Page 25 of Riverside Reverie

The three of us walked back up the pathway. Before long, we came to the top of the cliff. Zoey and Kai were near the fire pit, coaxing the flames to grow. Zoey had a package of hotdogs beside her, and Kai was taking a couple of pills, washing it back with a bottle of water.

I tensed, worried about what type of pills they were. I didn’t think Jasmine would be friends with anyone illegally doing drugs, but I didn’t relax until I noticed the medicine container beside him on the rock. He closed it, tucking it away in his bag before pulling out a granola bar and saying something to Zoey that made her laugh and shake her head.

Jasmine and Desmond stood near the edge of the cliff, locked in a conversation I couldn’t hear. They pulled apart when they saw us, and Jasmine waved at me before launching herself over the cliff. Desmond watched her with an unreadable expression. He waited until she’d resurfaced before he jumped too. There was definitely a vibe between the two of them, but nobody else seemed to be picking up on it.

Talia went over to the cooler bag, grabbing three beers, and walked back over to us, handing one to me and another to Theo.

“Feel like shot-gunning while we jump?” she asked Theo, but her eyes slid to me, too, including me in on the invitation.

“Sure,” Theo grinned, his eyes moving to me, awaiting my answer.

“I don’t think I’m ready yet,” I admitted.

Theo’s hand briefly touched my elbow. “No pressure,” he assured me.

I looked down at the contact, unsurprised by the pleasant jolt it sent coursing through my nerves. All too soon, it was over. Theo removed his hand and ambled over to the edge of the cliff with Talia. I followed to watch them jump.

Talia cracked her beer open and Theo did the same. Talia started counting down, and when they got to one, they launched themselves over the edge of the cliff at the same time, lifting the beers to their mouths and drinking as they fell.

I watched from above, a smile tempering my lips, and shook my head. What would it feel like to have zero hesitation launching yourself off a cliff? I couldn’t imagine. Even thinking about it had my stomach rioting with nerves. From my position on top of the cliff, it looked like a steep fall.

But I couldn’t help but wonder: how would it feel? To have the wind whipping through my hair? To let myself fall? To give in to the desire to do something reckless and foolish just because a small part of me wanted to?

What if I gave into that small part, for the sake of trying something new?

Theo and Talia broke the water’s surface. I wasn’t sure how much of their beers they were able to drink, but I laughed when they resurfaced and Talia crushed her empty can in her hand victoriously.

8

JUMPING IN

Lux

“You want to do it, I know you do,” Jasmine’s voice startled me, almost making me lose my footing on the edge of the cliff. I whirled to face her, my heart pounding, and placed my hand over it to try and steady its uneasy beats.

“Jesus, don’t do that,” I laughed.

She smiled apologetically. “Sorry, but I’m right—aren’t I? You want to jump.”

I bit my lip, looking back over the edge of the cliff. Talia and Theo were still down there, but they had swum towards Baz and Rhiannon’s canoe. Theo’s arms rested on the edge of the canoe while Talia floated on her back.

“I mean, a little bit.”

“What’s holding you back?” Jasmine cocked her head, her eyes daring me.

“The height,” I pointed out, arching a brow. Jasmine knew I wasn’t a fan of heights.

“So, close your eyes!” she grinned. “I’ll jump with you, we’ll hold hands the whole way down if you want.”

“I don’t know…” my heart still hadn’t settled, but the urge to let go and do something reckless was growing.

“Think of it as crossing something off your bucket list of things you’ve never done before.” Jasmine challenged me. She knew I had several lists: things I wanted to do, things I’d never done. Although I’d never thought to add “jump off a cliff” to the list, it would be fun to do so.

“Alright, fine.”

“Really?” Jasmine seemed surprised, her eyes brightening.

“I’ll jump—if you tell me what’s going on with you and Desmond,” I tilted my chin towards the fire pit where Desmond had joined Kai and Zoey. He was immersed in conversation with them, his back to us, and couldn’t hear us.

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