I questioned my sanity. But he seemed so alive, so excited like the bricks were falling off his shoulders with every smile.
Before we got on the plane, Wyatt pulled something from his pocket and handed it to me. I studied the little photo of three boys about twelve years old. They were sitting on a bench, in their football pads with the evening sunshine setting in the background. He had been just as cute at twelve as he was at twenty-three. And I knew without asking, the other two were Marcus and Trevor.
I handed Wyatt the photo back. He slipped it inside the pocket of his faded jeans before fastening the harness around his body. Suddenly, I understood why this was so important. He was jumping for them; a memorial to the three boys who no longer existed. My throat felt tight as I fought back the tears. I knew this would never truly be over for Wyatt, but somehow, he had finally learned to move forward and to live with it.
As we reached the final altitude, we watched the other couple in the class go first. And then it was our turn. We got close to the edge. The wind howled outside the door. My stomach flip-flopped at the prospect of launching myself out into the open air.
But somewhere inside, I got that feeling, the one that always filled my senses as I reached that pivotal point when running. The mind-blowing rush that transcended into a beautiful release. I knew without a shadow of a doubt, this would be fifty times greater. I got a little giddy and laughed. Turning to face Wyatt, our eyes locked in a burning stare full of excitement.
“I love you,” he yelled. I barely heard him over the sounds of the engines and blowing wind. He flashed a big smile, letting those dimples settle deep on the corners of his cheeks. “See you on the other side.”
Wyatt and the instructor jumped tandem out the door. I watched him fall through the open sky with that picture buried in his pocket. A deep rush of adrenaline shot through my skin, and I couldn’t wait to go with him. My instructor had us pause for a few moments, and then I jumped too.
As the air hit my face, the tingles went from my head to my toes. It was the most incredible feeling. I saw Wyatt’s parachute open below us. I smiled, seeing him float away in the breeze. He was finally free. And I knew in that moment, everything in our lives would be okay.