style="font-size:15px;"> I love each and every one of you; you’re all inspirational and fantastic. I also want to thank my lovely agent Sarah for letting me be part of #TeamManning and everyone at HQ for helping this book come alive. Super Secret Writing Group, you are all kickass at what you do and I’m thrilled to know you all. And finally, it may seem strange to thank fictional characters, but THANK YOU Cleo Jones and Scott Robinson. Thank you for popping into my head and not leaving me alone until I wrote your story down, from beginning to end. I’ll miss giving you guys new adventures to go on, but I’ll certainly never forget either of you.
This book is for you, reading this dedication right now and about to dive into one of my books. Maybe
it’s your first, maybe it’s not; it doesn’t matter. What matters is that you’re reading it, and I can’t thank
you enough for doing so.
Life is a funny thing, isn’t it?
Some days, it carries on as normal: you go to work, do what you have to do, then come home and put your feet up with your favourite box set.
And some days, you put on a red jumpsuit and throw yourself out of a plane.
Today is definitely one of the latter days for me. I crouch near the edge of the plane, an instructor strapped to my back, and try not to think about how the next few seconds are going to play out. As the nerves begin to take hold, I glance up at my best friend Emma, who’s standing opposite me. She looks almost as scared as I feel, but flashes me a thumbs up nonetheless.
‘Ready?’ she yells, struggling to be heard over the plane’s ear-splitting engines.
‘As I’ll ever be!’ I reply, nodding my head.
Emma’s instructor announces that they’ll be going first, which only succeeds in making me feel even more terrified. Going first means getting it over with, whereas I’ll have a few more seconds to panic before launching myself out of a plan at 12,000 feet. As Emma shuffles to the edge, preparing to do her jump, I resist the urge to close my eyes. This is supposed to be a fun, exhilarating experience, but now I’m regretting ever having written it on my bucket list.
Emma tumbles away, her whooping and cheering quickly swallowed up by the brisk morning air. Acid rises in my throat; I feel like I’m going to be sick.
‘Are you OK?’ Tommy, my instructor, leans forward to ask the question in my ear. ‘Honestly, there’s nothing to be afraid of. I’ve done hundreds of these jumps and nothing’s ever gone wrong. Well, apart from that one time where I nearly forgot to put my parachute on, but just ignore that.’
I crane my neck round to look at him, feeling my heart drop to my shoes. ‘That’s not really doing wonders for my confidence, Tommy …’
He shakes his head and chuckles. ‘I’m only joking! Are you ready to go?’
‘Not really,’ I admit with a weak smile. ‘In fact, I’m bloody terrified!’
Tommy gently nudges me closer to the edge and my stomach does a series of somersaults. I can’t imagine throwing myself out into oblivion, not knowing where I’ll land. Why I ever picked this to add to my bucket list is anybody’s guess.
‘Perfect time to do it, then!’
I look back just in time to see him grin before we’re out of the plane and amongst the clouds.
*
As terrified as I was before the jump, the feeling of actually doing it is incomparable. There’s a small moment where I float through the sky with Tommy strapped to my back, before we prepare to make our descent. I feel utterly euphoric and terrified in equal measure; I’ve never enjoyed not being in control, but there’s something unique about being amongst the clouds.
Elation spreads through my body as we come to land. For as much as I enjoyed the sky diving experience, there’s nothing that quite beats being on terra firma. Tommy separates us and helps me out of the ridiculously huge jumpsuit.
‘Thanks for that!’ I say, slipping my helmet off and flashing him a smile. ‘That was … amazing.’
I notice his cheeks pink up and he looks at the ground for a moment before his gaze returns to me.
‘Oh, it was nothing,’ he replies. ‘I do loads of these every week … not usually with someone as pretty as you though.’
The blush on his face deepens to scarlet and he rubs the back of his neck as he awkwardly avoids my gaze. I’m not sure where to look myself; my mouth opens and closes as I try to think of the right thing to say.
‘Um … I … Thanks, I guess!’
Very smooth, Cleo.
Tommy smiles, showing off his pearly white teeth. ‘I don’t suppose you’d fancy going for a drink after this? There’s a nice little pub just down the road. Invite your mate too, if you like.’
It’s my turn to blush, as I feel a crimson heat sweep over my cheeks. I run a hand through my hair, which has become a tangled mess thanks to the sky dive, and look up at him.
‘Tommy, I’d love to but … I have a boyfriend. Sorry.’
He nods and I see his smile falter a little. ‘Of course you do. I should’ve known really. He’s a lucky guy, whoever he is.’
He does an awkward little wave and heads off towards the air base. I make my way over to Emma, who’s now been divested of her jumpsuit and untangled from her equally cute sky diving instructor.
‘You and Tommy looked cosy,’ she says with a wink and nudge.
I shrug and avoid her gaze as best I can. ‘He asked me out for a drink, but I said no. Told him I have a boyfriend.’
I don’t have to look at her to know her bright smile has faded. The sigh of disappointment is all the confirmation I need.
‘But you don’t,’ she says gently. ‘Not anymore. It’s been a year since Scott left, Cleo. Going out with someone else might be good for you.’
I take a deep breath to keep my emotions in check, hiding them behind a reassuring smile. ‘I’m fine as I am, OK? I don’t need another guy in my life.’
My best friend doesn’t look convinced and fixes me with a knowing stare. ‘Don’t close yourself off completely to the idea. It might not have worked out with Scott, but that doesn’t mean someone else can’t sweep you off your feet.’
I nod and pretend to agree with her as we head back towards the air base. Somewhere deep inside me, an all-too-familiar dull ache makes itself known once again. The ache that’s been here for the last year, since the man I thought was the love of my life walked away for the very last time.
*
When Emma and I get back to Silverdale, our beautiful hometown nestled in the Lancashire countryside, we make ourselves presentable and head to the Bell and Candle for a well-deserved drink.
