Chapter 30 #2
Someone comes by me and clips a hook to the back of my harness, and soon I’m being lifted into the air beside the other girls.
Luna is on my left, and Bella is on my right.
Angel and Savannah are to her right, and as one, we’re all moved until we’re hovering over the water before the crane slowly lowers us at least a hundred feet away from the safety platform.
The first breeze that hits us forces me to sway back and forth, and my stomach bottoms out as I close my eyes tightly.
Oh fuck. Oh fuck. God, I hate this so much.
Alex addresses Shane as he reads off note cards. “Shane, what’s Luna’s last name?”
“Proctor,” he replies confidently.
There’s a slight delay before Luna’s pulled up about twenty-five feet or so. She wiggles for a moment, swaying from side to side, and my stomach turns as it takes everything in me not to look down. Holy shit, this is like my worst nightmare.
Landon is up next.
“How many siblings does Courtney have?”
My blood runs cold, not because Landon will get it wrong but because there’s something heavy about the way they bring up Lily. It could just be me being overly paranoid, hell, I know I’m being overly paranoid, but I don’t like it all the same.
“One, a sister,” Landon says.
I close my eyes in anticipation, then I’m yanked up to the same level as Luna. I can’t help but let out a little screech. Even if it’s closer to safety, I’m that much higher right now, and I want to throw the fuck up.
Alex chuckles. “How’s it going, Courtney?”
“Just dandy, I could be out here all day,” I snark.
Apparently that’s funny, at least to him. Alex laughs with his whole chest before moving to Connor.
“Where did Bella go to college?”
“Uhm, shit. Boston U?” Connor says, scratching the back of his head.
Bella drops about twenty-five feet, honestly maybe even more, as she shouts at Connor. “I didn’t go to college, asshole!”
Connor drops his head backward, looking to the sky as he shakes it before going to the back of the line. They haven’t recovered, at least from what I’ve seen, since the Angel incident, so I imagine things are extra tense right now, which makes this all the harder.
Noah gets his question about Savannah’s parents right; Mason gets his about Angel’s hometown wrong, and it circles back all over again.
Shane answers all the questions about Luna right, and she’s the first to make it to the platform, followed by me because thank fuck, Landon really does pay attention.
The instant my feet hit that landing, I unbuckle and kiss sweet land so fast.
Connor was able to guess Bella’s first car, but he missed her first pet’s name. What, are they going to ask for our social security numbers next? These questions feel like they’re from an email scam.
Noah and Mason miss the last one, which leaves all three other girls at the same level. The harnesses are swaying faster as the wind from the ocean picks up, and my stomach turns just watching them.
“Connor, where is one of Bella’s bucket-list places to travel to?”
Oh shit, he’s got this one in the bag. She talks about traveling literally all the time. France, Spain, Brazil. The list is extensive. He just needs one.
Of course, I have way too much faith in him. He stands there practically drooling as he attempts to think of a place.
“Um, maybe Hawaii?”
Alex looks at him expectantly before Bella’s rope drops.
“I’ve been to Hawaii! That’s where I got my ankle tattoo!” Bella corrects, irritation heavy in her voice as a crackling noise sounds.
I whip my head around to see her rope is fraying, and the way the wind is blowing her body around is only speeding up the process.
“Her rope! Move her! Quick!” I shout.
Everyone looks to Bella, and she glances up at the rope the second that it snaps. My heart drops as her scream fills the air. She free-falls, flailing desperately before landing on a sharp rock with a sickening crunch.
Angel and Savannah begin screaming as Luna and I jump back at the sound of Bella’s body hitting the rocks. There’s no question that she didn’t survive that fall. Her body is motionless, splayed out with red splatter surrounding her.
Connor almost throws himself over the cliff himself as he looks down at her, screaming and holding out his hand. “BELLA! NOOOOO!”
“What the fuck!” Shane mutters with his hands on his head as I stand there in shock.
Slowly, my gaze meets Landon’s. He’s wearing a similar look, shock laced with a heavy sense of confirmation that something is seriously wrong.
Savannah and Angel are still screaming as they’re slowly raised to the platform, while Alex steps in front of the camera with a regretful look.
“In the end, it looks like this couple’s match snapped under pressure.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Noah balks as we all stare at Alex in horror.
He doesn’t acknowledge us, though.
The instant the cameras are lowered, he fixes his cufflinks and nods to us. “See you all in a few.”
With that, he hops into a golf cart that takes him in the opposite direction of the house.
I feel completely numb. I stand in place for so long, I don’t even know how much time passes. My mind can’t fully comprehend what I just saw.
“What the fuck just happened?” Luna screams.