Page 38 of Taming Liberty

Jasper takes her hand and shakes. “You’ve got a deal.”

My stomach drops. Fuck, what did I just do?

“Great,” Liberty says, wasting no time before walking to the ledge. My head swims just watching her.

Jasper removes his shirt and pants, then steps up beside her.

“What are you guys doing?” Patrick yells.

Jasper is the one to answer. “Just a little friendly race.” He points, but I can’t tell who his finger’s aimed at. “Aurora, you be the judge, sweetheart. First one to the rock wins.” He points to the boulder, and Aurora nods.

“No,” I yell. “Sawyer, you do it.”

Jasper looks back at me with pursed lips. “He’s impartial,” I lie. I’m hoping he’ll give Lib the benefit of the doubt if it’s close.

Sawyer gives a thumbs up.

“Ready?” Lib asks Jasper. He nods.

I cross my arms over my chest and hold my breath.

Lib takes a few steps back then runs and dives off the cliff while Jasper dives straight from the edge.

I walk to the edge to watch them, ignoring the dizziness that instantly tries to make me sway when I look down. I’m a little taken aback by the graceful way Lib slices into the water in a swan dive that looks cleaner than Jasper’s.

I uncross my arms and stare unblinking at the water below, searching for them both in the wake of the waterfall. Lib pops up first, already gliding toward the rock, and Jasper comes up a moment later.

I think he realizes she’s more competition than he expected because his paddling looks frantic as he cuts through the water toward the boulder. I inhale a sharp breath and part my lips, my heart thumping in my ears.

Come on, Lib.

Anna cheers along with the voice in my head. I can’t peel my eyes away from Lib long enough to look at Sawyer, but I hope he can hear me willing him to cut her some slack. I didn’t think it’d actually be this close.

My eyes widen as Jasper gains steam and closes the gap between him and Lib. “Fuck,” I say on a breath of air. “Come on, Lib, hurry up.”

When Jasper pushes ahead of her, I feel a rock as big as the one they’re racing to drop in my stomach.

No.

Fuck.

Fuck.

Fuck.

I seek out Sawyer, waving my hand, trying to meet his eyes, but he’s watching the race too closely to notice me. I think about yelling for him, as pitifully obvious as that would be, but when my eyes dart back to the race, Lib pushes ahead of Jasper. I don’t know if she was conserving some of her energy or if she just wanted to give me a heart attack, but she seems to fly ahead of him now.

She reaches the boulder with him lagging several strokes behind.

“Oh my God,” I whisper, my shoulders sinking with relief. I run my hands through my hair and gape at Lib who’s pulling herself out of the water. She smiles as Sawyer holds her hand in the air and declares her the winner.

She did it.

She actually did it.

I laugh, at first just a sharp exhale but then a loud burst.

She waves up at me, and I let my fingers slip through my hair to wave back.

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