Page 21 of Love's a Glitch
If I wasn’t afraid it’d send me plummeting to the ground, I’d turn to argue. Pouring all my concentration into that next step, I stretched out my leg, placed my foot on the plank, and pulled the rest of my body along with me.
A tiny thrill swirled through my trepidation. I moved forward another step, squatting a few inches to regain my balance as Luke joined me on the bridge. We went on like that, slow and steady.
Until I accidentally looked down.
10
Ellie
Immediately, I noticed how far away the ground was, and how far we were from where we started. We’d come such a long way, and yet those last five steps were five too many.
“Ellie.” Luke’s voice drifted from behind me, but budging seemed impossible.
I could feel the color draining from my face, and my stomach climbed up to crowd my rib cage, leaving little room for my rapidly beating heart. “I looked down. I don’t think I can move.”
“You can.”
I shook my head, wincing and squeezing my eyes closed as I swayed on the step and clung to the rope.
“Hold tight. I’m two steps away.”
I didn’t open my eyes until I felt him in front of me. The sight of him, so steady and strong, helped calm the raging sea inside of me, and without thinking, I let go of the rope to fling my arms around his waist.
I worried he’d scold me for throwing off his balance or being a baby about this, but his eyes locked onto mine, so much reassurance inside of them I wanted to dive into the deep blue pools.
“Sorry,” I said, and he shook his head.
“No apologizing. You made it over halfway, and this is just a tiny snag.”
“I totally appreciate you saying so, but now that I’ve wrapped myself around you, I’m not sure Icanlet go.”
“You don’t hear me complaining, do you?”
A frisson of heat shivered through my core.
“Okay, good. So, you and I live here now.” Less than an hour around Luke, and I was already addicted to his laugh. Feeling it vibrate through my chest and his catapulted my obsession to the next level, and if I weren’t afraid of falling, I’d continue to make jokes and see how many I could land.
“We’re going to do this last part together,” he said. “I’ll step to the side with my left, and you’ll move your right. One, two…”
On three, we both moved. My arms turned into boa constrictors, and I did my best to loosen them a fraction, because if Luke passed out, I’d be utterly screwed—and not in a good way.
“Great job. Just like that.”
We took the next step, and then the next one. I peered up at him, all my concentration wrapped up in waiting for him to say when to go and found him looking down at me.
“Here’s the thing.” He brought his hand up to my cheek, the callused pads of his fingers igniting more full-body flutters. “If you don’t take these last steps yourself, later you’re going to kick yourself for it.”
“And here I thought you knew me better than that.”
He arched an eyebrow, calling me out.
I crinkled my nose and then sighed. “Fine. The more I think about it, the more satisfying it’ll be if I can shove aside my fears and take those last few steps alone.” Although he definitely underestimated how much I enjoyed being wrapped around him like a koala. I twisted my head to gauge the distance, and he jerked back just in time to avoid being stabbed with the unicorn horn on my helmet. “Ah, the real reason emerges. You’re afraid of Stardust.”
Luke threw up his arms, not the least bit unsteady even without a hand on the rope. How the hell did he do that? “You got me. I’ve climbed several of the most difficult mountains in the world, and dived inside an iceberg for a groundbreaking photo op, but please don’t hurt me with your plastic unicorn.”
“An iceberg? Was it freezing?” I shook my head, wobbling enough that I clung tighter to him again. “Pretend I didn’t ask such a ludicrous question—I’m blaming it on lack of blood flow to my brain, which funny enough, is also how I ended up here with you. Once we survive this, you’re going to have to tell me more.”
“Only if you make those last few steps yourself.”
