Page 54 of The Roommate Remodel

“Easy for you to say,” I mutter, trying to suppress the mounting panic. I’m stuck with nothing to do but dangle and wait.

Brax lets loose across the line with practiced ease, which is both infuriating as it is reassuring.

“Typical,” I mutter to myself. “My knight in shining armor has to rescue me.Again.”

He slows to a stop next to me. “What are you doing hanging out here?” he asks with a grin.

“Haha,” I say, not in the mood for humor. My plan to do this last zip line solo has been foiled. Not only have I messed up our last run; I’ve messed up Brax’s too.

“Let’s get you unstuck,” Brax says, studying the line above.

“Please,” I breathe, the panic slowly simmering beneath the surface. It’s still in check, but that could change at a moment’s notice.

“Can you reach the pulley?” he asks.

“Trying,” I reply, stretching out my arm, my fingers grazing the cool metal.

“Push it forward gently,” Brax instructs, his tone calm and steady.

“Like this?” I nudge the contraption forward, feeling it give slightly.

It’s amazing how this man can problem-solve while dangling over a body of water, like a real-life MacGyver.

“Perfect. Now, pull back slowly.” His hand is on my back, making me feel safer, even as the breeze whips against my body.

“Back slowly,” I repeat, following his directions. I inch forward.

“See? You’ve got this,” Brax encourages, then pauses. “You want to finish the rest yourself?”

Whatever hope I’d had of proving something to Brax—of doing this alone—has been erased now. If I get stuck again, what if he can’t rescue me a second time?

“Do you mind going with me?” I ask. “In case I get stuck again?”

“Anytime, Jaz.” He gives me that crooked smirk that makes me feel safe.

Then he reaches for my hand, and with one last tug, we cross the lake and reach the safety of the other side.

As I unclip for the last time, the rush of relief flows through me as Brax’s touch lingers on my back.

I let out a breath, anchored by Brax’s hand still guarding me.

“Hey,” Brax says softly. “You just flew. How’s that for a Thursday?”

“Flying is one way to put it.” I turn to face him. The flecks of green in his eyes, like the forest treetops, are brighter and mixed with a hint of goldenrod.

“I thought for a minute you were going to have a panic attack over that lake, and I was going to have to pull you across.”

I laugh. “I was afraid of that, but once you had me focus on what to do, it was like the panic faded. That’s all I needed. Something to focus on.”Even if that something is you.

He’s the safety net I never knew I needed.

My one sure thing.

Right now the only thing I can focus on is him—the ripple of dark in his eyes, the way his hand lingers on the small of my back sending fizzy bubbles up the column of my spine. The world shrinks to just the two of us on that platform. The electric charge from standing so close is dancing along my nerves, igniting sparks wherever Brax’s fingers graze my skin.

His eyes drop to my harness.

“Let’s get you unhooked,” he says, his hands moving to assist me with the gear. His fingers brush against my waist, sliding under the straps to release them. Every touch is deliberate, like he’s afraid of touching me, of gettingtooclose.

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