Page 1 of Rebel Heart
1
BEAU
Mere seconds stoodbetween me and a death-defying plunge.
As I made the final approach to the precipice of a 214-foot drop, it hit me.
This was who I was, who I had been for as long as I could remember. The guy who always sought a thrill, even if it left others disappointed.
It was strange how something completely unrelated could take me back to those moments in time when I learned the truth about what I meant to the people whose opinions should have mattered the most.
I couldn’t recall precisely when it started, but it was when I’d reached the age of twelve that I noticed what was happening. By the time I turned fourteen, I got undeniable proof that my hunch wasn’t unfounded. And there was no going back to a time when I didn’t feel the crushing weight of being such a disappointment once I turned eighteen.
Higher and higher, I moved along the track. Within seconds, I was halted at the top. My eyes scanned the area around me, the drop below, and the corners of my mouth tipped up in a smile.
A moment later, I heard the release. Then the wind was rushing past me as the rollercoaster cart plummeted to the earth. Just before it would’ve made impact, it banked along the curve in the track and sped along the corner, the cart tilting to the right side.
Maybe I should’ve been screaming like half of the other passengers, but I wasn’t. I wasn’t even allowing shouts of excitement to spill out of me.
In a strange twist, I found myself lost in thought about what those two people who’d brought me into this world would say if they saw me now.
Granted, this seemed a bit crazy. Not the idea of being at an amusement park and riding a roller coaster, but the simple fact that I was here at my age with my best friends. Like I hadn’t ever grown up.
It was strange. So many years had passed, and I still sought adventure, still looked for the thrill.
Somehow, my grin grew.
I didn’t care how anyone else felt. I was having fun and enjoying myself. I loved my life. And I wasn’t about to let anything ruin it.
When the coaster came to a stop and the lap bars released, my friends and I climbed out to exit the ride.
“I’d say that one is worth standing in line for again,” Talon declared.
“Agreed,” Vic said. “But I could use some food before we make that happen.”
“Works for me.” I expected nothing less from Jamie. He was agreeable to just about anything.
When three sets of expectant eyes came in my direction, I suggested, “We could head over to the building where they do the chocolate tours. They’ve got food there as well as spots with milkshakes.”
Vic groaned. “Oh, man. Burgers, fries, and shakes. That sounds amazing.”
Without another word of debate, the four of us made our way in that direction.
It was a warm spring day at the beginning of May, and my friends and I had decided to spend our day at Westwood’s. We’d arrived this morning and skipped the museum and chocolate-making tour, opting to head right for the amusement park.
Perhaps to adults with children, that might have seemed ridiculous. But to the four of us, it was just another typical day in our lives.
Fun.
Obviously, we all had experienced our fair share of bad days, but mostly, we were simply enjoying life. We’d all worked hard enough to be able to do that.
No sooner had we gotten in line and ordered our food, Talon pulled his phone out of his pocket.
“That’s Trisha,” he said. “Can you grab my food when it’s ready, so I can take this?”
“We got it, man,” Jamie assured him.
Lifting his phone to his ear, Talon said, “Hey babe.”
