When he glanced back at me, his eyes were wild with panic. I brought my balled hands to my mouth, beyond worried. I so did not want to make him face his fear. “Maybe you can wait in my bathroom until late, and we’ll sneak you out after everyone’s gone to bed.”
He gave a vigorous shake to his head. “If the cops are coming, they’ll want to check every room before they leave. Don’t you think?”
I gave a weak shrug, not sure what would happen.
He shook his head again. “No, I can do this. The trellis looks sturdy.”
Looks? What a not-very-reassuring word.
I watched, biting my fingernail to the quick as he climbed out the window feet first. When the upper part of his body was still inside but his waist down was out of sight, he glanced at me. I sent him a tremulous thumbs-up, and he flashed me a brave smile before stepping down, and then disappearing from view.
I raced to the window and poked my head out, only to find him still right outside my window, clinging to the trellis and cursing under his breath as he squeezed his eyes closed.
“Hey,” I called. “What did the mute say to the midget?”
He looked up, blinking rapidly. “What?”
I smiled. “Oh, good. I have your attention. Now...just keep looking into my eyes, and then take one more step down.”
His head slashed back and forth. “I can’t do this.”
“Knox,” I said sternly. “One step. That’s all. Now do it.”
Agony filled his eyes, but he filled his cheeks with air and took one step down. Once he had his footing secured, he blew out the breath.
“You did it,” I cheered. My grin must’ve been contagious because his trembling lips curved up at the corners. “Yeah,” he admitted breathlessly. Then he broke out with a full-fledged grin. “Yeah, I did. I did it.”
Clapping him on, I called, “Now do it again. One more step.”
His smile died. “Shit.”
The sweat beading against his brow matted pieces of his hair together, but that only made him look better. Man, it had to take talent for a guy to look hot even when he was afraid enough to pee his pants.
“So, like I was saying... What did the mute say to the midget?”
He scowled at me as he took the next step down. “You really want to crack jokes when I could plunge to my death at any moment?”
“Of course.” I was pretty sure he didn’t appreciate the forced cheer I put in my voice, but I kept it there anyway. “Now, what did the mute say to the midget?”
He sighed in exasperation as he eased another step down, and then paused to ensure he was stable. “Hell, I don’t know what he said. You’re short?”
I sighed, disappointed. “No, genius. He didn’t say anything. Get it? He’s mute.”
Pausing his descent, he speared me with an incredulous glance. “Really? I could die, and all you came up with was a lame joke like that?”
“Hey, it’s the only thing I could think up at the spur of the moment.”
“Well, it sucked.”
“Well, excuse me. What would you like me to come up with to distract you while you face the biggest fear of your life?”
“I didn’t say this was the biggest fear of my—” He looked down and immediately blanched. “Oh God. I’m going to die, aren’t I?”
Still clinging, suspended from the side of a two-story building, he was only halfway to the ground. It’d take him just as long to climb back up as it would for him to go down. He looked gray, as if he might pass out.
Passing out was bad. If he fainted, he would surely fall...and die.
Panicking, I blurted, “I kissed a girl.”
His attention zapped upward. “What?”
“At a slumber party,” I continued. “We were playing truth or dare, and I had to admit I’d never kissed a boy before, and that sometimes I practiced on my pillow or the back of my hand, or...whatever. So this girl said I could practice...on her.”
His mouth fell open, and his brown eyes bugged intently. “And?” he pressed.
I almost snorted. Geesh, what was it about girl on girl action that made guys so excited?
“And...” Crap. Think, Felicity. “And her lips were really soft.”