Page 17 of The Wing
“It’s a secret,” I say, refusing to look down at the rushing water. Can’t say I thought the bridge would be an issue for me, but how was I supposed to know literal wire was holding it up? That just seems like bad judgement.
“That doesn’t mean I’m not going to get it out of you.” His hands come to my shoulders and rest on the straps of my backpack, urging me forward gently when I freeze in the middle of the bridge. He keeps his hands there as we walk slowly to the other side, and I focus on the gentle pressure. “I have a sister, you know? Her name’s Charlotte, but if anyone in the family calls her that, she flips out. She demanded we call her Charlie after her first day at school, anyway, I have experience getting people to reveal secrets. I learned everything I know from her.”
“Maybe I’ll tell you after I survive this ordeal. I can’t believe we have to come back this way.” I swallow and peek over the side at the water, and my stomach swoops. I definitely should not have done that.
“Don’t think about that.” Hemi squeezes my shoulders. “You just agreed to tell me about the whiteboard.”
“I did not.”
“You totally did.”
“I refuse to believe that.” I step off the bridge onto the pathway, and my shoulders sag, and my knees feel weak, as if I can’t take another step. Hemi squeezes my shoulders again before dropping his hands away. I wish he hadn’t. But I turn to face him and blow out a shaky breath and shoot him a wobbly smile. “Thanks. I didn’t realise I have an aversion to bridges until now.”
Hemi’s eyes crinkle with his slight smile, but his hazel eyes that look greener against the trees hold concern. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
I nod firmly. “Yep. Let’s keep going.” I spin and follow the narrow track to begin the hike. “I won’t have Daisy find out I barely crossed a bridge and called it a day.” I glance over my shoulder to roll my eyes at Hemi. “She’d hold it over me until the day I do actually die.”
Hemi grins. “That I believe.”
He’s smiled more today than he has since I picked him up at the airport, and I want him to do it more. I want to be the one putting the smile on his face. “So you have a sister? What does she do?”
“She’s a personal assistant at a tech company.”
“Does she enjoy it?”
“Loves it. She needs a holiday, though,” Hemi says, which I can barely hear over the crunching of our sneakers and the roaring of the river to our left.
I think we’re supposed to follow the river up. I glance to the left, grimacing at the sharp drop to the river and rocks, and back to the narrow path. Better to watch ahead, even if I want to turn and talk to Hemi. I do not want to fall. A rock presses sharply against the sole of my sneaker, and I shift my eyes to watch the rock-littered pathway to avoid standing on anything sharp.
I attempt to get my panting under control. The steep incline is not gentle, and I didn’t realise how bad it would be. Once Imanage a few breaths, I say, “It’s good she enjoys it. Maybe she could take some time off over the holidays. Does her office close over Christmas?”
“Yeah. But that’s forced relaxation. I think she should book a trip or something. Do something she’s actually excited for.”
“You’ll convince her eventually.” I come to a stop at the top of the hill and wait for Hemi to reach me.
“Wow.”
“Pretty cool. And we haven’t even got to the lookouts yet.”
There’s a wooden bench facing two connecting rivers and the mountains beyond it.
We stay there for a few minutes before continuing. This time Hemi goes first, which is a fabulous view. Almost better than the river.
My eyes trace down to his flexing ass, and I watch as he walks. His shorts highlight him in all the right places. I stumble on a rock and fling my hand out to catch myself on a tree. My heart pounds, and I clutch my chest. Jesus. Really not the time to lose my concentration. I gulp as my eyes dart to the sharp drop.
“Maybe you should go in front,” Hemi says.
“You might be right.” I avert my eyes from the drop. “Usually I’d complain and say I’m not clumsy, but clearly I have nothing to stand on today.” Of course Hemi’s ass was my undoing. And staring at it has caused me to lose the privilege of watching it in action because apparently I can’t watch where I’m going at the same time.
“I’ll feel like a hero if you trip and I catch you.”
I scoff and brush past him to walk in front. “Without you distracting me, I don’t think I’ll fall,” I mutter. The incline’s steep and my calves burn, but I push past the feeling and keep walking, leaving Hemi behind and hoping he didn’t hear my comment.
“I’ll distract you in a different way then,” he says and I wince, knowing he heard what I said. Hopefully, he didn’t understand what I meant.
I march up the narrow path and shiver when we enter the native beech forest. The temperature drops suddenly, and I shiver at the chill sweeping through me and the silence now that the river is further away.
Ferns to the right reach high up the hill and trees are gathered densely to the left, quieting the river and giving some protection if I do trip over myself and fall the wrong way.
