Page 22 of Alluring Adventure

“I don’t understand why you never swept one of the lovely ladies from Fellside off her feet.” Keeley giggles.

“Just never met the right one.” Not a lie.

“What’s your longest relationship?”

“Three… no, four years. She was nice but I just didn’t feel it would last forever… and call me a bloody romantic—” I suck in a deep breath as pain shoots through my back, “but I only want to get married to… the woman I want to be with forever.”

“Wise. I didn’t do that.”

“You were… married?” She surprises me yet again. I have dated a few divorcees in the last few years and have found that the subject normally comes up very quickly.

“Yes. For five years. We fell out of love and just, well, mutually agreed it was for the best. I’m not really in touch with him anymore. I started my blog soon after we split and had a few short relationships but nothing serious.”

There is so much I want to say. Like, why is she cutting people out of her life so easily? But I don’t think now is the time.

“No more que—” Someone calling my name stops Keeley. She jumps up and almost loses her footing.

“Here! We are here!” she calls out. I can see her waving at someone and I’m close to weeping. I didn’t allow myself to contemplate the possibility that they wouldn’t find us but now they’re here I know that I have had that fear all along.

“FMR Four to FMR Six, we found them.” I make out the voice of a woman coming closer.

“Keeley, Oliver, my name is Suzie. This is my colleague Dan,” she introduces herself and someone else. Both are out of my sight but by the names I know it’s Tommy’s unit.

“I’m Keeley.” In her excitement she introduces herself even if there isn’t really any need for that. “Ols thinks he’s hurt his back,” she stutters, and I detect deep emotion in her voice.

“Don’t worry, Keeley we’ll take care of him. Why don’t you take a seat for me now? How are you feeling?” Suzie talks calmly with her.

“Hey mate.” Dan kneels down next to me.

“Hey.”

“So, your back?” he asks.

“Yup, lower down near my pelvis.” I can hear Suzie continue talking to Keeley.

“Listen mate, two more rescuers are on the way. As soon as they’re here we’ll transfer you onto a backboard. Is your seat cutting into the back of your legs?”

“Not sure. The only pain I feel is in my back.” I mumble. Neither of us say what this could mean.

“Stay still just a little bit longer, okay?” Dan takes a step away and I hear him radio a sit-rep to whoever is running the rescue; probably Tommy.

“Is he going to be alright?” Keeley asks.

“We’ll do everything we can to get him to hospital ASAP so they can assess him,” Suzie reassures her. “Why don’t we start walking up to the extraction point and Dan will take care of Oliver until the other rescuers get here?”

That's a suggestion Keeley doesn’t like.

“Not a chance, no, nope. I’m staying here.”

“Keeley,” I call out. She’s next to me in an instant. “It’s going to take you a while again to get to the top of the slope. You should go. I’ve… got the privilege of getting carried.”

“But—”

“No, please. It’ll help me if I know you’re being taken care of. Please,” I beg. I need to know that she’s safe. I’m not sure if they are going to pull her up the rock face or fly her out with the helicopter but whatever it is, I need her to be safe.

“Fine.” She places a long kiss on my lips. “But I’ll see you at the hospital.”

“Sure.” As she gets up to leave, I almost want to call her back. It feels so bizarre—like my safety rope is being cut the moment she walks away. We were in our own little bubble, where nothing could touch us. In that bubble, she wasn’t leaving Fellside, my mum wasn’t at risk of slipping back into darkness, my business wasn’t in trouble, and I wasn’t paralysed. But now it’s time to face reality, and as odd as it sounds, I’m not sure I’m ready for that yet.

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