Page 59 of Demise

“Because I don’t like you,” I say flatly before I turn to Skyla.

“Alright, are you good? Remember everything we taught you?”

She looks a little hesitant as she stares down at the hill, but she nods, nonetheless.

“I think so. How do I stop again?”

We all share concerned looks before she shakes her head.

“Never mind, it’s fine. Let’s just go.”

“No, we won’t go until you’re—”

I don’t get to finish my sentence before she pushes off, down the mountain she goes.

Shit.

I follow after her, bobbing and weaving through people in an attempt to catch up to her. She almost loses her balance, crouching down a little to correct herself, which saves the balance but picks up her speed. She’s catching up to a person in front of her, and instead of trying to slow down, she swerves right. Hard right.

I do my best to mimic her path, but before I can reach her, she shoots off into the trees. I hear one of the guys shout from behind us, but I don’t have the time or care to focus on who. Doing my best to keep my eyes on her, I fly off into the tree line, leaning in and out of the path, doing my best to avoid any trees or uprooted branches.

She’s screaming, flailing her arms wildly as she attempts to stop.

“Hold on!” I shout to her as I change course, coming up to a small ledge that I use as a ramp.

It gets me the coverage that I need to get closer, but it’s not quite enough, and the snow has started picking up. It’s amazing how far you can travel on a board, and though it’s only been minutes. I’d say we are already on another side of the mountain.Unfortunately, this side seems to be getting pounded with a lot more snow a lot faster than the resort side.

White blurs my vision, Skyla’s hot pink jacket being the only thing I can focus on. I find another jump and take it, flying through the air so far, I jump in front of her. In the next second, I turn, slowing myself down as she crashes into me. I wrap my arms around her and hold on tight as we begin tumbling down the steep embankment.

Her screams echo through the valley, panic filling me as I do my best to keep my hold on her and slow us down. My eyes scan the area for possibilities, but I come up empty, especially when I see a cliff quickly approaching. A body suddenly comes flying from my left, cutting in front of us before grabbing my jacket and yanking hard. It’s enough of a change in direction to slow down our momentum, but our bodies are still sliding towards the cliff.

“Vincent!” Skyla shrieks as I feel the ground give way beneath us, nothing but air now.

Before the freefall sensation begins, a hard jerk catches us. I hold onto Skyla with everything I have as I look up to see Liam holding onto my jacket, his body straining to keep us dangling off this cliffside while wedging himself behind a rock for an anchor.

“Still don’t like me?” he strains.

I feel his hands start to shake as he attempts to hold on, but the weight is too much. What’s worse is he’s holding me, not her. My mind races with possibilities to get out of this when another figure comes flying beside Liam, stopping on a dime before crawling to the edge and reaching for Skyla. My body flexes and strains, attempting to lift her as close to him as possible.

Finally, Wesley is able to slip his arms beneath hers and haul her up and off the cliff edge. They collapse in a heap, my adrenaline thrumming in my veins when I think about how close I was to losing her.

Without Skyla’s added weight, Liam is able to pull me up the rest of the way. As soon as I’m not dangling, I crawl to safety, perching myself behind the rock beside him as I throw my back against the snow and breathe.

Our chests are heaving, faces tilted to the snowy sky as we pant.

“Thanks.”

“No problem,” he wheezes.

“Vincent!” Skyla shouts over the howling winds.

“I’m here,” I say. “I’m okay. Are you?”

“I’m fine! I’m so sorry. I lost control and—”

“You’re fine, little one. We need to get off this fucking cliff, though,” Wesley shouts.

We all nod our agreement and carefully undo our boards, lifting them up and over our shoulders as we begin trekking up the hill. Seconds later, Ronan and Asher come in hot, stopping short when they see us.

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