Page 43 of The Ruthless Rivalry

Carefully, Reith guides me onto the beam. I wobble slightly at first, but his voice keeps me focused.

“That’s it, nice and steady. You’re about halfway there.”

I concentrate on Reith’s voice, blocking out the chaos around us. My arms are outstretched for balance as I inch forward on the beam.

“You’re almost there,” he says. “Just three more steps.”

I take another cautious step, then another. Just as I’m about to take my final step, I hear a shout from nearby.

“Watch out!” someone yells, followed by a loud thud and a yelp of pain.

Startled, I lose my balance. I feel myself starting to fall and brace for impact with the sand below.

But instead of hitting the ground, I feel strong hands grip my arm at the last second, steadying me.

“I’ve got you,” Reith says. “You’re okay. Dude—”

“Whoops.” I hear Bishop deadpan.

“I swear, if you knocked into us on purpose…” Reith’s voice trails off, a hint of anger in his tone.

“Hey, it’s not my fault Ophelia can’t follow simple directions,” Bishop retorts. “She practically bulldozed into you two.”

“Did not!” Ophelia protests. “You told me to go right!”

I feel Reith’s hands slowly release my fingers as I regain my footing on solid ground.

“Can I take this blindfold off now?” I complain, reaching up to touch the fabric covering my eyes.

“Not yet. We’ve still got one more obstacle to go. But you’re doing great. Don’t let those two throw you off.”

“Okay” I say, steadying myself. “What’s the last obstacle?”

“It’s a rope swing,” Reith explains. “You’ll need to grab onto it and swing across a small pit to the finish line.”

My stomach churns with anxiety. “A rope swing? While blindfolded? Are you serious?”

“I know it sounds daunting, but I’ll be right here guiding you the whole time,” he assures me. “You’re doing awesome.”

I swallow hard and nod. “Alright, fine.”

Reith leads me forward a few more steps until I feel the rough texture of rope against my palm.

“Grab on tight with both hands,” he instructs. “You’ll just have to pull the rope back, and when I say ‘now,’ I want you to lift your feet off the ground and swing forward.”

I grip the rope tightly, my palms already starting to sweat. The rough fibers dig into my skin as I pull back, feeling the tension in the rope.

“Ready?” Reith asks.

“As I’ll ever be,” I reply, blandly.

“On three. One…two…three…now!”

I push off with my feet, my stomach lurching as I leave the ground behind. For a moment, I’m suspended in darkness, the wind rushing past my face as I swing forward. It’s both terrifying and exhilarating.

“Let go…now!” Reith shouts.

I release the rope, my body flying through the air. For a heart-stopping moment, I’m falling, and then I hit the ground with a soft thud, stumbling forward a few steps before regaining my balance.

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