Three Amazing Things About You(86)

‘You don’t have to do it, you know. You can cancel.’

‘Not going to happen.’

‘You’re terrified.’

This was true. When she’d first said she’d do the jump, she’d been so sure she wouldn’t be scared. But that was before Joe had said jokingly, ‘Whatever you do, don’t Google skydiving accidents.’

Because Googling skydiving accidents really hadn’t helped.

The recurring dream – except it wasn’t a dream, it was a nightmare – had started that same night.

‘I can feel your heart racing from here,’ Rory said now. ‘Seriously, you don’t have to put yourself through this. You’re allowed to change your mind.’

Tasha shifted the angle of the laptop so he could see the screen showing her fund-raising page. Since setting it up, the donations had kept rolling in, thanks to Joe and Rory shamelessly tapping up their friends and colleagues in the City.

‘It’s up to eight and a half thousand pounds. I’m not backing out.’

‘Is that what’s bothering you?’ Rory drew her against him so her head was resting on his shoulder. ‘Seriously, don’t even think about it. If you tell everyone the skydive’s cancelled and offer them their money back, I guarantee not one person will accept it.’

Oh God, it was so tempting. The details of the top Google searches were by now pretty much tattooed on Tasha’s brain. One man had died when his harness became detached during descent . . . a skydiver had plummeted to her death after her chute failed to open . . . a student and instructor had both died during a tandem jump as a result of equipment malfunction . . .

She shook her head. It was no good; she’d said she’d jump out of a plane, and she was going to do it if it killed her.

Although fingers crossed, it wouldn’t.

She straightened up, closed the laptop and met Rory’s hazel-flecked green eyes. ‘Hey, we’re doing it. No way am I backing out.’

The deep roar of the engines reverberated in Tasha’s ears as the plane soared into the air. Sunlight streamed in through the dusty windows and she had to close her eyes for a moment. It was finally going to happen. When they reached twelve thousand feet, the door would be opened and people would start throwing themselves out through it.

Everything felt the same as it had done before, except this time it wasn’t a dream.

Her eyes were still closed when she felt Rory’s fingers entwine with hers, and the warmth of his breath in her ear.

‘Still time to change your mind.’

Tasha opened her eyes and smiled; he was doing the jump for the sheer thrill of it, because he wanted to. It simply didn’t occur to him that he could die. She squeezed his fingers and said, ‘Still doing it.’

‘It wouldn’t make any difference to me. You know that, don’t you? I love you whether you jump or not.’

‘I love you too.’ They were both wearing plastic goggles; it wasn’t the most romantic of kisses, what with the sides of the goggles clashing together, but just for a second it made Tasha feel better.

‘Look happy,’ said one of the instructors, holding up a camera. ‘Today’s the big day!’

Tasha hoped it didn’t turn out to be the day she vomited with fear all over her borrowed blue jumpsuit.

Up and up they went, on their way to twelve thousand feet. Which hadn’t actually sounded too bad until someone else remarked cheerily, ‘Can you believe it? We’re two miles up in the air!’

Two whole miles. Ridiculous. Oh God, and now her scalp was starting to prickle with fear . . .

‘OK, let’s get ready now.’ Her designated instructor, the one to whom she would be attached for the tandem jump, moved towards her. His name was Graham, and he looked like a jolly farmer. Tasha let him double-check the safety harness she was already wearing, then fasten her to his front.

‘Remember what you have to do?’ said Graham.

They’d watched a video and he’d given her all the necessary instructions on the ground. Tasha nodded; she’d never paid so much attention to anything before in her life. A few feet away, Rory’s instructor was clipping and fastening himself to Rory, who grinned and gave him a thumbs-up.

See? Not a care in the world.

Then someone shouted, ‘Open the door,’ and two people beside the cargo hatch raised it. Without a moment’s hesitation, they dived through and vanished from view.

Now the tandem jumpers made their way towards it, walking awkwardly in their tethered pairs, and sitting down as they approached the gaping hole. One woman began to hyperventilate and scream that she couldn’t do it, and her instructor moved her out of the queue.