Chapter 30: Rush
"Oh wow, this is beautiful," Carol gasped. She slid off the back of Daryl's bike and stepped up close to the edge to look down at the serene blue-green water below. They were up on a cliff with a stunning view of the Atlanta skyscraper tops, but the best view of all was how the rock walls seemed to channel the sunlight down directly onto the water, making it sparkle like something magical.
"Yeah, when I was in high school, I was livin' at this really shitty foster home, and sometimes I'd just disappear with some of the other rejects from school. I remember we all came out here one time and spent the whole day just drinkin' and jumpin' off the cliff."
"Off of this cliff?" Carol asked, raising her eyebrows.
"Water's a lot deeper than it looks," he shrugged. "We had a lot of fun. 'Course, wasn't long after that I got booted off to another home and I didn't see those idiots again." Carol sighed and pulled her arms around Daryl's neck, standing on her tip toes to kiss him.
"I'm glad you had fun here," she whispered between kisses.
"Wanna have some more fun?" he asked. She pulled back, crinkling her nose at him, and he raised an eyebrow.
"What'd you have in mind?" she asked, glancing around. The place was quiet. Even the sounds of the city seemed to be muted by the breeze and the sounds of birds in the trees all around. Daryl looked down at the water below, and Carol laughed. "I didn't bring my swim suit."
"Who says you need one?" he asked.
"Someone could see!"
"You kidding? Nobody comes up here."
"You come here often enough to know that?"
"Well, no. But look at this place? There's no litter, there's no tire marks. Nobody comes up here." Carol bit her bottom lip for a moment, before she nodded her head.
"Okay," she agreed.
"Really?" he asked.
"Yes, really. How do we get down there?" She looked around.
"There's a path right over there." He nodded in that direction and chuckled. "'Course, we just jumped when we was kids." Carol looked down below, and Daryl started stripping out of his clothes until he was in nothing but his boxers. He draped his clothes over the bike, and Carol looked around apprehensively before lifting her shirt over her head. She slipped out of her jeans and revealed a matching red, lace bra and panty set. Daryl's jaw dropped.
"That…that looks new."
"It is. And expensive."
"Maybe you oughta just…take it off. Ya know, you don't wanna get it all…wet." Carol raised an eyebrow before she wrapped her arms around his neck again and kissed him hungrily, slipping her tongue against his lips. He pulled his arms around her, bringing her pelvis flush against his. When she pulled back, her cheeks were pink, and her eyes were dark with desire.
"Too late," she was her saucy response. Daryl groaned then, and before he knew what was happening, she was taking a running leap off the edge. Daryl's eyes went wide, and he reached out for her.
"Carol!" He watched her make a splash and disappear under the water. It felt like slow motion, and all he could think about was what if. His heart nearly flew into his throat, and without thinking, he flung himself off the cliff after her, hoping she was ok and that he'd be able to help her if she was hurt. Halfway down, his mind raced back to that night in the truck after leaving Lucy's. He'd felt like he had no control over his life until he picked up speed and felt that rush hit him like a tidal wave.
The cool water stung his skin and surrounded him in a hazy swirl of sparkling blue, and when he reached the surface, splashing and kicking, he was surprised to find Carol just a few feet away, her bright blue eyes wide with shock and a bright smile spreading over her face.
"Jesus Christ," he sputtered, pushing his hair out of his eyes. "You 'bout gave me a heart attack."
"Oh my God," she laughed. "I can't believe I just did that! I've never done anything like that in my life." She reached out for him, and Daryl pulled her close, gasping for breath as she giggled and buried her face against his shoulder.
"You scared the shit outta me. I didn't think you'd actually jump." His heart was pounding so hard he could feel it in his ears.
"Neither did I," she laughed. "That was…exhilarating." She ran her fingers through her hair before draping her arms over Daryl's shoulders and clasping her hands behind his neck. "What a rush." Daryl shook his head and he hugged her close, burying his face against her neck. He held her for a long few moments, and when he pulled back, he pressed a soft kiss to her lips. Carol's eyes searched his, and her smile faded. "Daryl? Hey. Are you ok?" He nodded.
"Yeah. Just…Christ I didn't expect that." His hand slid up and down her back soothingly, and Carol cocked her head to the side. She gently placed her hand against his chest, feeling his heart racing beneath her fingertips.
"Talk to me."
"It's nothin'."
"You're a bad liar. Tell me." She kissed him again, and when she pulled back, Daryl looked down for a moment. When he finally looked her in the eye, he offered her a weak smile.
"The night I wrecked my truck, I was goin' so fast, 'cause the faster I drove, the more I felt like I was losin' control. In some fucked up way, it felt like that did give me some control. I could push myself to feel that rush. I thought I had it handled that night. It's fucked up, I know, but that rush is what almost killed me. Wasn't 'til I watched you dive off that cliff I realized how fuckin' close I came to killin' myself that day." Carol let out a shaky breath and shook her head.
"Daryl, I didn't mean to scare you," she said softly, her eyes welling with tears. "I'm…I'm sorry."
"Hey, no. It's ok. I'm the one that told ya the water was deep. Just seein' ya do that, all I could think is what if I was rememberin' it wrong? Don't know what I'd do if I lost you."
"Hey," she whispered. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm right here." She leaned in and kissed him softly, and when she pulled back, Daryl leaned his forehead against hers.
"Also realize how out of it I was when I wrecked. Coulda died that day. Instead, I ended up in the ER with the best damn nurse I coulda asked for." Carol smiled, and she brushed her thumb over his lower lip before kissing him again.
"Some people might call that fate." Daryl smiled and hugged her close.
"I love you so fucking much," he murmured.
"Me too," she whispered. "I still can't believe I was afraid of this. Afraid of moving on. I was so worried about things falling apart that I didn't think about what might happen if they didn't." She took a shaky breath, and she pressed a kiss to his neck. "I'm so glad I met you." She smiled and looked up at him. "Thank you for bringing me here."
"Thanks for lettin' me freak out for a minute," he offered with a little laugh.
"I jumped off a cliff. You were right to freak out," she pointed out. "Besides, I'd be a little worried if the man I loved didn't freak out about me jumping off a cliff." She kissed his forehead, and Daryl blushed. He cleared his throat and pulled her closer.
"Think I said somethin' about fun."
"I think I remember that," she grinned, slipping her hand down his chest and over his stomach. Her fingers toyed at the top of his boxers before slipping inside. "Is this the kind of fun you had in mind?"
"Keep goin' and I'll let you know," he bit out, before Carol reduced him to muffled moans against her hungry mouth.
Author's Note: Hey guys! Thanks again for all your wonderful feedback! I know it's been a couple of days, but life and work has been kicking my behind during this pandemic. I hope you are all safe and well, and I hope this chapter was worth the wait! As always, feedback means so much! I hope to hear from you soon!
