Page 239 of Daddy, Take Me Away
“Well, first, your comments earlier about the sharks scared me. Sharks hunt at dawn and dusk.” She points up, presumably at the sky which is inky now. “And being eaten sounds like an unpleasant way to die, but also…” She gathers a breath.
“Do I need my priest robes again? Is this another confession?”
Her giggle is mixed with panting and I really like the sound.
“I prefer not to picture you as a priest, Amadeo, it makes my dirty thoughts way too sinful.”
The way my dick springs to life in my slacks, I’m sure it has ears.
“But confess, I shall. Like I mentioned before, I’m not really an adventure junkie.”
My brows rise. Because of the headlamps I can’t see her face, but her light is aimed low to the ground in front of us.
“Right, I recall you said it was a long story. Distract us.”
“I’m a fake. I started Zoë Wayz Adventures as a school project.” Her head comes up, her beam blinding me for a second before she redirects it.
“I didn’t do any of the daring stuff I posted the first six months after I started Zoë Wayz adventures. I faked it all.”
“The base jumping? Sky-diving? Heliskiing? White-water rafting?”
“Yep. All of it was faked. How do you know what I posted? I thought you had no clue who I was when I messaged you six months ago.”
I shrug even though she likely can’t see me. “I did my research after our first email but not too in-depth. That came later, after we’d had a few phone calls. You intrigued me even then.”
She slips, with a squeak, landing on her butt and as I help her up I resist the urge to pull her closer to make sure it doesn’t happen again. Doing this climb in a sundress and socks can’t be easy, but she’s being a trooper.
“Hm. I was intrigued by you before I ever reached out.” She lets out a small laugh. “Anyway there was no rock climbing or snow kiting either,” she sighs. “I faked it all.”
She tells me about her project and how everything happened so fast. And that’s why she started the series on adventuring at home. To take things back to where she was comfortable enough to start doing these things for real.
“I’m basic and a fake, Amadeo. Every time I’m about to do something even a little adventurous, I’m almost crippled by fear. I love it during and when it’s over, but before… yikes, that ‘right before’ moment almost kills me.”
“That’s nothing to be ashamed of, Zoë. I actually think it’s admirable. Bravery is doing things that scare you despite the fear.”
“When I was ten, all my friends were jumping from the top of this huge structure, at one of those adventure farms. There was a big pile of hay at the bottom. I was so excited to do it, but as I was up there, looking down, I had this gut feeling I shouldn’t do it. I was going to do it anyway, but I needed a second to prepare myself.Everyone was staring at me, calling me chicken, and ‘fraidy cat, and then, this kid behind me just pushed me. I heard him laughing the whole time I fell, which happened to feel approximately a hundred years long and a blip of a second at the same time.”
She points at her right arm. “Broke my arm in two places.”
The thought of someone hurting Zoë, even ten-year-old Zoë, makes my jaw clench. I want to hunt that kid down and ruin the man he is today for pushing her.
“I know I should come clean about my faking the original adventures, but I’m ashamed and afraid to be that little girl getting mocked again. So I plan to buck up and do all the things I faked originally, so they’re no longer lies. You won’t tell anyone, will you?”
“You jumping from this cliff today wasn’t fake and neither was climbing up here again. The past is gone, Zoë, you’re not the same little girl anymore. You’re concentrating on the future.” I reach out, take her hand, and tug her forward. “And yes, although I loathe lies, I promise your secret is safe with me.”
“Maybe you should spank me for it to ease your conscience about the lies.”
Her words come out just as we burst through the palms to the area at the back of the lobby. And fuck, my dick is instantly hard. But then, we bump into my ex-wife.
“Why are you back here?” I blurt, instantly annoyed.
“Amadeo?” She blocks the bright light from my headband, so I yank it off and she looks me up and down. “That’s a rude greeting.” Gwen’s gaze then moves to our clasped hands, my bulge, and then Zoë.
“Who are you?” Her question is accusatory, so I tug Zoë closer, knowing Gwen can be a catty bitch.
“I’m Zoë.” Zoë looks to me for reassurance. I squeeze her hand.
“Guests aren’t allowed back here, but your tartlets are?”
