HARPER

It's as if Asher and I are trying to check off a list of things our parents would warn us NOT to do on this trip. We are now in a van with a stranger, driving up a winding dirt road. We are not even seat-belted as there are more people than seats in this van, but the music is fun and I'm not going anywhere with the grip that Asher has on my shoulder.

"Come closer," he shouts over the loud music and the older woman singing along next to me.

I have to laugh. I don't even think I could stop it if I tried. My cheeks hurt from the smile that's been on my face for the last twenty minutes. To say this portion of our adventure has been one ridiculous thing after another would be an understatement. Family after family has loaded into this vehicle, each with their own personalities and seemingly mid-family feud. I love it so much.

"She's on my foot," I tell him.

His strong arm slips behind my back and deftly swoops my entire body onto his lap.

"Better?" he asks.

His face is close to mine and I want to kiss him again. Even though my grandma isn't in the van—someone's grandma is and it doesn't feel appropriate. The thought makes me chuckle again.

"Yes. Space wise it feels better. Safety wise it is questionable," I tell him.

"Oh, you're suddenly worried about safety," he says. His eyebrows lift in question. His hand on my ass gives a little squeeze as well. "You agreed to get into a van with this random dude in a foreign country to possible go zip-lining—still not sure that's exactly what we're doing."

"Where's your sense of adventure?" I ask sarcastically as I bat away a sun umbrella being poorly managed by the young boy in the seat behind us. His father quickly takes it from his hands and give it to the mother who looks annoyed with that move.

"Right," Asher says slowly.

The van makes an abrupt stop. Asher's arms around me cinch tight, pulling me into his body. The people around us go bouncing around, but I feel very secure. Soon the door slides open and everyone begins to exit. Apparently we have reached our destination.

"Here we go," Asher says.

Our van isn't the only one at the scene. A few others are already here and there are groups of tourists gathering around a wooden platform in the distance. There are even a few groups of teens and I wonder if this is where we will run into some kids we might know. It's far away from where we started, but maybe it's an excursion I didn't know about or maybe other schools are here too.

We have to stop first at a little shed where we are given a helmet and gloves. I wasn't nervous before, but heights aren't exactly my thing and now that I think about it, maybe I don't want to be flung over the landscape on a tiny wire.

"Maybe this isn't the safest idea," I tell Asher.

"Oh," he says exaggeratedly, "for sure it's not." Then he taps on my helmet and twists me around to face the platform where our group is heading.

"I thought you liked me...but nooooo, you want to push me to my death." I say, dragging my feet a little as he nudges me forward.

"Oh, I like you," he teases. "But where is your 'sense of adventure'?"

Something happens when we make it over to the crowd. The mood changes. We are now amongst other teens and in typical fashion, they begin to check us out. I watch the girls watching him—and I don't like it. I don't have a claim to him, but my stomach knots when I see one girl lean over and whisper something to her friend.

My back is stiff and my teeth hurt from how tight my jaw is clenched. Breathe, I remind myself. It's been fun, but it's always been borrowed time. This is a good reminder of that. Jess is back at the hotel and maybe she's had enough time now to realize what she's done. And surely our time together these last few days hasn't erased her from his head and heart either. It's an adventure, but it hasn't been life changing, right? We've been cut off from reality and that life, but that hasn't stopped it from moving forward.

"You'll be ok," the man says to me.

I didn't even realize I've reached the platform. The harness is being pushed in my direction. It's all happening so quickly. I'd like to make time stop. I'd like to have a few more hours—no a few more days alone with Asher before I have to let him go.

"You're going to be fine. But if you don't want to do this..." he tells me. But he can't know what I'm thinking. Forget about the stupid zipline. My brain is focused on much bigger 'letting goes.' "Harper," he says. His hand takes mine. I can feel the eyes of the girls around us watching.

"I'm ok," I assure him. I lift my first foot into the loop of the harness.

I need to prepare myself for what tomorrow will bring. I can't hang onto Asher forever. The bus will take us back to the hotel and we will part ways. If luck is on his side, he'll get his romantic dinner on the beach with Jess—and if she's smart, she'll beg him back. And maybe I'll go home and shake this crush off—rekindling my spark for Finn.

"You don't look ok," Asher says. He squeezes my hand a little tighter until I look him in the eyes.

"Just nervous," I lie.

"I'll walk you back down this mountain," he says bravely.

It makes me laugh. We both know the walk down would take hours. We've walked for hours together already and while it's an adorable and admirable offer, it wouldn't fix what's really bothering me so I won't take him up on it. No, I need to let him go. He was never mine to begin with. This chaotic cluster of events has been a gift from the universe, but just like Cinderella had to be home by midnight from the ball, my fairy tale has a curfew too.

I just thought my fairy godmother would look a little different—not that I'm complaining.

"Put your foot in," the kind worker tells me reassuringly. "I've got you."

He gently guides my foot into the harness and helps steady my body. I'm in good hands. He deftly secures me into the contraption as quickly as a fairy godmother would magically cast a dress onto a stepchild.

Asher is still holding my hand when it's time for me to step to the edge. The worker clips me to the zipline. I'm ready to go. He explains how it works and the entire time I'm wondering if maybe this shouldn't be such a quick lesson.

"I'll be right behind you," Asher says.

I nod. I guess everything these last few days has been a leap of faith. Taking that sex quiz on the first day, agreeing to room with Asher, wandering off—all of it. So I take a deep breath, let go of Asher's hand and take another step off into the unknown. If there is one thing I have learned from this trip, it's that my heart beats the fiercest when it is about to have the best adventure.