Page 83 of Starrily

So she put on a brave smile, pushed her sunglasses up, and exited the car. “And Theia?”

“They have pet care. She’ll be well looked after.”

“All right.” She took a fortifying breath. “Let’s do it.”

Callie took many more fortifying breaths in the next hour as they made their way to the ziplining complex, then to the top of the tower, where the lines stretched all the way to the other side of the canyon. Callie shifted between two states: being reasonably calm, since she did believe the activity was safe and Simon would be there with her, and wobbling on her knees as ifshe were about to take the most important exam of her life and she’d under-prepared.

They picked up their harnesses and pulleys, and the operator affixed them to the line at the top of the tower. The view was already plenty adventurous for Callie—but aside from being slightly nausea-inducing, it was also awe-inspiring. The wide gorge of the canyon spread before her, with the river snaking between the rocks far below.

“Here we are.” Simon, also being strapped in, stepped behind and hugged her around the waist. “You okay?”

“Uh,” she squeezed out.

“A bit of nervousness is normal,” he said. “I always feel the tingles just before the drop, too. Don’t worry. I’ve got you.”

A countdown, a push—and suddenly she was flying. The wind whooshed around her ears, and for the first few seconds, Callie thought she’d drop to her death.Close your eyes! Close—

And then, a calmness overcame her. There was no more fear—just freedom. A smooth glide through the air; Simon’s hands, warm and comforting around her waist; the wind, blowing in her face, bringing life; the walls of the canyon, passing below in peace and quiet. She released the breath she’d been holding, and when she breathed anew, that breath was filled with joy and serenity.

Life really could be so wonderful.

They landed on the other side, and the staff came to help unhook them. Callie’s knees buckled, but only from the surprise of having firm, hard ground under her once again.

Simon’s chest fell and rose rapidly from excitement as he shook out his arms and legs. “Oh, hell yes!” He turned to her, and a bit of caution crept into his eyes. “How was it?”

“It was … great. Fun. It was fun.” She felt like her blood was on fire—and she loved it.

“Yeah?” A wide smile spread across his face. “Good. Because we have one more to go.” He nodded to the side, where another set of lines stretched diagonally across the canyon. “Think you can take it, Phoenix?”

She smiled back. “I’ll race you.”

His eyes widened. “I see. Challenge accepted.”

They moved towards their respective lines and got strapped in again. Callie moved into a sitting position and cracked her neck.

“Three, two, one,” the operator counted, and they were released. Simon moved a split second sooner, and Callie caught him raising his arms in the air as he whooshed down the line, howling from excitement. Not far behind, she picked up speed as she glided into the heart of the canyon, and as the tingles from the start faded and the liberating feeling took over, she, too, raised her hands in the air. She couldn’t believe she’d been missing this her whole life.

She couldn’t believe she’d been missinglife.

Simon touched down a second before her, and more guides came up to release them from their harnesses.

“Look at her go,” Simon said when they reunited. “I’m proud of you.”

She took off her helmet and shook out her braids. “What’s next?”

“Oh. Our astrophysicist has a taste for adventure now,” he teased. “We could return to the cabin via bus, but …” He raised a challenging eyebrow. “We could also take a hike.”

“I feel like stretching my legs.”

“Well, then.” Simon executed an exaggerated bow. “The canyon is at your disposal.”

“That trail was way harder than it should be.” Callie unlocked the door to their cabin and leaned on the nearest object that could offer her support—the console table.

“You need to work on your stamina.” Simon shook his hair out, letting a few drops of sweat and grains of sand fly. “Good exercise, though.”

Callie took in the cabin. The main room had a decently spacious bed set against a log wall, with a few amenities—a small TV and a coffee maker. It was rustic and cozy; all it needed was a fireplace and a snowstorm outside.

For now, though, Callie was mostly hot. Hot and sweaty.