Page 38 of What If We Break?
As I stared at the house across the street, I suddenly realized how easily Reece could’ve snuck out if Colin and Lily had been stricter with him. There was a roof piece right underneath his window, and all he would’ve had to do was slide down the roof and survive the nine-foot jump.
Or he could’ve held onto the gutters, hoping they wouldn’t break as he lowered himself. Reece was pretty tall, he would’ve survived the maybe three-foot fall to the ground from there.
“Did you ever sneak out?” I asked. He never mentioned doing anything like that before. Colin was pretty easy-going with Reece if he wanted to go somewhere, so there was never a reason for him to sneak out. But maybe there was one before, and he just didn’t tell me.
“Not really,” Reece answered, pulling his sheer curtains open. I could see his silhouette in the dark, but that was about it. “Did you?”
“No, but it sounds exciting.”
I looked at my own window, and for just a moment, I wondered what would happen if I tried it.
I glanced back at Reece’s window, and the thrill of the idea sparked a mischievous smile on my face. The thought of sneaking out to be with him, just for tonight, was both exhilarating and nerve-wracking. But the more I considered it, the more it seemed like a daring adventure worth taking.
“Reece, I’m going to hang up now,” I told him, because I couldn’t possibly have continued talking on the phone when I was sure I needed both of my hands in a second.
I quickly ended the call with my fiancé and quietly opened my window. Perhaps I should’ve put on some longer clothes instead of staying in my shorts and Reece’s T-shirt, but I couldn’t have cared less about it at that moment.
A few bruises weren’t going to ruin my life.
The night air was chilly against my skin as I carefully climbed out onto the roof, feeling a rush of excitement.
I made my way over to the edge, glancing down at the drop below. It seemed a lot higher from up here, but being with Reece tonight, sleeping in his arms, made me want to keep going.
With a deep breath, I lowered myself down, gripping onto the edge of the roof before letting go and dropping to the ground below. The landing was less graceful than I had hoped for, but I quickly brushed myself off and made my way over to Reece’s house.
I could see him waiting by his window, a surprised yet delighted expression on his face as he watched me approach.
Taking a deep breath, I looked around myself, trying to figure out how I was supposed to get up to his window. I wasn’t tall enough to reach the gutters from the ground, and there was nothing I could use to help me up there.
Maybe I could climb up on the fence of the porch and try to pull myself up onto the roof, but that seemed like a lot ofwork. I could also try and use one of the columns to help me get up there.
“Baby, what are you doing?” Reece whisper-yelled, amusement in his voice.
“Shht, let me think.”
“I’ll come open the door for you.
“No, don’t. I can do this.”
I smiled up at him before approaching the porch and climbing up onto the fence. My arms were wrapped around one of the columns as I stood on the top rail of the fence, and only then did I notice that I wasn’t even wearing shoes.
Whatever, I only lived once, right? And I was never going to do this again anyway.
Once I felt a bit more comfortable standing here, I finally reached up, one hand after the other, and grasped the gutter tightly.
Pulling myself up with all the strength I could muster, I hoisted my body up onto the roof, feeling an adrenaline rush like never before. Reece climbed through his window, then offered me a hand to help me up the rest of the way.
“Are you crazy?” he whispered, a mix of concern and awe in his eyes as I finally made it onto the roof. “I can't believe you actually did it.”
“I couldn’t stay away any longer,” I replied breathlessly, a wide grin spreading across my face as we sat down on the roof, our legs dangling over the edge.
Reece shook his head in disbelief, but there was a sparkle in his eyes as if he had never been happier to see me. “You’ll never do this again, though, right? I had like twenty heart attacks just thinking about you slipping and getting seriously injured.”
I laughed quietly so that I didn’t accidentally wake someone up. “No, I’m good.”
“Good, because I don’t think my heart can handle that kind of stress,” Reece said, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. The warmth of his touch sent a shiver down my spine.
As his hand ran down my naked arm, Reece looked at me with something odd in his eyes. “You could’ve at least put on some clothes and shoes.”
