Page 42 of Prove You Wrong

I turn back towards her and she’s nibbling on that bottom lip, anxious. ‘You okay? Are you worried about the dark?’

Slowly shaking her head, she asks, ‘Isn’t The Wreck a paintballing site?’

‘You scared of paintballing?’ My tone is playful, relieved she’s not scared of being in the middle of nowhere … with me.

‘No.’ She sits up straighter. ‘I’m scared of pain, though. And those suckers look like they hurt. And how will we see to aim?’

I leap out and head around to her side. ‘Don’t worry, no paintballing tonight.’

When Chunk first set this place up, he enlisted my help to clear the scrub for a paintballing centre, but since, he has cultivated a number of side hustles including a high ropes course, which he’s had me fully trained for. But I don’t tell her this yet. I can’t resist keeping her guessing just a little bit longer.

Opening the door, I hold out my hand to help her down. ‘This is something that definitely doesn’t have any pain, or paintballs, and it won’t even be dark.’

She takes my hand and as our skin touches, anticipation for the night ahead builds inside me.

I squeeze her fingers. ‘Come on, I’ll show you.’

Ella

It might be the nerves from not really dating. Perhaps it’s the fear of the unknown. But, when Nate takes my hand, the sensation in my stomach changes from a delicate flutter of butterflies to a twisting murmuration of starlings. I take a deep breath and try to relax. This is just a bit of fun. I’m here to enjoy myself.

Nate leads me to a cabin and flicks a light on inside. The wired bulb glows a dull orange, but I still blink into the sudden brightness. There’s a large desk and, behind it, several racks of military type kit. The wall has a stuffed stag’s head hung on it, front and centre. The fragrance of ancient, earthy leaves fills the air.

‘This is Base Camp.’ Nate holds out his arms gesturing to the room. ‘First, we need to fit your harness.’

‘Harness? Why do we need a … ’ my words peter out as I glance through the window to outside, and up into the gloomy forest canopy. ‘Are we — ’

Nate seems almost glowing with excitement. ‘Doing the high ropes course here, yes. With a twist.’

‘In the dark?’ My heart rate picks up.

‘Almost.’ He waggles his eyebrows. ‘Chunk, my buddy who owns this place, has set up a winter illuminations experience. You get to see the trees lit up from up high. But, it’s brand-new.’

‘Are we the first? As in guinea pigs?’ I can’t keep a note of terror out of my voice.

‘No, the ropes are well established.’ His low voice is reassuring. ‘But no one else will have seen the lights. That’s our treat.’ He grins. ‘Have you ever done high ropes before?’

I shake my head and feel a flush of anticipation. ‘So, we’re giving it a dress rehearsal?’

‘Exactly.’ He bobs his head with assent. ‘Chunk wants our honest feedback. He’s keen to have an outsider’s point of view. It’s hard to see the full picture when you work so closely with something.’

He pulls a bundle of heavy straps from a rack. Untangling them, he opens them to make two loops.

‘Step into these.’ He holds them out to me.

I push a foot through each side in turn and Nate wiggles the gear all the way up to the top of my thighs. I hope he doesn’t notice my breath catching as his fingers graze against me. Gently, he guides my arms through loops on either side, one at a time. Our eyes meet briefly and I feel a zing strike straight to my chest, below the buckles he’s starting to do up. Each slow, careful snap of the clips pierces me to my core.

Without warning, there’s a whizz of nylon as he tightens the contraption.

Suddenly, my thighs are ensnared and my boobs squished together and I can’t help but gasp a ‘Woah.’

A smile tugs at his lips at my uncensored response. ‘Can you still breathe?’

I try a deep breath, to compose myself as much as check the fit. ‘Yes.’

‘Good. They should be tight, but not suffocating.’

‘Wait.’ My eyes widen. ‘Don’t we need an expert to check all this is safe?’

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