Hello all! Finally - a little update for everyone's perusal. I am hoping to stay on schedule with the next few chapters but I will offer this caveat: the next few stops on the trip are very, very, very important to me personally so I really want to get them right. Don't be surprised, then, if updates take a day or two longer than I've pushed out before.

This chapter's musical influence? "The Sound of Silence" by Marcel Marceau (aka I wrote this with no music or background noise). Sorry to disappoint! :D

DAY TWO & DAY THREE - SALT LAKE CITY

"Just live for the moment for a change, huh?"

Emily has no idea how much this statement disturbs Paige.

She's tried so hard to remain distant and uninvolved for the last few days and now she senses Emily wants to change the rules. The sarcasm and detachment is gone now; Emily seems to want to start over rather than move forward and Paige knows she cannot handle that.

Her stubborn devotion to her ex cost her so much time the past few years; it impeded her from seeking out new relationships and new dreams for herself. And now that she has some idea of where she wants to be, here comes the Emily Issue once again. The girl is like the Mafia – when Paige thinks she's out she gets pulled right back in.

Still, as she looks down at a kneeling Emily in this wasteland of salt and dirt, she cannot help but admit that she is right about one thing: Paige really needs to lighten the hell up. It's proving to be a long trip back to Pennsylvania and being so withdrawn and uptight will probably give her an ulcer or a daily migraine. She'd rather not drive half the day with…issues so she gives in. She takes a deep breath. She feels the wind on her face.

Surprisingly, it feels awesome. She concentrates on each breath – in through her nose, out through her mouth – and the tension just melts away. She drops her guard and when she sees Emily studying her she drops her head in embarrassment. Giving in to Emily's wishes is okay in Paige's book – but letting her know she was right was quite another.

Paige sneaks another glance at Emily and wishes she'd take off those damn sunglasses. She's wearing those silver aviator shades that only .01 percent of the population can pull off. Unfortunately Emily's part of that select group who looks good in them. Who does she think she is - a fighter pilot? Ugh, she's so gorgeous it's almost sickening.

Emily rises and asks Paige if she'd like to go. Hell yes, she thinks, before you drive me crazy. Instead of saying anything, she nods. They turn and walk back toward the truck, their hands brushing during the walk sending Paige's pulse into overdrive.

When you decide to lighten up, kiddo, you really lighten up, Paige laments to herself.

Emily carefully navigates the U-Haul through traffic in Salt Lake City. Her attention is half on the drive and half on the GPS – if there's one thing she hates it's getting lost.

"Hey, wanna find some place to eat? We can take it back to the hotel and rest up for tomorrow," Paige asks.

"Okay, you say 'rest up' like you mean it." Emily risks a glance at Paige and sees her grin. Oh no. She means it.

"Yeah, gotta hit another one of Dad's 'must see' stops. They hosted the Winter Olympics out here so they have a lot of stuff to see and do. It actually sounds kinda fun."

"Well, as long as I don't put my life in my hands that should be okay. We probably need a break from driving anyway," Emily says.

Once again Paige grins. She is so much more relaxed now, Emily realizes. Thank goodness. Her moodiness and distance were really becoming a problem so any change for the better is welcome to Emily. She was closer to the old Paige of her memory now…yet not. Emily is frustrated because she couldn't quite put her finger on that difference. Was it confidence? Maturity? She sighs because she just doesn't have a clue.

After a dinner of burgers from a fast food joint called Arctic Circle (how could they not stop at a restaurant that advertised "Above the Rim Shakes"?) Emily and Paige check into their hotel for the night. They don't talk much – there's no need since each of them was wrapped up in her own thoughts. Never mind those thoughts were about each other – if they truly wanted to figure things out they'd have it out and maybe come to a resolution. But as with so many other times in their relationship one assumed the other wouldn't listen or didn't want to talk or what else they fashioned as the 'excuse of the month'. So they said their good-nights and drifted off to sleep wondering about love, life and fate.

"Paige! You promised me I wouldn't die!"

Emily whimpers as she swings 50 feet in the air on a tightrope suspended between two log platforms. She wears a helmet and other safety equipment but that's irrelevant right now.

Paige decided that morning they should try a couple of the Adventure Courses at the Utah Olympic Park. They ranged in difficulty and tested a user's problem-solving skills, balance and upper body strength by forcing participants across rope lines, tight ropes and other obstacle course features. It didn't sound too tough to Emily at first – she was a Division 1 swimmer, for crying out loud. If whiny guys on corporate retreats could do this stuff, it should be a cinch for her.

But then she looked down. Oh God, it was a long way. As she tried to unfreeze her limbs from their terror Emily thinks it's ironic she's gone head-to-head with serial killers and faced down homophobic bigots with more guts than she was showing now.

"Hey Emily – smile!"

Emily looks across to the end of the line where Paige awaits having crossed the tightrope before her with not a single hesitation. Emily's heart shifts at her blinding smile – before she sees Paige holding up her iPhone. Oh God, Instagram.

"Paige McCullers, you put that phone down right now or so help me…"

"Like I'm scared. You're gonna have to make it across that tightrope to do anything to me and judging by your speed that won't happen until next month. So be a good sport and smile."

Emily's expression of fury makes Paige smile and laugh even more. Emily wishes she wasn't so near death because that smile and that laugh give her a riot of butterflies in her stomach and a weakness in her knees she hasn't experienced since junior high school. Weak knees were the last thing she wants now, though. She grabs tighter to the line by her head and inches across the tightrope. Several minutes and at least a dozen verbal jabs from Paige later Emily reaches safety on the platform. She releases a big sigh and turns to Paige expecting a congratulations or another insult – instead she sees a look of intensity shoot from Paige that goes straight to Emily's already-taxed lungs.

"Are you okay?" Paige asks tentatively.

Emily nods, unable to truly speak until she gets her breath back and her feet back under her. What the hell was that? she thinks.

Paige hesitates for a moment then offers a small smile.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have made you do this."

"It's fine, I'm actually a little bit embarrassed. Twenty-two years old and I almost cried for my mommy. Ridiculous."

"Yeah, I guess. But I'm sorry anyway."

Emily reaches out and grasps Paige's forearm. Her fingertips tingle at the contact but she doesn't let go and Paige doesn't move away. Emily catches her gaze and gives her a reassuring grin. "Don't worry about it. At least it's over with."

Paige's face crunches in dread. "Actually, not quite…"

Minutes later, Emily squeezes her eyes shut as the wind whistles past her ears. When Paige said 'not quite' she meant the culmination of their trip wasn't tightropes or obstacle courses – it was a 377-foot zip line ending at a 65-foot tower from which they would free fall to the ground. They both tried to find a way out but it wasn't a cheap option they could skip guilt-free and, well, Emily was tired of feeling like a chicken for the day.

Paige went first and had no problems - she now stood on the ground waiting for Emily with pink cheeks and a smile that would give any red-blooded American gay girl the courage to fight lions.

Chickens, lions – Emily didn't know just what was going on but she felt this was yet another test of her resolve. Ever since Alison was killed Emily waged a battle within herself that pitted courage versus cowardice. The older she got and was subjected to –A's manipulations the more she pushed herself to fight on the side of courage. The courage to come out. The courage to battle Nate. The courage to just plain fight for what and who she believed in. It was silly but she felt this was yet another battle to be courageous or cowardly. Unfortunately maybe the fight was second nature to her after all those years of pushing herself to choose well and be smart. She might just be inventing battles that don't exist.

Good God, Emily, turn off your brain and just go.

Gathering all the guts she can muster she launches herself off the tower and free falls six stories to the ground where Paige awaits with baited breath and her heart in her throat. She lands with a soft thump and immediately looks to Paige who smiles and says, "I think that's enough for the day, don't you?"

Emily tilts her head, feigning some deep, intense thoughts. "Probably."

They both shed their equipment and gather their belongings then start the walk back to their rental truck. The air is crisp and small cloud puffs do nothing to ruin the perfection of the day. Both of them were trying to adjust to the thinner mountain air but Emily was sure the elevation was only a small reason for her breathlessness; her companion was probably the bigger factor.