Page 83 of Cloudy With a Chance of Bad Decisions
Lingering at the back of the group, I could feel my apprehension growing with every person that leapt across the water. Joe was at the front, stalking forward like a hound on a hunt. He didn’t stumble, blue eyes focused on the path.
By the time it was my turn to cross the creek I could hardly breathe, I wasso stressed out.
Don’t fall, don’t fall, don’t fall.
Waiting till last had not been the smartest idea. I’d attracted far too much attention standing frozen, letting the gap between me and the person ahead of me grow wider and wider. Across the water, Joe’s adoring eyes found mine. He gave me a thumbs up. A gesture that I’m sure was supposed to be encouraging, but wasn’t.
It only made the pressure climb higher.
I was a grown-ass man well into his thirties—this should not be so hard for me.
I was so fucking frustrated with myself.
The creek was only ten feet wide. And at most was three to four feet deep. I could swim. And even if I couldn’t, standing on flat feet on the creek bed would easily keep my head and even my chest above water. And though logically I knew this, fear still wrung its fingers tight around my throat, compressing my airway.
What if I slipped?
What if I fell?
What if I didn’t go at all, and proved to everyone—including myself—that I was a coward? Fuck. Why had I decided to come on this goddamn hike? There was no choice I could make that would save me from potential mortification. And the only person I could really blame was myself. Sure, Mom had urged me to come, but I’d been the one who said yes. I knew she wouldn’t have actually forced me to.
At least…I hoped?
Anyway.
There was nowhere to go but forward. Steeling my nerves, I took a big breath.
“You’ve got this!” Roderick yelled, sincere but humiliating. I wasn’t a kid. I didn’t need encouragement.
Alex was already on the other side, having been one of the first to make the journey. He didn’t yell or give me a thumbs up like Joe had. And when I made the mistake of meeting his gaze, I could see real, genuine concern flickering in his pale blue eyes.
Maybe that’s what made me finally move.
The fact that—and I hated to admit this—I had the feeling Alex would make sure I was okay by the end. He’d pinky promised.
Besides, Icoulddo things.
Even though my brain sabotaged me sometimes, I’d survived every one of its treacheries.
“One step at a time, George,” I murmured before taking a deep breath. “Just move forward.” The first rock was easy enough, barely half a foot from the shore, and not slippery in the slightest. The second was just as effortless. The third was less flat, but ultimately not horrible. Halfway across the creek, my spirits began to lift.
This isn’t so bad.
I can do this.
“Hell yeah! Go, Arthur, Go!” Roderick yelled, another misguided attempt to be supportive. Unfortunately for both of us, his words startled me, and I wobbled. Shit. Without thinking, I glanced up at the crowd, which turned out to be another mistake.
Ten feet away on the other bank, Alex was watching me like a hawk. A lock of dark hair had slipped onto his forehead, sticking to the sweat beaded there like he was stocky-Clark-Kent. Expression creased with concern, Alex took a hesitant step toward me. His gaze dropped to the water and his eyes went comically wide, eyebrows shooting up.
What was he?—
I followed where he was looking, terrified of what I might find. I’d definitely never seen Alex makethatface before.
There. In the water.
Gliding smoothly near the surface with its head poking out about a foot from the rock I had been about to cross onto.
A snake.
