Chapter 13
thirteen
Ava eyed me with suspicion. We exited her car at the open field where I’d be climbing into a basket attached to a massive balloon and hoisted in the air by gas from a giant flame. Normally, I’d assume it was a look of concern or to make sure I wasn’t about to run for it, but she’d been looking at me like this ever since Tripp dropped me off after our zoo trip. It was as if she had a sixth sense that something had happened between us. Not that anything had happened. He’d held my hand and calmed my fears. That was all. Or at least that’s what I keep trying to tell myself.
“Liam sent over the footage from the zoo.”
“Oh?” I asked, pretending to be as nonchalant as I could.
“The zipline ride looked fun. I still can’t believe it was your idea.”
“What can I say? I’m a regular daredevil.”
“Weird how the footage is all from Tripp’s perspective, and it’s all you.”
“Well, he was the one wearing the head camera. I’m sure the audience will be disappointed.”
Ava shook her head. “We’ll fix that today. I’m just dying to see video footage of Tripp swooning over you.”
I rolled my eyes. “Let’s focus on the job at hand. And keeping me alive.”
“I think Tripp is all over you,” she said. I ignored her innuendo.
There hadn’t been any prep work for the hot air balloon. Liam and Tripp both agreed that if I could handle the bungee jump and the zip line, I’d be fine in a hot air balloon tethered to the ground. I hadn’t argued. As much as my heart and body were begging me to spend more time with Tripp, my common sense and self-preservation prevailed. My daydreams of spending hours tangled up in him didn’t need to add any fuel to that fire. I just hoped the crush would pass before we finished all these challenges so I could go into one without having a dirty dream about Tripp beforehand. Last night, I’d woken up twisted in my sheets after dreaming that I’d finally tasted his kiss. I really wish I had more control over my dream self. She was getting me into all kinds of trouble—even if it was all in my head, it was still distracting.
The Take the Leap crew, Liam, Tripp, Kyle, and a few others I didn’t recognize were all gathered in the field. They stood in a semi-circle around the balloon, which was slowly being inflated by massive fans. In my research, I learned this was called cold inflation. Apparently, the balloon needed a burst of cold air before the burners were turned on. I’d tried to understand the science that made it work, but the more I read, the less it made sense. I’d never been a fan of math or science. I’ll stick to words and art, thank you very much.
Two large fans filled the black and red striped balloon while two men held it open. Take the Leap’s logo was emblazoned on both sides of the massive nylon ball. It was fascinating to watch it go from a big flat envelope to a round-ish balloon. The burner made a loud whooshing sound as it roared to life. Within a minute, the balloon lifted upright, pulling the basket along with it. More workers stepped in to help right the balloon. This felt like such an elaborate process just to capture content for a video. Especially considering we weren’t actually planning to fly anywhere.
“Wow.” Stepping back from the crowd, I could see just how massive the balloon was.
“Impressive, right?” Tripp asked. I hadn’t noticed him walking toward me.
“I feel like this is all too much for what we’re doing. This must cost a fortune.”
He waved off my comment. “We have a few rides booked for later this afternoon and into the evening.” He already had his hat and camera strapped on. The green light indicating that it was recording was lit.
I asked, “How many balloon adventures do you all do?”
“We typically have a few each month. We decided to invest in our own balloon a few years ago and started taking it to local festivals to help promote the business.”
“Have you been up in it?”
He nodded. “A few times. My sister Lydia’s fiancée proposed to her on this one last summer. I haven’t been on it since.”
“Romantic. And terrifying. Probably more terrifying than romantic. At least for me. I’m sure your sister loved it, seeing how y’all jump out of a plane once a year.” I was rambling. My nerves were getting the better of me. “Are proposals common on these things?”
“Yes. We actually offer a proposal package. It’s a sunset ride complete with champagne and roses.”
“Has anyone ever dropped the ring?”
He laughed and shook his head. “Let’s hope that doesn’t happen.”
I wanted to ask if the balloon had ever experienced any mechanical issues or run into trees or power lines, but decided to wait until I was safely back on the ground.
We watched the balloon rise to its full height together. Tripp stood so close to me; I could feel the heat radiating off of his skin. My fingers itched to reach for him. I didn’t dare move a single muscle. I wasn’t in complete control, and if I let myself slip, I knew there’d be no going back.
“We’re ready for you, Tripp,” the man inside the basket said.
“That’s Elliot, the pilot,” Tripp said.
He held out his hand, offering it to me. I hesitated but let my hand fall into his. He gave it a gentle squeeze and held on as we made our way to the basket. I listened closely as Elliot explained the process to me. He showed me how to get in and out of the balloon. He must have sensed my nerves because he spent several minutes going over how the tethers worked and how many there were. Five. One for each corner and one at the bottom. Then, he introduced me to the four men who’d remain on the ground and mind the tethers. We’d be going up about 120 feet, which was just a bit higher than the zipline, but the ropes allowed for 150 - 200 feet.
Tripp introduced me to each of the men on the crew. I gave each of them a firm handshake, saying, “Nice to meet you.”
“We’re ready when you are,” Elliot said after he finished going through the safety procedures. He turned his attention back to the balloon and the burner, which he’d use to take us up and bring us back down.
I looked at Liam, who was staring at me as if he expected me to have another emotional breakdown. I didn’t plan to, but with me, you never know. “Do you have all the cameras ready? Do I need one of those?” I pointed to Tripp’s head cam.
“No, we’ve got a few inside of the balloon and Elliot will also have one. They’re already filming.”
“All right. Let’s do this, then.” I didn’t want to put this off any longer. The more time I let pass, the more I’d give into the rising panic. I gripped the edge of the basket and stuck my foot into the bottom notch, just as Elliot had shown me. I lost my balance a bit when I threw my leg over the edge.
Tripp moved to steady me. His hands gripped my waist and helped me finish climbing in. “Thanks,” I said in a husky whisper. He climbed in with ease and stood beside me.
“Ready?” I nodded and then immediately shook my head. Fear bubbled in my stomach. Heat rushed up my neck and into my face. The loud woosh of the burner dulled in my ears as my heart raced.
Not again . I closed my eyes and leaned back against the basket. Bracing myself, I took a few calming breaths. Everyone had assumed the hot air balloon ride would be easier for me than the bungee jump had been. In theory, it should’ve been, but the idea of being off of the ground and floating toward the clouds sent a shudder of panic through me.
“I’ve got you, Sadie,” Tripp said those words in that voice again. I wanted to melt into him. I wanted to let go of every single fear that gripped me and hand them over to him. I wanted to give in to the daydreams and fantasies, but I didn’t.
Instead, I plastered on a weak smile and said, “I know.”
I had sunk back into the corner, putting more distance between us than I wanted to, and nodded at Elliot. Let’s get this over with . He pulled the lever and sent a fresh burst of blue flame into the balloon. The basket lifted along with the balloon. I lost my footing for a second but regained my balance before Tripp could react. We rose slowly into the air. I kept my gaze locked on the basket floor. It felt like we were in an elevator, which didn’t exactly comfort me.
“I’m okay,” I said to Tripp pre-emptively. It wasn’t the full truth, but it wasn’t a complete lie. I didn’t dare look up at him or meet his gaze, but I could feel him watching me.
The ride up was smoother than I expected. When we reached the desired height, above the visible tree line but not the full length of the rope, Elliot backed off the burner. We hovered for a moment. The wind gently rocked the basket. When it felt like we’d stopped moving, I loosened my death grip on the basket and allowed myself to peek over the edge of the basket. The view was breathtaking. Trees and hills for miles. Clear blue sky. It was picture-perfect.
As long as I didn’t look down.
I didn’t plan to look down.
But Tripp took a step toward me. He placed his hand over mine on the edge of the basket. He moved his fingers to interlace with mine. Once again, the desire to let him offer intimacy and comfort took over. I spread my fingers and let his fall between mine. He curled his knuckles, and I let my guard down just enough to allow myself to really feel the pressure and heat of his skin on mine. I leaned into him and gazed out over the horizon. This wasn’t so bad. The view was breathtaking, and being next to him brought a sense of calm to me that settled deep into my core. For the briefest of moments, I forgot we were here for work. I imagined this was a romantic date, and we were more than co-workers or friends.
Then out of nowhere, a gust of wind rocked the basket and caught me off guard. I lost my grip on the basket. My feet stumbled backwards. Panicking, I shifted my gaze to where my hand was supposed to be, and my eyes dipped down. I looked straight at the ground. I saw how tiny Ava, and Liam, and everyone were. Even the cars looked tiny. There was no way we were only 120 feet in the air.
My knees buckled and I collapsed to the bottom of the basket. Scooting back into the corner, I dropped my head to my knees. Blinking back tears, I tried to take slow, deep breaths but they came out in gasps. Tripp knelt beside me and put his hand on my back.
“Sadie?” he asked, his voice filled with tenderness. “Breathe, Sadie. I’m here.” The sincerity in his voice sent a surge of calm through me, but it did little to break through the wall of panic I hid behind.
“Can we go back down? Now? Please. We’re too high. What if we fall? Or the basket breaks? I need to be on the ground. Please?”
I felt him tense beside me, but he didn’t move. He remained knelt next to me with his hand on my back. Then he said those three words again, and I was completely and utterly gone. This crush was going to be the death of me.