by Bella Jewel
“It ain’t about what’s beneath you, it’s about what’s above. You would never have had the chance to see this, if you didn’t do the climb.”
I could cry, that’s how damned happy I am right now.
“It’s incredible.”
“You’re fuckin’ incredible.”
I dare to look down and see how far I’ve come, it’s scary as all hell, but with Rhett behind me, I don’t feel so afraid.
“Now, Emily is goin’ to lower you down. You gotta trust her, gotta trust Lake. I can’t come with you on this part, but you’re goin’ to be fine. Do you trust me?”
I swallow, looking down.
I nod.
“I just want you to sit on the edge, close your eyes, and when you feel ready, just slide off. It’ll feel like you’re flyin’. Don’t open your eyes.”
I nod again, and then turn to look at him. He has a harness on, too, and his rope is attached to Madden down below, who is hanging onto it, looking up. I take another moment to admire the beauty from up here, proud that I made it.
“Thank you,” I say.
He reaches over, running his thumb over my bottom lip. “Anytime.”
Then, I close my eyes, hang my legs over the side and take a long, deep breath. I hear Lake tell Emily we’re good to go, and when she calls out that it’s okay, I slide off the edge. The rope takes hold of me right away, and Rhett is right, he’s always right ...
It feels like I’m flying.
“THAT WAS SO DAMNED fun,” Kara says over lunch later that day. “I could so easily do that again.”
“Once I unfroze, it was pretty good,” I admit, biting into my sandwich.
“Rhett going up there to save you though. Damn girl, I wanted to throw myself off the side so someone would come and save me. That was so hot.”
I roll my eyes, flipping her the bird.
She laughs.
“What are the afternoons plans?” Grace asks, biting into a piece of apple. “I am pumped up, I could go all day after that.”
“I think we’re doing some sailing,” Maria answers. “Then another fire.”
Sailing? That’ll be so fun.
“Elias told me we can jump off the sailboat and have a swim, which will be nice because it’s super hot,” Maria goes on.
“God, yes, that’ll be nice,” I agree, leaning back into my chair, so content.
My eyes find Rhett’s, and he gives me a look that makes me all tingly inside.
I can’t wait.
We finish up our lunch, have a bit of a rest and then spend the entire afternoon on the sailboat, laughing, drinking, swimming. It’s the best day I’ve had since being here, and that’s saying something because I’m certain each day is the best. There hasn’t been a single moment where I haven’t laughed or felt so good inside I never want to leave.
When the evening rolls around, we sit by the fire and roast marshmallows, drinking even more, and talking amongst ourselves. The guys are currently busy, so it’s just us tonight, but I’m loving every second of it. It has been a great bonding experience for all of us.
“We should go check out that barn while they’re not here,” Taj says, plucking a marshmallow off a stick with his teeth and chewing it. “Tonight is the night.”
“Fuck yeah,” Rick agrees. “Let’s fuckin’ do it.”
“You guys are going to stay in there?” I ask.
“Yep,” Taj grins. “You remember where he said it was?”
“I do, I made Enzo tell me where it was,” Kara says. “And I’m up for the adventure. Let’s go!”
“Lead the way!” Nathan stands.
Well then. I guess we’re doing this. We all take our drinks and stand, disappearing into the night to find this mysterious barn. Grace and Maria have decided they’ll be on watch to make sure the guys stay there, so they go on a hunt to find a tent to stay in. There is no way in hell they’re entering the barn.
It doesn’t take us long to track it down, and when we do, we all stand in front of it, staring in awe.
“Fuck,” Rick says, looking at the eerie old barn.
I peer up at it. In its day, you could see it would be a grand old place. It’s situated behind the main house, down a long path, behind a heap of thick trees. It sort of sits on its own, parts of it collapsed from time and weather, the other part still standing. Bits of old timber make up its structure and two huge barn doors at the front have been padlocked closed.
I could sit here for hours and write, just staring at this place. All the things it has seen, all the stories it could tell. A creaking sound has me jumping and shuffling closer to Kara. “I have to admit, there is no way in fuck I’d go in there now,” she tells me.
I laugh nervously.
Me either.
“Fuck, are you sure about this?” Nathan asks Rick suddenly less enthused.
“Don’t be such a fuckin’ pussy,” Rick scoffs. “It’s an old barn that hasn’t been used, the stories are just stories. Come on, let’s take this bottle and drink until we pass out.”
Taj looks back at us with a grin, then they all walk to the front of the barn. None of us follow, I’m not going near that place. The stories are definitely myths, but that doesn’t mean this place isn’t haunted, or at the very least, might collapse on us. Nope, I’m good right here.
We probably should do the adult thing and tell the guys to come back, but watching them hesitantly walk toward it is kind of funny.
“Imagine the rats and snakes in there,” Emily calls.
They all pause, looking back at her.
“Go on,” she continues. “Don’t be scared, ladies.”
Taj flips her the bird and then they sneak through an opening in the wood, one that has just deteriorated over time. I can see their flashlights as they go in, noticing they stay very close to the opening. A loud shout is heard a few seconds later, and Nathan comes running out through the gap, swatting at himself.
We all lose it laughing.
“Get it off, get it off,” he shouts, waving his hands all over the place.
“I told you they couldn’t do it,” Kara taunts. “Girls.”
“Fuck you, Kara,” Nathan shouts, and then after a few moments, goes back in.
I shiver, it’s so damned eerie. Poor guys.
Grace and Maria arrive with their tent, pitching it outside the barn before setting up a few chairs, pulling out a bottle of vodka and making themselves comfortable. We join them, laughing at the sounds coming from the barn and enjoying a drink with them.
I have a few too many vodkas, and of course, gain some liquid courage.
I should go and find Rhett.
He did tell me earlier I should come and find him later if I get the chance.
I tell the girls I’m going for a walk, to which Kara proceeds to act out a humping motion and Emily nods, mouthing ‘go girl’. I roll my eyes and leave them by the barn, drinking and laughing.
I figure they’re safe enough.
I walk up to the main house, stumbling just a touch because oh boy, am I drunk. You don’t fully understand just how drunk you are until you’re walking in the fresh air trying to get your bearings. I make it to the patio of the house and I can hear commotion inside. I walk up, curious, and peer through the window to make sure I’m not interrupting something.
I can’t see anything at first glance and after trying the front door and realizing it’s locked, I figure maybe they don’t want visitors. Curiosity gets the better of me, and I move around to the side of the house and peer through the window where I see Rhett, Enzo, and Elias all standing around a man who is sitting on the sofa, only he’s not sitting there by choice. Madden is standing behind him, his hands firmly on his shoulders and Lake is walking around with what appears to be a crowbar in his hands.
I blink, not sure what I’m seeing.
When the man on the sofa turns, I gasp.
His face is bloody and his entire body looks black and blue with bruising.
I pres
s a hand to my mouth and find myself unable to look away as Lake raises the crowbar and brings it down over the man’s knees. His screams echo out the closed windows and I scurry backward, hitting the railing. I turn and rush as best I can, making it to the stairs where I proceed to tumble down because I’m moving so fast.
I fall down one, two, three, and land on the ground with a thump.
My shins burn and my ribs ache, a small fall but god damn, it hurt.
I push up onto my hands and knees, groaning as I stand and dust the dirt off my legs. Just as I do, the front door unlocking catches my attention. I launch into the bushes beside the stairs, heart racing. If they see me, after what I just saw, I don’t know what will happen. My mind is racing, who are these people? Who the hell are they? Why were they beating that man? I close my eyes, trying to calm my trembling body as I listen to the voices that fill the quiet night.
“He’s not talkin’,” Rhett says, his voice gruff.
“He’s not goin’ to, whoever he works for is obviously a fuck load more powerful than us and he’s a hell of a lot more scared about what will happen to him if he talks, he’s willin’ to die. That says something.”
That’s Enzo.
“We need to find a way to get him to talk, we need to know who is involved in this shit.”
What shit? What shit?
“I’ll lock him up, get Madden to find out what he can, see if there is somethin’ we can use against him.”
“Do that, I’m goin’ to check on our guests. We can’t be doin’ this shit while we have them here, if one of them sees, this entire thing will come crashing down.”
“Got it, boss.”
Footsteps disappear back inside and then I hear shuffling as someone moves down the stairs. It’s Rhett, and I hold my breath as he walks past me, thankfully not looking down. He goes toward the cabins. Shit, he’s probably looking for me. I try to think quickly and stand, scurrying toward the barn as fast as I can, falling twice as I do. When I reach it, I can just see Rhett approaching the paddock to cross it over to the cabin.
“Hey,” I call out.
He pauses and turns, squinting his eyes as he tries to see where I am.
“I’m here, at the barn,” I call out.
God, quick thinking might have just saved me here.
Rhett walks toward me and when he reaches me, he glances down, eyes narrowed. “What are you doin’ out here?”
“I, ah, I wanted to say goodnight to Porky.”
God, I’m a terrible liar.
“You wanted to say goodnight to a horse?”
His voice is skeptical, and if I don’t think fast, he’ll start wondering if I might have seen or heard something.
I giggle, it’s fake but I know how to put on a good show. I took drama in school and was damned good at it. “I had a bit too much to drink, I think I got a little lost if I’m being honest. At least I know where the barn is, I was going to do a direct run toward the cabin from here when I saw you walking over there.”
He seems to relax a little. “You go to the house?”
“God no, and risk you seeing me like this?”
That seems to work.
“How much have you had to drink?”
“Enough that I tripped over and hurt my knees,” I admit.
“C’mon, let’s get you to the cabin and I’ll take a look.”
He takes my arm, a little more gruff than usual, and we walk back to my cabin. It’s quiet when we get in, and he glances around at the other cabins, narrowing his eyes. “Where is everyone?”
“Still at the fire last time I checked, they were walking back soon so they won’t be far off.”
He nods and I open the door, stepping inside. Rhett closes the door and immediately goes to the kitchen where he comes back with a first aid kit. I take a seat on the sofa and look down. Oh, I’ve got some blood running down my leg, I must have hit my knee harder than I thought.
“Shit, I’m so clumsy,” I murmur.
Rhett kneels in front of me, kit in hand. His hand runs up my leg as he lifts it, placing my foot on his knee. I try really hard not to whimper with delight, because man, seeing him in front of me, fixing me up like this, it’s hot.
I’m also drunk so there’s that.
I watch as he cleans up my knee and then puts a little bandage on it before placing my foot back on the floor. I could whine out loud, because I wish that went on for a whole lot longer than it did, but I don’t. I just watch him stand, put the kit away, and then come back over with a glass of water. A glass of water. Swoon.
“Drink this or your head will hurt in the morning.”
“You’re too nice to me,” I murmur, laying back on the sofa and exhaling.
“Drink, Lei.”
I do as he asks, I lift my head just enough to drink a sip of the water he still has in his hand, then I lie back down and close my eyes. I must drift in and out, because I feel him sit beside me, his hand running through my hair softly, before a warm mouth and scratchy beard touches my face as he kisses my forehead.
Then I hear the door close.
Well, I royally fucked up his plans for the night, didn’t I?
I wonder, though.
Who is Rhett, really?
That’s a question I might just have to find the answer to.
10
I wake later in the evening, a quick glance at my phone tells me it’s 11:46. I sit up and rub my face, my head already starting to pound. Me and vodka don’t mix, and I always wake up with a killer headache. I push to my feet, needing my bed and another glass of water. I move through the house quietly, getting some water and then going to Kara’s room to see if she’s back yet. That girl can party.
I look into her room and see that she isn’t in her bed. This doesn’t surprise me, it’s typical of her. I go to Emily’s bed and see a bulge beneath the blankets, so she made it home. Kara is probably out there getting her freak on with one of those handsome guys. I can’t say I blame her. I head to my room and close the door, falling into bed after placing my water on the nightstand.
I don’t wake again until the sun comes soaring through my window because I didn’t close the shades. With a groan, I roll to my side pulling my pillow with me. Today we’re supposed to be doing some big hike and really, I could just go lie beneath a shady tree after getting a massage. I wonder if I can convince the group to do it tomorrow?
I sit up with a groan, stretching.
When I go out into the kitchen, Kara is sitting on the sofa, head slumped forward, snoring slightly. Wow, she got far. I make a coffee for her and walk over, placing it on the coffee table with a glass of water and two Tylenol. Then I poke her. She snaps her head up and looks at me, glassy eyed. Oh boy, she had a big night. “Coffee, water, Tylenol. Then you need to go to bed. What time did you get in?”
She rubs her eyes. “God, like one am.”
“Jesus,” I say. “What were you doing?”
“We went for a night swim, and just partied really. The guys stayed in the barn, and we got bored of sitting there so we walked around the ranch a bit. I started making my way back here after that. It took me a while to make my way back, let’s just say I stopped and vomited more than once.”
Ew.
Poor girl.
“Well, I’ll go chat to the others and try to change today’s schedule. Go to bed.”
“Good idea,” she murmurs, standing and taking the supplies to her room.
I have a shower, get dressed, and drink my coffee before heading out of our cabin and checking to see if anyone else is back in their cabin or if they actually went through with the dare. I find their cabins empty, so I make my way toward the spooky old barn. In the light of day, it’s a lot less scary. The run-down old place just looks like an abandoned building that has seen some pretty bad weather.
I go to the tent and peer in to see Grace and Maria both asleep, as well as Nathan and Rick in next to them. They’re all out of it, sound asleep. Chickens, they couldn’t e
ven make it one night without running out. I guess we win this bet. But where is Taj? I narrow my eyes and look toward the barn, and then hesitantly I walk over. I’m not going in there, if I can’t see him then it’s just too bad. He can stay in there.
I’m not stepping foot in that haunted freak show.
I reach the gap they climbed through last night and peek in, at first I can’t see anything, and then I notice Taj laying on the ground, a blanket covering him. I guess he is the only one not scared, the poor guy probably passed out. I step back and move away from the barn, it’s giving me the creeps. I will leave them sleep a little longer, I’ll go and talk to Rhett and see if I can change today’s plans.
I slowly make my way toward the house, taking the time to stop and watch the cows graze and the horses run through the fields. I’m just passing through the main paddock when Rhett comes galloping down on Diablo, the two of them coming toward me with the rising sun behind them. My god, what a picture. I watch as he pulls the horse to a stop and looks down at me.
“What are you doin’ up so early?”
I shrug. “You’re asking me, I have no idea either. I must be crazy, because my head kills. But, the fresh air is helping. I just wanted to ...”
I pause, not wanting to tell him that everyone is camping by the old barn. I’m not certain that we’d get into any trouble because of it, but I can’t be sure either and I don’t want to risk it so I say nothing.
“Go for a walk.”
I finish my sentence with a raise of my shoulders, and then look to Diablo. “Good morning, my angry prince.”
He snorts at me.
I reach out my hand.
He snaps at it.
“I will win you over,” I mutter, pulling my hand away. “How do you saddle him up when he’s so damned feisty?”
Rhett looks down at me, a slight grin on his face. “He knows better than to mess with me, he don’t know that when it comes to you so don’t be tryin’ to pat him when I’m not around.”
“He’s a horse, they’re flight animals. They’re not aggressive by nature, I refuse to believe he’s going to hate me forever.”
