Insider (Exodus End #1)(118)
Author: Olivia Cunning

Without warning he wrapped his arm around her waist and lifted her toes from the floor before diving sideways out of the plane and taking her with him.

The first moment of free fall always stole his breath, but then the wind caught. Flying and falling at the same time. Adrenaline surging. Heart pounding. And then the overwhelming feeling of being alive hit him. It was that feeling that kept him coming back for more.

“Oh my God!” Toni yelled. “Oh my God!”

“Did you pee your pants?” he teased.

“I’m not sure. But this is amazing!”

His heart soared. She, she was amazing.

“God, I love you,” he said, wrapping his arms around her and squeezing her from behind.

“What?” she yelled. The wind rushing past their ears as they plummeted howled and made hearing difficult.

“I said, I love you!” he shouted.

She stiffened in his arms. “Don’t say it if you don’t mean it.”

“I do mean it. I love you, Antonia whatever-your-middle-name-is Nichols!”

“I love you too!”

Her confession should have terrified him far more than the ground rushing toward them, but it didn’t. It thrilled him beyond any free fall he’d ever experienced. Maybe love was the adrenaline rush that had been missing from his life all these years.

“But I’m very mad that you told me now!” she yelled.

Surprised, he craned his neck to try to see her face, but it was useless in their his-front-to-her-back position. “You are?”

He thought she’d want to hear him say it.

“Yeah,” she said. “I can’t kiss you. You have no idea how much I need to kiss you right now.”

He did have an idea, actually. “Next time we’ll jump separately, so we can kiss all the way down.”

“Deal!” A few seconds later her hands clutched at the flapping fabric of his sleeves. “Logan?”

“Yeah, baby?”

“Aren’t we getting rather close to the ground?”

They were. He yanked his ripcord, and there was, as always, that brief instant of terror when he wondered if the chute would come out. If it would open. If it would catch. There was something addictive about that feeling too, knowing he might be meeting his maker soon. The wind caught their chute, and their bodies jerked as their acceleration slowed abruptly.

Toni commented on the scenery as they soared back to earth. But Logan’s mind was racing.

What had he done? He’d told her that he loved her. Was he insane? They weren’t ready for this step. Hell, he wasn’t sure he’d ever be ready for this step, but he definitely wasn’t prepared to love her after less than two weeks together. He had to be completely nuts. Or he’d been caught up in the excitement of the free fall. That was all.

They touched down smoothly, their yellow-and-blue-striped parachute drifting past them and settling on the grass. His hands were shaking as he unfastened her harness from his.

“Did you enjoy skydiving?” he asked.

“I loved it!” As soon as the last clip came free, she turned and threw herself into his arms. “That was so much fun. I’m so glad you forced me to jump.”

“I’m stoked that you want to go again.”

“Did you mean what you said?” she asked.

The smile dropped off his face. “Uh.” He shrugged, his heart trying to thud itself through his ribs. “I guess.”

He turned away and started pulling the chute toward himself.

Toni grabbed his arm and spun him around to face her. “Say it to my face,” she demanded. “Tell me while you’re looking at me, while I can see into you and you can see into me.”

His breath caught. Surely it wouldn’t take the courage afforded by a skydiving adrenaline rush every time he told her he loved her.

“I . . .” He took a deep breath, forcing himself not to close his eyes to her. Not to close his heart. “I love you, Toni.”

Her smile could have lit the heavens. “I love you too.”

May 13

He finally said it. He loves me.

Skydiving is awesome.

Sex after skydiving? I have no words.

Toni

May 14

Dear Journal,

The concert in New Orleans was really fun tonight. I got into the audience to record footage. I’m pretty sure my toes will never be the same after being stomped on dozens of times, but I think I finally get it, why every Exodus End show sells out. It’s because when you’re in that audience looking up at them, in total awe of their talent, you don’t feel like you’re just watching. You feel like you’re a part of them.

I’m so in love with their bassist.

In love with the band.

In love with this job.

I hope it never has to end.

Toni

May 15

Dear Journal,

It occurred to me today that I haven’t heard from Susan since that meeting in Denver. I guess that means she’s given up on taking my job. Not that I’d ever move aside for her—this is where I belong.

Tonight I’m putting head cams on all the band members so we can get a first-person perspective of what it’s like onstage. I’m really glad we bought extra cameras for the crew. This is going to be amazing!

Logan and the band are currently at some bar grand opening in downtown Dallas. Apparently it’s a big deal. I probably should have gone, but I’m burned out on promotional events and I know they are too. I’ll go to the after-party tonight, though. I have some new clothes to show off. Not sure how Reagan talked me into that leather corset, but it’s really cute. Jace Seymour’s girlfriend—Aggie—embroidered strawberries all over it. I’m going to wear a jacket with it because my boobs are so out there in that thing, but it’s definitely the most daring article of clothing I’ve ever worn in public.

I’m off to do some work now while I have a rare moment to myself. I have a ton of footage to sort through and will be collecting even more tonight.

Overworked-and-loving-it,

Toni

Thirty

The lounge door slid open, and Toni dropped her phone. She fell to her knees on the carpet, hunting for it.

“What’s going on in here?” Logan asked, grinning at her.

“Just face chatting with my sister.” She’d been caught acting silly, and her face flamed with embarrassment.

“Oh. It sounded like you were watching The Princess Bride.” He entered the room uninvited and settled on the sofa.

“Not watching it. Reading it. It’s Birdie’s favorite book.” Actually, as far as her sister was concerned, it was the only book. And since the road trip from Dallas to Albuquerque was so freaking long, Toni had plenty of time to read it to her.