dash

“What part of our history together makes you think I’m letting your crazy ass push me out of a fucking plane?”

“Baby, don’t be so ridiculous,” I sigh as I step out and take a stop beside her. “I don’t have enough certification to push you out. I already asked.”

“Are you crazy?” she shrieks as I shield myself from her flailing arms, unable to contain the loud laugh from leaving my chest.

“I’m just fucking with you. Calm the hell down,” I beam back at her as she slows her attack. “Come here, psycho,” I chuckle, pulling her close and kissing her forehead. “Do you really think I’d ask you to go skydiving?”

“I don’t know. Maybe?” she sighs, as she smooths her hands over my chest, her eyes moving back to mine. “Baby, I love you like crazy, but you’re so dumb sometimes.”

“There’s my precious little angel,” I smirk, shaking my head as I take her in. “You know, when you say sweet things like that it really makes pushing you out of a plane sound a lot more fun.”

“Oh, eat me,” she rolls her eyes, smacking me when I release a low groan against her neck.

“Shut up,” I whisper, kissing her skin. “I wouldn’t ask you to do that and even if I did, it’s not like I could make you. Wouldn’t even try.”

“Alright,” she releases a breath of relief, glancing over her shoulder. “But if we aren’t skydiving, why are we here?”

“Well, my idea was to surprise you with the option of skydiving. I have you signed up for the class if you’re interested, which was the reason for the rush,” I admit with a shrug. “Anyway, I know it’s crazy and spontaneous, but between the week we’ve had and what you said the other night, I just thought crazy and spontaneous might be a fun way to spend our last day together before you gotta go back,” I sigh. “But I mean, you’re right, it really was a pretty fuckin’ stupid idea. If you won’t even let me stick it in your ass, I should’ve known you weren’t gonna let me throw you out of a plane.”

evie

My deadpan expression pulls the loud laugh from his chest, vibrating both of us as he presses his lips to my forehead.

“Come on. It’s really fine if you’re not up for it. We can just go to the beach instead. I just have to tell them we’re out so they can give our spots to someone else.”

“Okay,” I nod, releasing a sigh as I take his hand and head toward the entrance with him.

We clear the lot quickly and although there are signs outside explaining the small building, once we step inside, it’s surprisingly unassuming. In fact, if it weren’t for the vibrant photography on the walls, I’d never guess we were standing in a death lobby.

We take our place behind a small group talking to the receptionist and my eyes begin to sweep the cozy space, taking a closer look at each image while we wait.

People are insane, I think to myself as I move my attention from one to the next, the excitement almost palpable as I take in each expression. Cliff diving couples, elderly men with wind distorted cheeks, bungee jumping teenagers, some idiot couple on a hand glider sailing through the air… no matter which image my eyes find, there’s one thing I can’t deny they have in common.

They’re all happy, free.

My mind drifts back to the feeling I had on the side of the mountain in Aspen with Dash a few months prior and I can’t help the giddiness filling my veins. It hadn’t made much sense to me then how flying at speeds no human was ever meant to fly down the side of an ice-encased mountain could ever be a source of stress relief. I guess if I’m being honest it doesn’t matter. However, as I risk a glance toward him and think about the last few months I’ve called him mine, I realize there’s a tiny piece of the freedom I experienced that day with that still hasn’t left me.

I’ve drifted back to that moment countless times, but it’s not until this very second that I realize those feelings have nothing to do with the speed or the mountain or diving off shit.

It’s him.

My eyes suddenly grow hazy with emotion as I hug his arm to my chest, savoring in the feel of his kiss on my hair.

“Sorry,” he whispers. “We’ll be done here in a minute and I’ll take you to the beach, okay?”

“Okay,” I manage, but as we take a step forward and he nods toward the receptionist, I can’t miss the disappointment staining his features. The glorious, foul-mouthed, jackass beside me is my adrenaline rush, but this extreme idiot crap is his. Dammit. “No… no, it’s not,” I whisper, reluctantly tugging his arm in mine as I internally stamp my foot as I shake my head at the waiting receptionist. “We aren’t canceling.”

“Babe, what are you doing?” he asks as I press my forehead against his strong arm, silently cursing the words I know are coming, knowing they must slip out all the same.

“Something big and maybe a little crazy,” I breathe, rubbing my palms over my eyes for a second before I blurt back at him. “Okay, I’ll do it.”

“Are you serious?” he asks, his eyes wide as I glance back up at him, his full lips spread out in a beam of happiness. “You’re gonna go skydi-”

“No!” I cut him off, the slight sadness in his eyes not escaping me as I shake my head profusely. “I can’t do the skydiving thing, Dash. I’m sorry,” I say genuinely. “But we don’t have to leave altogether. I’m sure…” I start, glancing around at the various images surrounding us once more. “I mean, there’s gotta be something else we can do, right? Something that won’t scare the shit out of me? Does it have to be jumping out of a plane?”

“Well, no,” he starts. “But you don’t have to…”

“I know,” I cut him off once more, shutting my eyes tight for a second before I glance back up to find his green gaze already locked on me. “But I want to be a good girlfriend and I know this will make you happy, so just... just pick something that’s not as terrifying as skydiving and I… I’ll do it.”

“Are you sure?” he asks, gently tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “Evie, you don’t have to. We can just go to the beach and drink all day.”

“Trust me, honey,” I release a long breath and move back toward the receptionist. “If I live through this, we’re definitely drinking later.”