Fall from Love

hesitation.
    She puts the phone back up against her ear. “Yeah, we’re in,” she says and then pauses. “Oh, um, let me check.”
    She cups the phone again. “Carter will be there. Are you okay with that?”
    I give her a quick glance and nod.
    “Yeah, we’re in,” she says, speaking back into the phone. “We’ll be there around seven-ish.”
    She sighs after she hangs up and leans her head back against the seat. “God, that was so amazing. I can’t get over how fun that was.” Her head falls to the side and I can tell out of my peripheral vision that she’s looking at me. “Did you really have a good time? It seems like I’m the only one who’s going on and on about it.”
    “No, I thought it was awesome.” I smile. “Thanks again for doing it with me.”
    “No problem. I’m not sure what I would enjoy more, skydiving again or hearing you sing at Sterling’s on open mic night.” She sighs again. “I’ve wanted to hear you sing again for months.”
    A sharp pain hits my heart, knowing that I will have to keep my end of the deal, but also knowing that overcoming that fear is going to take a miracle.

 
     
    Chapter Seven
     
    Your sacred space is where you can find yourself again and again.
    ~ Joseph Campbell
     
    CARTER
    We’re watching some stupid shit on T.V. when Josh’s phone rings. Before he even picks it up, he gets this shit-eating grin on his face and I already know that it’s Jenna who’s calling. In the back of my mind, I’m wondering if Holly actually stuck with her plan for today and went skydiving.
    It only takes a couple seconds after he answers before I know that they have actually done it. Jenna is screaming through the phone, telling him every little detail and how much of an adrenaline rush she got from it. I want to roll my eyes when he whispers into the phone and says something about giving her another rush the next time he sees her. I’m about to walk out of the room so they can talk dirty to each other in private, but then he says something that causes me to stop on the edge of the couch. He invites them over for dinner and I’m unable to move as I wait for their answer.
    “So, with Carter, it will be the four of us; is that cool?” he asks.
    A pain stabs my heart and it makes me feel like shit that he even has to ask that. With how she reacted to seeing me last week, I guess I can see why he does, though. He still has no idea that we’ve had coffee or talked on the phone last night. He holds my stare, then gives me a nod and I feel the pain in my chest slowly disappear.
    He sets his phone down and shakes his head. “Damn, I can’t believe they actually went skydiving. I don’t know if I would have the balls to jump out of a plane, but damn if it’s not wicked sexy that she did it.”
    “Yeah, it’s pretty cool,” I say, staring at the floor. My thoughts are distracted with thinking how it will be between me and Holly tonight. I can’t help but be anxious about seeing her again.
    “Why are you looking at me like that?” I ask when I feel him staring.
    “I know you pretty fucking well. You know that, right?”
    “Don’t even start giving me shit, man.” I stand up and make my way to the kitchen.
    “Why didn’t you tell me?” he asks, following me.
    “Tell you what?”
    “You weren’t talking in your sleep last night; you were talking on the phone with Holly, weren’t you?
    “What are you talking about?” I ask and I’m not sure why I’m being so defensive.
    “Don’t be a jackass. You can’t deny it. When I talked to Jenna this morning, she said she heard Holly talking to someone really late last night.”
    “Do I have to tell you everything I do?”
    “Didn’t know it was a secret is all, but I know what you’re trying to do,” he says, standing his ground.
    “Really? And what is that?” I’m curious to know what his peanut-size brain has come up with.
    “You’re trying to stop yourself from feeling the guilt. I know you’re still beating yourself up about what happened that night, but you need to let it go, man. It wasn’t your fault. You and everyone else on the team know that it wasn’t your fault. There’s nothing you could’ve done to save him. It was an accident, man. A terrible, tragic, fucking accident.”
    “Why would you even bring that up right now?” I glare at him, and then look around to find something to chuck at him.
    “I told you, man. I know you. I know you feel some sort of guilt for the shit