Page 19 of Starrily (Perks of Being #2)

Chapter 19

C allie loved her cat, but Theia was chaperoning her too hard.

The second day drew to a close, and after they left the lake, Simon led them to their next lodgings, where he, once again, got them separate rooms, murmuring something about “needing room for Theia anyway.” That, plus Theia’s little outburst at the lake, and Callie was getting a bit annoyed.

She was sure Theia wasn’t doing it on purpose, but still. All Callie needed was the right moment. One moment. And she couldn’t get it.

The third day opened with clear, sunny skies as far as the eye could see, perfect for a drive. And perfect to take the scenic route, as Simon turned off the interstate and onto a less traveled road, cracked from weather influences, and grainy and patchy from bits of sand blown over from the sides.

“I thought we could visit the good old Route 66,” he said.

“You did, huh?” Callie tried on a pair of sunglasses—ones Simon got for her yesterday—and fastened on a wide-brimmed hat.

“It’s on the bucket list if you need confirmation.”

She checked the tablet.

“ Devil’s in the details ,” Simon helped her out. “One six short, but close enough.”

“Liar. You added this between yesterday afternoon and now,” she said. “I would’ve remembered it when I crossed off ‘find gold .’”

“All right. I added it.” He wagged his finger. “Which is not forbidden! There’s no clause in the rules saying I can’t add items.”

“Because there are no rules.”

“Just the way I like it.”

She shook her head and put on some music.

“You won’t mind if we take a bit of detour, will you? At best, it will add a day.”

“I suppose the truffles were my fault.”

“Your idea , not your fault.” He quickly glanced back. “And you, Theia? Surely you won’t mind the scenic route.”

Theia only meowed.

As the afternoon hours of their drive added on, Simon veered to the north. “There’s a lodging I’d like to check out,” he said. “Cabins looked great in the pictures. And the food’s fantastic, apparently.”

They drove through a sparse forest of green pines and gold grass until the trees to the right cleared and a view opened up. Simon stopped the car. Callie took off her sunglasses and rose from her seat.

“Look at it,” Simon said. “The Grand Canyon. Now that’s a sight to behold.”

Callie ran out of the car and to the rock wall fencing off the viewpoint. Cliffs reached straight to the bottom, and valleys and crevices spread as far as the eye could see, shifting in layers of greens and oranges. From here, she could only see one small part of the canyon—and it still looked so vast, so easy to get lost in.

Simon joined her, and they enjoyed the view for a bit, then got back on the road. Soon, they reached their lodgings: a group of cabins, varying in sizes but similar in style with rustic facades combining logs, stone, and adobe. Simon pulled up to the main building, which looked like a hunting lodge enveloped in dark wooden beams, and headed in to get rooms. Callie turned back to Theia. “You get to sleep in a cabin tonight. How about that, huh? If that’s still not enough for you, I’ll get you your own room tomorrow.”

Simon came back out, looking serious. He scratched the back of his head as he approached. “I have good news and bad news.”

“Bad news first.”

“Really? You’re one of those people? Okay.” He shrugged. “They only had one cabin left.”

Callie’s heart skipped a beat, but she quickly calmed it down. If that was the bad news, Simon didn’t want them to share a cabin.

She sighed inwardly. This was why she didn’t want serious relationships. They were too damn confusing.

And this wasn’t even a relationship yet.

“And the good news?” she asked.

Simon handed her a brochure with a stunning picture of the Grand Canyon on the cover. A bright yellow font over the background of the deep blue sky proclaimed, Grand Canyon Zipline .

“You and I need to work out the meaning of good and bad,” she murmured.

“Sorry?”

“Nothing,” she said louder. “You can go. There’s enough time left in the day.”

“See, here’s the thing, Phoenix.” He leaned on the car door. “I want to go with you.”

She scoffed. “No. I can’t.”

“Take a look at the bucket list. What’s the first item?”

She didn’t need to take another look—she had it memorized. “Fly.”

“And you said it was our list.”

“Are you sure it’s a good idea? What if you phase out while you’re ziplining?”

“I’ll be fine. It won’t happen so soon again.”

“Soon? It’s been almost a week.”

“Right.” He cleared his throat. “Fate would have to really hate me with timing that bad.”

“If there’s anything scientists know, it’s that the universe loves bad timings.”

He opened the door and offered her a hand. “Come, Phoenix. We can zipline in pairs. You’ll be safe with me.” He gave her the sweetest smile. “Live a little.”

She promised herself she’d be brave. She’d need bravery in the future when she’d have to confront her past. This would be good practice.

And more enjoyable than what awaited her at the end of this journey.

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 if she 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 missing life .

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.

Simon walked over to the door across and peeked into the bathroom. “Fancy shower. Toss a coin to see who goes first?” He flashed a penny.

“Tails,” she called.

He flung the coin up, then caught it, covering it with his palm. “Heads. I win.”

Callie slumped. “Best two out of three?”

He tossed the coin again. “Heads.”

“Oh, come on. Three out of five?”

“Phoenix.” He approached, close enough that his jacket brushed against her. “If you want to go first, just say so.”

“Seems a bit unfair now.”

“Alas, life is often unfair.”

She lifted an eyebrow. “So I can go first?”

He smiled. “You may. As the confirmed coin toss winner, I’ll allow it.” He leaned on the console table. “Unless you want to go in together, of course.”

Callie, reaching for her bag, stopped. He still had that half-smile on his face, the one that was so frustratingly confusing and teasing—was he joking or not?

As she stared at him, his eyes widened. “Callie, I didn’t—”

“What if I did?” She stepped to him and looked him straight in the eye. It was a brave new day, and a brave new life. “What if I did want to go in together?”

He held her gaze wordlessly, and the corner of his mouth twitched. And then, in one fell swoop, he descended, his lips on hers; no more tentative and cautious, but bold, searching, drawing her in as if he wanted her life force itself. She tangled her fingers into his hair to secure him and hold him close while his hands lowered to her waist and then around it, feeling their way under her shirt and up the curve of her spine.

She never thought she could be so acutely aware of every touch and still feel like she was floating on clouds, enveloped in a dream. She slipped the jacket off his shoulders; one step toward the bathroom. He rolled her shirt up her waist and pulled it over her head; another step toward the bathroom. One more step—she untucked his shirt from the waist of his pants, and it joined hers on the floor. Another step—slam into the half-open door.

Simon broke the kiss and cupped her face. “Are you sure? You can still say no.”

“I’ve learned that I should say ‘no’ a little less.”

“Good.” He kissed her again. “Because I’ve wanted to do this for a while now.” He opened the door to the bathroom.

“You did?”

“I thought it was obvious.”

Wow, she really did suck at reading signs. “Then why did you keep getting us separate rooms?”

“I wasn’t sure what you thought.”

“Oh, no. We’re both dorks.”

He smiled. “Want to get into the shower together, dork?”

She reached her hands around his neck and lifted up for another kiss. Simon explored with his mouth, from her lips to her chin and down her neck, as a trail of clothes was made, shirts and pants and underwear, leading neatly toward the shower. She was vaguely aware of the refreshing spray of water on her skin; much more of the scorching left behind in Simon’s wake. Her hands traveled up his back, held onto his shoulders, then slipped in front, past the lean, muscled chest.

She’d never kissed in the rain, but she imagined it was a bit like this, as she looked up at him, and he looked down at her: droplets falling off his hair, now a deep, burnished red. And then he lifted her up and gently pressed her against the tiled wall of the shower cabin; she wrapped her legs around his hips and her arms around his neck, and as he smiled, everything was packed into that smile: passion and gentleness, sincerity and love, and always—that bit of mischief.

And Callie saw stars—not through a telescope, but floating around her, colliding and bursting and creating something new. A universe, just for the two of them, to keep and hold on to forever. There was no perfection in space, but it was here, on Earth.

With Simon.