Page 34 of The One That Got Away

‘Yes!’ Max cheered. ‘I’ve always wanted to come here!’

‘Same here, bro,’ the guy said.

‘What’s the Camin… whatever you just said?’ I asked him.

‘It’s this path that hangs from a cliff!’ The guy jumped up like he’d just discovered he’d won the lottery and was rushing to collect his winnings. ‘It’s one of the world’s most dangerous paths! It hangs from a cliff and they called it thewalk of deathbecause so many people fell off it and died! I love scary shit like this!’

‘Sorry,what? We’re going to walk on a path that hangs from acliff? Where peopledied?’

The blood drained from my body.

As the coach pulled up and people started filing off and lining up with Jasmine outside, I stayed rooted to the spot.

I glared out the window, taking in the sight of the steep rocky cliffs. My heart raced. What kind of psycho believed comingherewas a good idea?

I thought being paired up with Max was the worst thing that could happen on this trip.

I was wrong.

15

MAX

When I got off the coach, I looked behind and saw Stella walking towards me in a trance.

That was when I remembered. She was terrified of heights.

‘Listen,’ I said softly as I saw the fear in her eyes, ‘I know what that guy said sounded terrifying, but…’

‘What’s wrong?’ Jasmine joined me, concern written all over her face.

‘I’m not really a fan of heights,’ Stella said, her voice shaky.

‘Really?’ Jasmine pulled out her phone and tapped the screen. ‘That’s strange. I’ve got details of your preferences taken from your application form and it says that you love adventures and hiking…’

‘I’m going to kill my mum!’ Stella groaned.

‘It’s not as scary as it seems.’ Jasmine rested her hand on Stella’s shoulder. That was exactly what I was trying to explain before she came over. ‘I’m not a fan of heights either, but I’ve done it a few times and it’s been great. It’s a really easy walk. I hate to rush you, but we need to get to the entrance or we’ll missour slot. Why don’t you have a think and if you really don’t feel like you can do it, we’ll see what our options are, okay?’

Stella nodded. Yep. She was definitely shitting herself.

‘Don’t worry,’ I said. ‘I know that guy made it sound like a death trap but it’s not like that any more. It used to have a reputation for being dangerous, but they’ve fixed all the paths since then and it’s a really beautiful walk. It’s been on my bucket list for years.’

‘How did you hear about it?’

‘It’s known as one of the top things to do in Andalucía – maybe even in Spain. Millions of people have done it now. They wouldn’t bring us here if it wasn’t safe. If you want, I can walk on the outside so you won’t be close to the edge. I’ll make sure you’re okay. Promise.’

Stella looked up and her eyes met mine. A jolt of electricity shot through my chest, just like it did when our arms had touched on the coach.

It was interesting that she thought I was a personal trainer. And I wasn’t gonna lie. Knowing that she’d been looking at my arms made me feel good.

‘Okay,’ she said softly, still looking at me. I was glad I’d reassured her. Stella acted tough on the outside, but I knew that she was soft and vulnerable on the inside. That was why I felt so bad about hurting her before.

I reminded myself for the millionth time that I couldn’t do anything about the past, but whilst I was on the trip I’d try my best to show her I’d become a better man.

Once we’d arrived at the main entrance and gone to the toilet, we had a safety briefing. When the guide started handing out safety helmets, Stella’s eyes bulged.

‘It’s just a precaution,’ I whispered.

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