Page 100 of Resist

“You wouldn’t be the first to let it out on the way down,” the instructor said, clapping a hand on his shoulder.

“What happened on this bridge?” I asked Lucas.

“Not much. Noah nearly pissed his pants and Cori was seconds away from being committed to a psych ward.”

I flat-lined my lips and pulled the oh-shit face.

“Step aside, pansies,” Patsy said, moving Brad and Noah aside. “I’ll go first.”

Instructor guy smiled, his teeth nearly as colourful as Baz’s. “Good woman.”

He strapped Patsy’s ankles and helped her shuffle to the platform, and without any hesitation and with a double thumbs-up, she jumped after he’d voiced his countdown, my heart rate elevating at the sound of her descending scream.

“Right, who’s next?” He looked at me.

I shook my head. “No. I’ll wait.” I gave Lucas a nudge. “You should go.”

“Not a chance in hell I’m going before you.”

My brow furrowed. “Why?”

“Because I know you want to do this.” He leaned on the railing and looked down. “I also know there’s an excellent chance you’ll pike it the moment you step out onto that platform.”

“I will not.”

“I’ll go,” Matt said.

And just like Patsy, he, too, leapt from the tower.

Before I knew it, only Lucas, Brad, and I remained, Brad strapped up and facing me, his back to the open fall.

“You’re going backwards?”

“Yep.”

I covered my face with my hand. “I can’t watch.”

“Try singing the Oompa Loompa song,” he said. “It helps.”

Spreading my fingers to peek through them, I watched Brad fall backward while singing, “Oompa Loompa, do-ba-de-dooooooooooooooo” all the way down until he dipped into the water.

“Now that’s a first.” The instructor shook his head with a smile then stepped back from the railing and extended his hand. “Right, you’re up next.”Oh, shit! Why the hell did I suggest we dive off an eighteen-storey tower?

“I’ll go last.”

He glanced over my shoulder at Lucas and nodded. “No, you can go now.”

I turned around and glared at Lucas, but he was all dimples as he kissed me and coaxed me forward.

“Fine.” Shuffling forward like a penguin about to piss itself, I took the instructor’s hand and placed my other hand on the railing. “Oh shit, it feels so much higher when there’s nothing in front of you.”

“It’s all an illusion, love.”

“What … the bungee cord or the fact I’m even standing here? Because I’d much prefer the latter.”

“You’re definitely standing here.”

I let out a strangled laugh. “Yay.”