Page 24 of Riding the High

My thoughts are interrupted by a little knock that could only be CeCe’s.

“We’ll talk about it later, but be careful. I warned him and I’ll warn you. I don’t want to see you or CeCe get hurt. This isherwedding summer, remember,” she scolds playfully and makes her way to the door.

“Are you guys ready? God, I feel like shit. Never let me drink again,” CeCe moans, looking perfectly put together in the cutest little yellow romper. Her long blonde hair is pulled up onto her head in a bun. It’s going to be a hot one today. I look at my outfit one last time.

“This okay?” I ask her of my blue linen sundress with spaghetti straps.

“You look like a hot tourist. I’d do you.” CeCe grins. “What happened with Chris last night? You weren’t feeling it?”

I avoid Olivia’s gaze.

“I saw him at Gilley’s Saloon with some random blonde,” I blurt out. “He’s exactly who I thought he was.”

“What time did you and Cole get home?” CeCe changes the direction of conversation.

“Around two,” Olivia cuts in, hiking a thumb at me. “Apparently this one needed nachos.”

“I made Nash take me for middle-of-the-night pancakes …” She starts into a story about the pancake house at three a.m., clearly thinking nothing of Cole and I hanging out. I avoid Liv’s eyes as I take a deep breath and look away. Liv may be onto me, but of course CeCe isn’t. Why should she be? After all, I’ve been expertly hiding the way I look at Cole for years.

“Alright, let’s get this show on the road,” Nash calls out. “We have a little surprise for you all!” He’s wearing a huge grin and raises his voice so we can all hear. “Chartered two copters so we aren’t crammed together and all get a good view. We’ll split up when we get there.”

Excited chatter ensues as I start to panic. I don’t like planes on the best of days. But a helicopter? Nothing separating me from the rocky depths of the Grand Canyon but a little tin box?No thank you.

The moment we arrive at the small private airport and I see the helicopters on the pad, my breathing accelerates and I start to feel lightheaded.

No one notices because they’re all so excited to get into this box of terror and plummet to their imminent demise. I’m about to pass out or run, or run until I pass out, when I feel a large hand settle on my lower back.

“You’re safe,” Cole says into my ear.

I shake my head. “This is too much.”

He grins at me reassuringly. “Remember last summer when Mabel asked you, CeCe and Liv to go on the Ferris wheel with us at the County Fair? You held your breath the entire time. I think you actually turned blue.” He chuckles like it’s funny. “But you made it through.”

“That was different. Mabel was there and I didn’t want to scare her. And in a Ferris wheel I have a fighting chance at least. I could grip something on my way down.”

He gives my waist a squeeze. “You are safer on this helicopter than the Ferris wheel, trust me.”

“How so?” I ask.

“Well, for starters, the pilot isn’t a carnie, so there’s that.”

“I’m serious,” I plead.

“Listen, you have to think about it logically. They probably do ten of these a day. Just this copter. Think of all the other companies that do it too. Have you ever heard of one going down?”

I scoff, a sort of hysteria lining the sound. “Have you asked all the people who have crashed in a helicopter? Tragedies happen every day, Cole.”

“Maybe so,” he says confidently, “but you can do this. I’ve got you. If you fall, I fall, and you can land on me. I’ll starfish right out.”

“Oh yeah?” I laugh. “You’ll give me a nice soft landing a billion feet down? How sweet of you.”

I swat at his shoulder but he grabs my wrist and pulls me to him.

“There’s nothing soft about me, woman,” he says in his best fake sexy voice as he flexes an arm.

His cocky playboy words do their job and I laugh even harder.

“Well, a whole lot of good that hard body will do when you’re apancake,” I say nervously, looking out at the two death carriages in front of me. I bite my lip watching all myfriends make their way to their respective copters, weighing my options.

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