Page 26 of Bad Luck, Hard Love
“But it didn’t, and I met you because of it.”
Thor’s expression softens, “I’m so sorry you had to go through that, Charlotte. No one deserves to be treated that way.”
His words provide a small comfort, but the pain still lingers deep within me. I take a deep breath, willing myself to continue the conversation.
“I’ve been trying to rebuild my life since the divorce, to move forward, but sometimes the memories and fears still haunt me.”
“He choked you, didn’t he?” Guilt flashes on his face. “When I touched your neck, you went back there.”
I nod my reply.
“I moved too fast. It’s on me.”
“No, it’s not,” I argue. “You didn’t know. I wasn’t fully honest with you earlier when you asked about my life, but how do you tell someone you’ve just met something like that?”
Thor takes a step closer to me. “Charlotte, I want you to know I will never hurt you. I will never force you into anything you’re not ready for.”
I can feel the sincerity in his words and genuine concern for my welfare radiating from him.
“Thank you,” I whisper, tears streaming down my face. “Thank you for understanding.”
Thor brushes away my tears gently with his thumb, his touch calming the storm raging within me. “You don’t have to thank me, Charlotte. I’m here for you. We’ll take things slow, at your pace. Pressuring you is the last thing on my mind right now.”
A sense of relief washes over me as his words sink in. For the first time since escaping the clutches of my abusive past, I dare to believe that love and happiness might still be possible for me.
“What do we do now?”
“I kind of feel like murdering your ex-husband,” he admits. “He doesn’t live in Vegas, does he?”
I let out a surprised laugh, and the tension in the air is momentarily lifted. “You’re joking, right?”
Thor’s lips curl into a wry smile, “Depends on whether or not he lives here.”
I could shrug it off that he’s kidding, but a part of me knows that if he knew where Terrance lived, he’d be true to his word. “I appreciate the sentiment, but I don’t want revenge. I just want to move on and find happiness.”
“You’ll get there, Charlotte, but in the meantime, what would you like to do? I know I kind of hijacked dinner, but I want to do something you want to do. We’re in Vegas, after all. The city that never sleeps.”
I consider the options. I missed out on so much in the last several years—experiences and memories. Maybe it’s time I make memories of my own. A billboard behind us flickers to an advertisement, which sparks an idea.
“How do you feel about heights?” I smile at him.
THOR
“This is notwhat I had in mind,” I answer, staring down at the Strip below us. I heard about shit like this before, but I never thought I’d be standing on the ledge about to jump off it. Flying in an airplane is one thing, but willfully jumping off and trusting a cord to keep me alive is something completely different.
Charlotte steps forward, a matching harness to the one I have on strapped around her body. The hem of her dress is tucked neatly to avoid flashing the people walking below us.
As the wind whips through Charlotte’s hair, she turns to face me, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. “I did ask you about heights. You could have stayed on the ground.”
“I’m not afraid of heights,” I lie.
She shoots me an accusatory look. “Sure, seems like you are.”
I step closer to the edge, peering over it again. My heart hammers in my chest. All the shit I’ve done in my life and zip-lining may be how it all ends. V would have a field day with my obituary.
“Are you folks ready?” the attendant asks. His eyes trail to the long line behind us waiting for their turn.
“Yeah,” I mutter.
