Like a Monkey
. . .
Cade
Ellie Darling had an impressive set of lungs.
My ears rang long after my feet landed on the next tree’s platform, and I yanked my and Ellie’s carabiners along the overhead cable.
“Oh my god, oh my god,” she repeated nonstop, trembling against me like a leaf while her grip around my neck bordered on strangling. “We’re alive.”
“Hey. Loosen the choke hold,” I wheezed, patting her arm.
“Oh!” She let up instantly. “Sorry.”
I resisted the urge to rub my neck, instead keeping a swift pace over planks and more bridges. I could just see Harrison and Madison climbing a ladder on their obstacle course ahead of us, but we were gaining on them.
Hauling ass with Ellie clinging to my front felt ridiculous—like running with an awkward human fanny pack—but I didn’t have time to question it.
But at least she’d been honest in her app profile; she was actually terrified of heights and snakes.
I leapt between platforms, only stopping long enough to transfer our carabiners to a new safety line.
With how the course was set up, we got closer to the ground the further we went.
I cleared another plank bridge with ease, balanced across a thick tightrope while holding on to the safety line, and swung us along a line of hanging ropes.
She clung to me like a monkey every step of the way.
The final obstacle was to swing down to the grass below, and I warned Ellie not to let go right before I jumped. She squeezed my neck hard enough that my vision blurred by the time my feet finally touched the ground.
Fletcher dropped shortly after us, with a disgruntled Candace plucking leaves out of her hair behind him. Piper and Vlad were hot on their heels, though Piper’s face was alarmingly green.
But Harrison and Madison were already celebrating just feet away, having beaten us by seconds.
We’d lost.
I peeled Ellie’s arms off me and muttered a string of curses, while my brother swung his wife around with a victory cry.
My frown deepened.
Show-off.
Meanwhile, Ellie was all smiles.
“Holy macaroni, we’re alive. And we did it!” She jumped up and down, grabbing my arms and shaking me. “Oh my gosh, I can’t believe we did it. That was incredible. You were flying across those planks!”
“I’d hardly call it flying—”
She flung both arms around me, making me stiffen. “You were amazing, Cade. So fast, even with me weighing you down.”
I forced a stiff smile. “Not fast enough. We still lost.”
“So? I’ve never done anything that cool in my entire life.
It was exhilarating.” She pulled back, practically vibrating with adrenaline as she laughed.
Her quick switch from terrified to giddy gave me whiplash.
“Not that I even did anything—it was all you—but not dying on the spot when I faced off against that snake should count for something, right?”
I stared. She thought she’d faced off against the snake?
“Well done, everyone!” Lovejoy hustled along a makeshift trail behind us, catching up to the group with a small number of crew in tow. “Now wasn’t that a rush? Who feels a new sense of freedom?”
Most of the others were smiling—with Ellie popping her hand up—and even Candace shrugged as she plucked another leaf from her hair. “It was fine, I guess.”
“Wonderful,” Lovejoy said, still smiling. “Today wasn’t necessarily a competition, but I saw the fire it brought out in each of you. You’ll want to hold on to that for an activity on the last full day of our retreat.”
“Is it the Love Olympics?” Madison gasped, clasping her hands. “Please tell me we’ll get to do the Love Olympics! It’s my favorite series on your channel.”
I frowned. That sounded cheesy as hell.
“You guessed it!” Lovejoy beamed. “Yes, we have a ship-friendly version of the Love Olympics planned. It’ll be loads of fun, with a dash of competition between couples.”
“Well, Maddie and I obviously have that in the bag already,” Harrison said under his breath, making me squint.
“I’d save the trash talk until after you see what awaits you in the games, Harrison.
” Lovejoy winked, sweeping an arm toward the forest behind us.
“But, for now, let’s move our retreat back to the yacht.
You’ve earned some relaxation, then I have a few topics I’d like to discuss with you ladies while an old friend of mine speaks with the gentlemen. ”
I was finished listening to anything she or any of her friends had to say, but arguing wasn’t the play right now. Especially not when the others all happily started walking toward the beach.
“Come on.” Ellie reached for my hand and pulled me behind her. “I can’t wait to see Whiskey and tell him I fought a snake. He’s gonna freak out.”
She paused midstep, glancing down at our clasped hands, and quickly dropped mine. “Oh. Sorry, I forgot you don’t like—”
“It’s fine.” I took her hand back in mine like it wasn’t a big deal. But when Ellie continued to stare wordlessly at our hands, I rubbed my jaw. “You were right. It’ll be more convincing this way.”
She bit her lip, but nodded and began swinging our arms a little while we walked. It was so normal. Easy. Comfortable.
My thoughts zeroed in on how soft her hand was, and I almost missed my brother approaching.
Harrison walked over with his arm around Madison, all grins. “What happened back there, bro? Getting slower in your old age?”
I squeezed Ellie’s hand. “Give me a second. I need to go kill my brother.”
“Cade, hold on.” Ellie tightened her grip, leaning closer to whisper with a teasing smile. “Maybe wait until after I get paid before you contemplate murder?”
A small smile pulled at my lips. “Good to know your priorities.”
She laughed. “Says the guy who only stopped me from drowning so I’d help rebuild a sandcastle.”
My smile widened. “Touché.”
I sent my brother a rude hand gesture, which made him laugh, before walking with Ellie to the yacht with her hand nestled securely in mine.
I had to admit she was right. Even though we’d lost, it’d been… fun.
But I still swore that was the last race I’d ever lose to Harrison.