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I stood on the edge of a cliff and shivered. Leaning over, I felt my stomach jump to my throat at the sight of turbulent waves and sharp rocks.
“Well, hello there-” a voice said from behind me. I gasped, and my feet slipped. Before I fell to my death, a gloved hand grabbed my wrist, pulling me to safety.
I breathed a sigh of relief and turned to thank my savior. A boy with messy brown hair and emerald-green eyes stared at me with a mischievous grin. He wore a simple leather jacket over a gray t-shirt and ripped jeans. He seemed so . . . familiar.
The breeze picked up, and I shivered again. The boy hurried to take off his jacket. I sighed.
“It’s all right, I’m not cold,” I lied. “Thank you, by the way.”
The boy narrowed his eyes. “You’re welcome, but what were you doing leaning over that cliff anyway? It’s a long drop,” he looked me over, “and you’re not dressed for any sort of swimming activity.”
I laughed. “My name’s Nora,” I blurted, sticking out a hand. “And who is my knight in shining armor?”
The boy’s grin widened. “Jake.” We shook hands.
I waited for him to walk away, to leave me alone. I didn’t want anyone to see what I was about to do.
Jake flicked his gaze from the cliff to me. His eyes widened. “You weren’t about to . . .?” I swallowed. He knew.
I tried to laugh it off. “No, no, of course not. I was just . . . enjoying the view.”
Jake’s smile faded. “You’re lying,” he said simply.
I sighed. “Fine. I was going to jump.” There, I’d admitted it. To a complete stranger no less.
“Why?”
Why did I want to jump? I frowned, trying to remember why I was standing here in the first place. There was a blank spot in my memory, like it had been plucked just out of reach. I must have hit my head or something, I thought.
“I don’t know, actually,” I admitted.
Jake seemed as confused as I was. He gave me a crooked smile. Again, I felt a spark of familiarity, but I couldn’t place where I knew him.
I shrugged. He seemed to think for a moment, then offered his hand. “Well, there’s no use standing here in the cold, is there? It’s going to rain soon, and my house isn’t too far from here.” I stared at him for a moment.
What else was I going to do? I gave him a warm smile and accepted his hand. But as we began walking to his car, I felt a sick feeling in my stomach, like something wasn’t right. But if he was going to hurt me, he wouldn’t have saved me in the first place, right? It was nothing. Everything was fine.