Page 26 of Mariposa
“Willis! What the fuck!”
Giving me his back, he leaves just like he promised. My heart thunders inside my rib cage as I mumble curse words. I grip the railing tightly. I have no doubt I can lift myself, but when I peer down again, fear spikes my veins, and the trembling starts.
I’ve always been scared of heights.
Gritting my teeth, I attempt to pull myself up, but my shaking won’t stop. I falter and yelp. Blood rushes to my head just as I break out in a sweat. One hand slips free, but my other still holds my body. The thought of falling and hitting my head assaults my brain.
I’m fucking spooked.
“Isla, what the fuck are you doing?” Master Sergeant O’Connell’s voice booms over my head.
Oh, thank God. I know Kade doesn’t like me, but he doesn’t seem the type to have me dying on his watch.
Or maybe he is…shit.
“Oh, you know, just hanging around,” I joke, forcing a smile through a heavy breath. His cruel expression doesn’t budge.
Tough crowd.
A bead of sweat slowly leaks down my temple. I grit my teeth again as I attempt to get myself up, but those intrusive thoughts win again. I don’t want to tell him the truth about how I ended up in this situation. It’ll only give me more hassle if I’m seen as someone who can’t fight their own battles if I expose the fact that Willis threw me over.
Kade studies me, and he notices how I’m convulsing.
“Calm down, Isla. I’ve seen you max out your pull-ups.”
“Sir, can you give me a hand?”
“No,” he says simply.
“But sir?—”
“You’re capable of pulling yourself up.”
My mouth falls open. How is he so calm about me possibly falling to my death?
He swallows, his throat moving up and down.
“You’re really not going to help?”
“Stop shaking and do as you’re told, soldier.” A strong breeze hits us. Dark brown hair falls over his forehead as he watches me with distant eyes.
“Master Sergeant. I can’t.”
“Don’t you ever fucking say those two words to me again. Your mind is holding you back, and you’re capable of getting yourself out of this situation. Let’s go.”
“Really?”
Right now is not the best time for a teaching lesson.
As if he can read my mind, his eyes darken.
“You freeze up like this in a warzone, and you’re dead. Now, let’s go.” His tone deepens.
“Sir, with all due respect….” My jaw chatters violently, and I close my eyes. He doesn’t know that when I was five years old, my older sister pushed me off the rooftop of my house, and I was in a coma for days. Ever since then, I’ve had a phobia of heights.
“Please,” I beg with tears in my eyes.
He stays silent, but I don’t miss the inner turmoil behind those cruel, mismatched eyes.
