Chapter 22
JULIA
T he ground blazed toward them at a dizzying speed as the rope buzzed through the open brake.
As they plummeted, Julia’s mind raced with fears for their safety, the dread of what lay below, and a fierce determination to protect Sierra.
Their speed increased, and Julia desperately tried to slow them as they reached the treetops, burning her hand as she tried to grab the rope.
They still hit the top branches harder than she would have liked, but seconds later any tension on the rope let loose. The anchor had failed, she realized, as she smacked into a branch.
Pine needles scratched her face as she fell, clinging to Sierra to stop her from falling.
After another smack into another branch, she stopped short, the rope she was tethered to becoming caught. The stop jolted her, shaking Sierra from her grip. The woman fell further until Julia grabbed her wrist, halting her fall.
She groaned as she swung in the air, her shoulder pulling with the effort to hang onto Sierra.
“Julia!” Sierra cried.
“I got you,” Julia said with gritted teeth. “See if you can find something to grab onto, okay?”
“Like a branch?” Sierra asked.
“Yep. We want to try to climb down.”
Sierra’s panicked groan told her she couldn’t find anything. “I don’t know.”
“It’s okay. We’re just going to have to drop down from where we are. I’m going to let go of you, okay.”
Sierra tightened her grip on Julia. “No!”
“Sierra, you’re not that far up, okay? Try to fall on your backside.”
“Are you saying I’m fat?”
“No, why would you think–”
“You said fall on my butt. Like it has so much padding, I can’t get hurt.”
“That’s not what I meant, Sierra. But I’d like to try to avoid a broken ankle or wrist. You may get the wind knocked out of you, but pull your legs up to your chest, okay?”
“Julia, no, don’t drop me!”
“Sierra, I have to. I’m stuck here. I’ve got to cut myself loose.”
They dangled a few more moments as the rain continued to fall and the rope creaked under their weight. The branch above her cracked, and they fell closer to the ground.
“Julia!” Sierra shouted, panic lacing her voice. “I’m not ready.”
Julia glanced up at the branch. “Whether you’re ready or not, we’re going to fall. The branch is breaking.”
“What?” Sierra screeched.
Before Julia could answer, a crack split the silence, and they plunged again, this time a short distance to the ground. Sierra landed on her rear end, while Julia smacked into the ground hard on her back. The impact knocked the wind out of her, and she struggled to catch her breath as she groaned.
“Julia?” Sierra called, her voice panicked. “Julia!”
A moment later, Sierra’s panicked face hovered over her. “Julia! Please don’t die!”
“I’m not dying,” she murmured with a wince. “I’m okay. I just got the wind knocked out of me.”
Sierra sat back on her heels as Julia pulled herself up to sit and retrieved the knife from her pocket. She cut the rope off her ankle which felt twisted after dangling from the branch.
Thunder continued to rumble, and rain fell in torrents. She glanced around them when the rain suddenly slowed.
“OMG, thank goodness. I can’t take any more rain.”
Julia’s eyes went wide as she recognized the coming danger. “We need to go.”
“Go where?” Sierra asked as Julia struggled to stand.
“Somewhere where we’ll be safe.” Julia ignored the screaming pain in her ankle as she tugged Sierra to stand.
“Safe from what?”
Julia ignored the question as she oriented herself. She scurried forward around the trees, tugging Sierra with her as she limped her way toward the only shelter she knew.
She rounded a rocky outcropping before she ducked and climbed into a cave opening. She tugged Sierra closer to her as she huddled out of the reach of the elements.
“Why did you make us–” Sierra started when a blast of wind bent the trees toward the earth as rain pounded down. Sierra clamped her hands over her ears as she pressed closer to Julia.
Julia wrapped her stepdaughter in a tight embrace as the microburst blew through the area. The howling wind sounded like a train barreling past them, but it was no match for the loud crack that shook the ground around them.
Seconds later, the opening to the cave started to close as rocks pounded into the ground. Julia tightened her grip on Sierra as she closed her eyes and buried her face in Sierra’s wet hair.
She held her close until the noise died down. When she finally lifted her face, the once well-lit cave had gone dim. Only a little light poured in from an opening in the rocks that had fallen and blocked their exit.
The damp air, mixing with the scent of wet earth and pine, clung to their skin, a chilling reminder of their predicament.
Shadows danced on the walls, creating an eerie play of light and darkness, as the muffled sounds of the storm raged outside.
Julia shivered, her senses heightened after the rockslide.
“Julia?” Sierra asked. “What happened? OMG!”
Her stepdaughter stared in disbelief at the rockslide. “We’re trapped!”
Julia eyed the once-open space wistfully. She wondered if they could climb out of the small opening. Maybe. She crawled toward it, trying to assess it before she decided it would be best to wait for help. One false move could collapse any hope they had of escape or of anyone finding them.
“It’s okay,” she said. “We’re okay. There’s still an opening. But we should wait for someone to help. We don’t want to cause another rockslide. And I can’t see what the outside looks like.”
”But–“
Julia made her way back over to Sierra, grabbing her hands in the dim light. “It’ll be okay. Luke knows where we are. He’ll make sure they find us.”
Sierra’s features twisted as fear coursed through her.
“Sierra, it’s okay. They’ll find us.”
“I’m really scared, Julia.” Sierra’s voice trembled, her words choked with unshed tears.
Julia pulled her into a hug as she settled back against the stony wall. Sierra shuddered against her. “It’s okay. We’re okay. You’re not alone, and most importantly, you’re not stuck on the cliff anymore.”
“Thank you for rescuing me, Julia.”
Julia gently stroked her stepdaughter's hair as Sierra nestled her head against her shoulder. “You’re welcome, Sierra. I never would have left you there.”
Sierra sniffled as she clung tightly to her.
“Are you okay?”
“No,” Sierra moaned.
“What hurts?” Julia asked.
“My heart,” Sierra answered.
“What?”
“What?” Sierra sobbed back.
“Sierra, are you hurt somewhere? Ankle, wrist, ribs?”
Sierra snuggled closer to her. “My wrist hurts a little, but it’s not too bad.”
Julia gently rubbed at the wrist Sierra had wiggled. “Feels a little swollen. You may have sprained it grabbing that tree.”
Sierra nodded, her face sliding against Julia’s wet raincoat.
“Are you cold?”
“A little.”
Julia shifted, tugging her raincoat off and laying it over her and Sierra as they settled against the wall again.
“Thanks, Julia. Even though I don’t deserve it.”
“What does that mean?” Julia asked as she slicked a lock of wet hair behind Sierra’s ear.
“It means I don’t deserve your kindness. And that’s why my heart hurts.”
A chuckle bubbled up from Julia as she tried to parse through the statement. “What are you talking about?”
Sierra sniffled as her shoulders shook with sobs. “I’m a horrible person, Julia.”
Julia craned her neck to glance down at her stepdaughter. “No, you aren’t.”
“Yes, I am. I’m horrible and awful. Just like my mother. And I’m going to end up all alone because of it.”
“Sierra, that’s not true. Where is this coming from?”
Sierra wiped at her cheeks. “It is true, Julia. It’s true. I’m horrible. I’m part of the reason you left this morning, aren’t I?”
“No, Sierra. That’s not true. It had nothing to do with you.”
Sierra curled her fingers into fists as she sniffled. “But–“
“It didn’t,” Julia insisted. “It was purely about what’s happening between me and your father. It was a stupid argument, and it had nothing to do with you at all.”
“But that doesn’t mean what I said isn’t true.”
“It isn’t. Why do you think it is?”
Sierra remained quiet for a moment before fresh tears spilled onto her cheeks. “Mom said…”
Julia rolled her eyes, trying to hold a groan inside at the words.
“Mom said it’s true. She said I’m awful, and mean, and terrible. And I’m hard to love.” Sierra’s shoulders shook again with sobs. “She said no one can love me.”
“That isn’t true, Sierra. Your father loves you very much. And James loves you. And–“
“But not you. Because I’m mean and awful. Just like she said. I’m like her. I’m like my mother. No, I’m worse than my mother.”
“No, you are nothing like Lydia.” Julia shook her head as she recalled the woman threatening to ruin her own daughter in order to secure her help to destroy Grant.
“Yes, I am. I was so mean to you when you came. I said you were just a bauble, and I accused you of cheating. And then…”
“What?” Julia said as she stroked her hair.
“You’ll hate me.”
“I won’t hate you, Sierra. Come on, what’s this horrible thing you did? It’ll make you feel better if you tell me so I can tell you that I still don’t hate you.”
“I can’t. You’ll wish you didn’t rescue me.”
“Now, that I can tell you is a lie even without hearing it. I’m very glad you are safe. I was very worried about you, and I’m glad you’re not on that cliff face anymore.”
“Even though you fell off a cliff to help me and probably got all banged up?”
Julia chuckled as she stroked her hair. “Yes, even though I fell off a cliff, I’m glad you’re safe. I don’t care what you think you did that’s so awful that I’d hate you, I could never hate you, Sierra.”
The woman’s features twisted again as she sobbed more. “That makes it even worse.”
“Why?” Julia asked.
“Because you’re too nice. Daddy’s right. You’re too nice. You put up with Kyle and me and–“
“I’m not putting up with you. I care about you. Now, are you going to tell me or not?”
“No,” Sierra murmured as she scooted closer to Julia.
“Okay, that’s fine. You don’t have to tell me.”