by K. G. Reuss
She laughed softly, her leg brushing against mine as Mason slid over more, sandwiching her between us.
“Ready?” I asked, putting the truck into gear.
“Ready! Let’s go fight some bears!” Ava whooped from the backseat amid our laughter.
“I hope you chicks brought a change of underwear,” Mason called out.
“Why?” Ava asked.
“We’re doing something a little… different,” Alex said carefully.
I caught his eye in the rearview mirror. He grinned.
“I thought we were going camping?” Lexy looked between me and Mason.
“We are. After we have an adventure first.” I patted her leg, hesitating before I lifted it.
“Travis, what are you planning?” Lexy demanded.
I laughed and shrugged. “Something you’ll never forget.”
“I swear…Mason, what’s going on?”
He gave her the same response before she turned and glared at Alex over her shoulder.
“Alexander Matthew Hale, I swear if you don’t tell me what’s going on right now, I’ll call Mom and Dad and tell them it was you smoking weed in your room and not Jesse. That poor kid got grounded for an eternity because of you.”
Alex laughed loudly. “Go on. This is so good it’s worth their wrath.”
She scowled and folded her arms over her chest, her bottom lip jutted out.
“It’d better not be dangerous,” Ava said. “I won’t go if it’s dangerous.”
“Same,” Lexy agreed.
“Honey pot,” I murmured, nudging her. “Remember? You’re being challenged. The punishment for not following through could cost you more than you’re willing to give. And I think you know what I’ll ask for.”
Her skin flushed, and Mason chuckled, no doubt having heard me over Alex and Ava’s argument in the backseat as she tried to persuade him to tell her what was going on.
The rest of the ride was spent in quiet banter as we drove out of the city and toward our destination.
Two hours into the drive, I pulled the truck off and approached our adventure. When I turned into the parking lot, Lexy froze, her eyes wide.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Ava yelped.
Mason and Alex roared with laughter as they piled out of the car, Ava hot on Alex’s heels.
“Are you serious?” Lexy rasped, her eyes locked on the sign in front of her. “You know I’m scared of heights, Travis.”
“Terrified,” I corrected her.
“Why?” she whispered.
“Why what?”
She tore her gaze from the sign and stared me down. “Why is this what you planned knowing how I feel about heights?”
“I wanted an adventure with you, honey pot. You turned down my first request. I figured this would be a good way to—”
“Punish me?” she choked. “A punishment?”
“No, sweetheart,” I said gently. “A way to have an adventure with you we won’t forget.”
I didn’t say anything else as I got out of the truck. Everyone gave me nervous looks, no doubt wondering if Lexy was going to charge out of the truck and bust me in my nuts.
When she did come out, she didn’t look at me. She only flipped me off.
There she was. My sweet, beautiful little enemy.
That’s all I was looking for. I wanted her back. I knew this would work.
Forty-One
Lexy
Skydiving.
Fucking skydiving!
That was where Travis had taken us. Camping trip my ass! We were at an air park where in moments, we’d be loaded into a plane and pitched out a door thousands of feet in the air with prayers on our lips.
“Are you OK?” Ava asked as I stood still as a statue, my heart in my throat.
We’d just run through a small course on how everything worked. Apparently, I’d be strapped to someone who knew what they were doing, and then we’d free fall from the plane and hope our chutes worked.
Nothing about it sounded fun.
“No,” I answered. “I’m so mad right now.” I shook my head, glaring at Travis who smiled back at me from across the room.
“Lex, you don’t have to do it.”
“I never back down from a challenge,” I whispered, my voice shaking.
Ava gave me a hug and murmured in my ear, “It’s OK if you do. No one will care. It’s just a stupid game. Let it go if you don’t want to do it.”
“I-I can’t let him win,” I choked out.
She pulled away and sighed. “I love you, but you’re nuts. This won’t prove anything.”
“It’ll prove he’s not in charge.”
Ava rolled her eyes but didn’t get to push me any further on the subject because we were called to harness up.
“Hi. I’m Derek.”
I stared at the late-twenty-something guy. “Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” I asked.
He gave me a big grin. “Absolutely. I’ve been doing this for years. This is my dad’s company. I was born with a chute on.”
“That’s reassuring,” I muttered as he held out my harnesses. I allowed him to fasten it to me, my eyes never trailing far from Travis who looked happier than a pig in shit.
“You’re nervous. It’s perfectly normal,” Derek said. “Just don’t push back when we get ready to jump. Let it happen. Let me control it, OK?”
“And what do I do?”
“Let me,” he said with a chuckle.
I nodded tightly as we walked to the small plane waiting for us.
“What’s your major in college?” Derek asked.
“Pre-med,” I murmured.
“Oh, cool. What kind of doctor do you want to be?”
“Emergency,” I answered back, my voice shaking as I waited for the other people I didn’t know to load into the plane.
Alex brushed a strand of hair away from Ava’s face as they spoke. I frowned, wondering what the hell was going on with them. Mason and Travis were laughing like they weren’t about to face death as they bullshitted.
I was so angry at Travis for this mess.
“Is he, uh, your boyfriend?” Derek asked, clearing his throat as he nodded to Travis.
“No. Just a pain in my ass.”
Derek chuckled. “Sorry. I don’t mean to be rude or inappropriate, but are you seeing anyone? You have a ring on your finger.”
I shook my head. “Not really. No. It’s for a class project.”
“Oh. Cool. Well, if you’d like to hang out sometime, I’d like the chance to take you to dinner.”
“Tell you what, if you don’t kill me today, I’ll think about it.”
He laughed again and handed me his card. At that moment, Travis glanced my way, a muscle popping along his jaw. I took Derek’s number and stuffed it in the pocket of my jeans, with nothing but the thought of pissing Travis off like he’d pissed me off.
A moment later, we were being ushered into the plane. Derek patted the spot between his legs, and I sat down, allowing him to fasten himself to me. He did a couple tests and tugs before deeming me secure.
Travis sat across from me with his partner. He locked eyes on me as Derek leaned in and spoke in my ear.
“Remember, just let the fall happen. Try not to tense up. Don’t pull or tug anything. I’ve got you the entire time, OK?”
I nodded, staring at Travis who still had a muscle working along his jaw.
“I’ll be sure you make it out of this so we can have that dinner,” Derek added.
I nodded again, swallowing hard as Travis’s gaze darted to Derek then back to me. I knew he could hear what Derek was saying. And I knew it pissed him off. There was something else there though. In me. Sadness. Desperation to go to him and tell him I was just upset. That this entire scheme of his upset me.
Instead, I simply peered back at him, hoping maybe we’d both survive so I could kick him in the shin when we touched down.
Drawing in a deep breath, I twisted my head to check
on Alex who was holding Ava’s hand as she sucked in mouthfuls of air, her eyes wild.
“You OK?” I mouthed to her as the plane rumbled down the strip. She shook her head, her body trembling.
Alex reached forward and cradled her face, saying something to her I couldn’t hear. Mason grinned at me and gave me a thumbs up. At least he was doing OK.
Finally, I faced forward, looking at Travis. His eyes raked over me as I shook. Nausea twisted my insides as my head spun. I hauled in a deep breath and shook my head, biting back tears as I realized in seconds I’d be facing my biggest fear.
“Lexy,” Travis called out to me. “You can give up.”
My bottom lip trembled. A strange look flashed over Travis’s face as he rocked forward and took my hands in his.
“Give up.”
“Screw you,” I chattered out.
No smirk, only a nod.
“I hope you live so you can go on your date after we finish the semester.”
I didn’t say anything, nausea threatening to spill on my lap. There was so much I wanted to scream at him in that moment, but it would have to wait until my feet touched the ground again.
The guy with Travis tapped his arm, and Travis moved forward, releasing my hands.
“See ya at the bottom, honey pot,” he called out as he leapt from the plane.
I swallowed down the bile burning in my throat at his absence. Or maybe it was my impending death.
“Ready?” Derek called out over the rumble of the engine and the roar of the wind. I stared back at my brother whose eyes were round orbs and at Ava who looked like she might get sick, then at Mason who was still grinning.
“I-I can’t,” I answered, my legs trembling as we teetered on the edge. “Oh my god. I can’t do this!”
My entire body shook violently, and Derek steadied me.
“It’s a few minutes, Lexy. I’ve got you. When we get to the bottom, you’ll want to do it again. I promise you’ll be fine.”
“No. No. No,” I repeated over and over. “I-I can’t breathe.”
“You can breathe. Come on. Close your eyes.”
I cried out as Derek moved us closer to the edge, my feet dangling thousands of feet above the world.
“You’ve got this, Lex!” Mason shouted. I could barely hear him. “Kick Travis’s ass when you get down there!”
“Oh god. Oh god. Oh god! Please. Let me go. I want to go back!”
“No back, Lexy. Only forward.” And with those words, Derek launched us over the edge and into the blue sky.
I screamed the entire plummet.
Forty-Two
Travis
I watched as Lexy descended like a weeping angel. The moment they hit the ground, she peeled the harness off and was straight up sobbing.
I’d never seen her cry like that before. She was in a panic, hysteria taking over. I rushed to her as she stumbled toward me. I swallowed hard, waiting for her fist to connect with my face. Instead, she threw herself on me, clinging and saying my name on repeat.
“Travis,” she wept. “Travis.”
“Hey, baby, what’s wrong?” I asked, wrapping my arms around her and holding her tightly to me. To hell with everything else, including the challenge. She’d taken it on, even when I thought she’d back down.
But I expected that.
What I didn’t expect was her going up on her tiptoes and planting a kiss on my lips.
Her warm lips met mine, frantic and soft.
There was no hesitation as I kissed her back, swallowing down the groan that threatened to rip from my throat. I’d dreamed of kissing her again just to know if any of it was bullshit ever since the moment her lips broke from mine all those weeks ago.
Her fingers raked through my hair as I tugged her as close to my body as I could get her. I ran my tongue along hers, tasting her, savoring her.
“Honey pot,” I murmured against her lips when we stopped for air.
“I accept.”
“What?” I stared down at her in confusion.
“No hearts, Travis. Just us. Together. Until the end of the semester.”
“What?” A shockwave tore through me. “Are you serious?”
She nodded, her face pale and tear soaked. “Just don’t try to kill me anymore. I’ll do it. I’m yours for the duration.”
I laughed loudly, giving her a squeeze.
“But I’m scared, Travis. What if—”
I pressed my fingers to her lips and shook my head. “I swear everything will be OK. No what ifs. Just me and you and whatever happens. I swear I’ve got you. OK?”
“We should make rules—”
“The rules are simple. I’m yours, and you’re mine until the end of the semester. No falling in love with me. And I won’t fall in love with you. When the semester ends, we’ll divorce and move on. Can you handle that?”
She nodded, her bottom lip still trembling. I brushed my thumb along it.
“And we promise to be honest with one another. Even if it hurts.”
“Promise.”
“Wow. So this is it, huh?” I said, staring down at her in my arms.
“Guess so.”
“I guess I should’ve tried to kill you sooner.”
She shoved me away and rolled her eyes. I wasted no time in gently yanking her back.
“No, Mrs. Owens. You don’t get to walk away from me for a while longer yet.”
“Even then I won’t walk,” she shot back, a playful glint replacing the fear in her eyes. “I’ll run.”
I let out a laugh and released her because Alex was landing. He unharnessed and rushed to Lexy.
“You OK?” he asked, his eyes sweeping over her. She nodded, and he looked to me.
“It’s cool. I’ve got her.”
Alex gave me a quick nod and darted over to where Ava just landed. The moment she was free, she hustled to him, flinging her arms around him. We watched, neither of us touching, as the two embraced.
“That’s weird,” Lexy muttered.
“I think they’re dating.”
“No they aren’t. Ava would have told me. So would Alex.”
I shrugged, knowing not to correct her. A few moments later, Mason came careening to earth.
“Fuck yeah!” he shouted, a massive grin on his face. “Round two, bitches!”
“Go to hell, Mason,” Ava grumbled, sagging against Alex. We all laughed.
“Are we going camping?” Lexy asked as we strolled back to the facility to return our gear.
“Of course,” I answered.
“No more weird bullshit?” she pressed.
“Well, maybe tonight,” I whispered in her ear so only she could hear me. Her skin flushed, turning me on.
Tonight.
I couldn’t wait. Having Lexy beneath the stars suddenly became my top priority. This plan was turning out better than I thought it would.
Forty-Three
Lexy
The guys set up the tents for us, each of us getting our own. We sat around the bonfire later that night. Travis and I kept our distance from each other. I didn’t know what came over me when I’d landed in that damn field, but I’d rushed to him and told him I accepted his challenge.
Part of me knew it was because I was far too competitive for my own good, the near-death experience from earlier a shining example of the lengths I’d go in order to win against him, but I also knew curiosity was winning. Everything Travis had said to me that night in my room and the following day had rushed back to me as the landscape grew closer.
And for some reason, all I could do was focus on getting to him when we landed.
The rest was history.
Ava was the first to proclaim she was tired. She’d drunk a lot and stumbled off to her tent. Alex watched her go before he got to his feet and said he’d make sure she was OK.
I stared across the fire at Travis who was turning his marshmallow over on his stick, a thoughtful look on his face. I was exhausted and glanced to my tent. My fluff
y sleeping bag and pillow were calling my name.
“I’m going to go to bed too,” I said, getting to my feet.
Travis glanced at me. “Night.”
I stared back at him for a moment, wondering if that was all I’d get.
Mason looked between us, his eyebrows raised.
“Right. Night. Thanks for trying to kill me today. I’ll remember it always.”
“You’re quite welcome, sweetheart,” he returned, biting into his marshmallow, eyes locked on mine.
Mason chuckled. I rolled my eyes and stomped off to my tent. If this was how this whole real-fake marriage was going to be, then maybe it wouldn’t be so terrible.
I hurriedly changed into my tank top and sleep shorts before crawling into my sleeping bag and curling up. I dozed off only to be awoken by someone entering my tent.
“Travis?” I called out in the darkness as his large frame filled the small zippered entry.
“Yeah,” he answered in a loud whisper. He crawled across my sleeping bag and lay beside me on his back.
“What are you doing?”
“Everyone’s sleeping. I checked.”
“So was I.”
“Sorry. I just had to talk to you.”
“About?” I was already on my side, facing him as he stared up at the roof of the small tent.
“You. Me. Us.”
I shifted in my bag, wondering if he was going to back out. Did that count as a victory for me if he did?
He rolled over and faced me. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
“I said I did, didn’t I?”
“Yeah, but you were under duress.”
I snorted. “I’m in. Losing to you isn’t an option.”
“Likewise.”
We both grew quiet as we stared at one another in the dim light. “Try not to fall in love with me, Mrs. Owens. Because I’m not that kind of guy. I won’t be able to love you the way you need.”
I swallowed hard at his admittance and nodded. “Your ego is bigger than your dick.”
He snorted, his body shaking with laughter. A moment later, his hand cupped my cheek as he became serious again. I wasn’t sure how he did that—go from laughing to being serious in a split second.