Wanderlust

“Yeah, but first you soar.”

Just enjoy this. “I can’t swim.”

He was surprised. “Not at all?”

“I have some vague memories of swimming at the Y as a kid. Nothing recent.”

“Well, I’m glad you told me that before I pushed you.”

My eyes widened. “You’re not serious.”

He shrugged. Damn, he had a good poker face. I couldn’t tell if he’d been joking.

“Look,” he said. “You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to, but it’d be fun. I think you’d like it.”

His straightforward words cut through the fear that held me back. Yes, it would be fun. Yes, I’d like it. This was exactly the kind of thing I’d wanted to do but never had the means or the courage to actually do. Now, with Hunter, anything was possible.

“Let’s do this,” I said, feeling terrified and wondrous. “Count of three?”

He thought for a second. “Let me go down first. It’ll be easier for me to help you if you need me to if I’m not also under water.”

“Okay. Right.” God, this was crazy. I was crazy.

“Just hold your breath before you go under, and then kick your way to the top. I’ll take it from there.”

I nodded, unable to speak.

He leaned forward, almost there.

“Wait.”

He looked back. “Cold feet?”

“No, just…is this legal?”

He laughed. “Fuck no.”

Then he jumped, sending a shout that echoed through the trees around us. He disappeared into the mist, and then I heard a splash directly beneath us. A few seconds later, his head emerged farther away from the falls, hair darkened by the water and glis

tening.

“Come on, sunshine.” The words were indistinct, but I could read them on his lips.

Oh shit. No, no, no. What if I died? What if we were caught? Which was a stupid thing to worry about, all things considered, but my good-girl tendencies had been well drilled into me.

But the thing that decided me was that I couldn’t not do it. I couldn’t walk away from this challenge, from this chance to finally live.

To soar.

I jumped.

I understood what he’d meant about flying. It felt like the air caught me and lifted me even as I drew ever closer to the shore. My vision was suffused with white spray, as if I were bursting through a cloud. The water came up impossibly fast and yet slow enough to watch with wonder. I sucked in a breath and plunged under water. For a second, I panicked—can’t breathe, can’t move. But then I righted myself and found my bearings. A few strong kicks carried me to the surface.

Hunter was right there waiting for me. He must have swum closer to me while I’d fallen. He grabbed me to him, laughing.

“You did it, sunshine. I’m so proud of you.”

I wiped the water from my eyes, laughing too. “You didn’t think I would.”