Page 65 of The Masks We Burn
The guide calls Will and I next, hooking us up to them and the glider before instructing us to grab on the bar. My eyes flash to Will, who is almost gray in the face.
“You got this,” I mouth.
He nods but keeps his eyes on me as the man hands me my helmet and fastens it under my chin. “Ready?”
“As I’ll ever be.”
But the second he steps onto the wood platform, reality hits. My nerves sing in my body, my vision becoming dizzy as we take a step closer.
Oh shit.
I need to tell him before we jump. Just in case. But when I turn my head, the instructor takes off, forcing my feet to run and keep up with him before we jump.
My eyes squeeze shut, but the air rushing in my ears forces them open, curiosity too great to ignore.
My eyes swell with tears, the beauty so overwhelming I don’t know what else to do. I grip the safety bar and stare in awe at the life below me. Nothing else in this moment matters. Not my mother’s threats, my fear of the past, or my anxiety of not being able to follow this new dream William helped me find.
Instead, I focus on the euphoria coating my skin, making me feel as though I’m on top of the world.
This is what it’s like to be a butterfly.
This is what it’s like to be free.
I was justthousands of feet in the fucking air, with nothing but a guy at my side and a bar to hold on to. My heart was in the back of my throat, threatening to bleed out from my ears, but I did the damn thing and fuck if it didn’t feel good.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m never doing it again, but it’s an experience I will remember for the rest of my life.
Unfastening my vest, I rip it over my head, handing it to my guide before finding Amora, picking her up and letting her wrap her legs around my waist. I know we don’t have to pretend here, but I’m not pretending. Not anymore.
I thread my hands through her hair on either side of her face and crush my mouth against hers. I ignore Spencer’s whistles as I show her exactly how much I’m infatuated with her. How I mean what I say when I tell her I’m hers. She moans in my mouth, tightening her arms around my neck and kissing me back just as desperately, saying things with her tongue that she can’t say out loud.
And I’m satisfied with that. For now.
“Alright, once everyone is down, we are headed to the paintball arena.” Lily winks at Amora when I finally release her, slowly dropping her to the floor, a blissful smile on her face. “Let’s take pictures and load up.”
We make it to paintball a few minutes early, but the instructors let us go ahead and suit up, describing the arena and dividing us into teams. Guys versus girls. Spencer tries to protest, but Lily laughs. “Um, sir. Just because I’m a lamb now, don’t forget the lion I used to be.”
This coerces a laugh from those of us who remember all too well the hell this girl used to put Spencer through.
He purses his lips but agrees. “Maybe I can get a little bit of healthy payback.”
I glance over at Remy kissing Blaze before he tells her to try and stay hidden, and turn to her side if anyone aims at her because it will make her a smaller target.
“Wanna make a bet?” Amora appears at my side, her eyes the only thing visible through her mask.
“You know it, sugar.”
“I get more hits on you, you’re on your knees tonight. You get more hits on me…” She trails off, leaving it open for me to decide.
I smirk even though she can’t see it, an idea blooming in my head. “You sleep without me.”
Her eyes narrow, and she crosses her chest. “What kind of bet is that? I wanted something freaky.”
Shrugging, I blow her a kiss through the mask and turn to join the guys at the back entrance. No matter what, I’m winning. She may not be able to tell me how she feels yet, but she can show me. I need to know I’m not the only one.
The announcer blows a whistle, and the metal gate swings open. We grab the loaded guns lying at our sides and enter, hiding behind the fences on our side. Two of Spencer’s classmates get cocky, trying to fan out against the far wall, but the girls must have anticipated it, and clip them in the face as soon as they enter their side.
“Dammit! Sorry, man!”
