Lost in the Never Woods(65)

With a spray of water, Peter’s auburn head popped out of the water. He spluttered and howled, arms viciously cutting through the water. “Argh!” he shouted, voice tight.

“Peter!” Wendy’s heart pounded erratically. “Are you okay?” She frantically searched for any sign of blood or a broken limb.

And Peter was—laughing.

Peter was laughing.

“Holy crap, it’s cold!” he shouted, head bobbing above the surface as he laughed and treaded water.

Relief crashed over her, quickly followed by anger. “You scared me half to death!” she fumed.

Peter smiled up at her, lazily floating on his back. “Come on!” He beckoned for her. “The water feels amazing! After the initial freezing cold, anyway—”

“Peter Pan, I am going to kill you myself!” Wendy barked.

“You’ll have to get in and catch me first!”

Wendy gave him an unimpressed look. “You think you’re so clever, don’t you?”

Peter’s head bobbed, his wet hair sticking out at odd angles. “I do, yes.”

Wendy glowered.

“Oh, come on, live a little, Wendy!” he coaxed. “It’s not even that far! And it’s plenty deep!” He flicked water up at her and it landed on her arm.

She had to admit, it did feel nice.

Wendy groaned and raked a hand over her face. “I can’t believe I’m doing this,” she said, more to herself than Peter. Wendy slipped her sneakers off and left them next to Peter’s abandoned shirt. There was no way she was going to take off her clothes. If she was going to do this, then she would just have to walk back a sopping-wet mess.

“Yes!” Peter cheered triumphantly from the water.

Her grip on the rope was vicelike. She tried to gauge the safest way to swing and gave the rope a hard tug, just to check.

“Yesssss!”

Wendy couldn’t believe she was actually going to do this. She took two steps back and then ran to the edge of the rock before jumping off. She held tight to the rope and tucked in her knees. When she swung out as far as she could, Wendy squeezed her eyes shut and let go.

The sensation of falling through empty air sent a thrill up Wendy’s spine. A strangled shout caught in her throat, but it was quickly swallowed up by water as she plummeted through the surface. The icy water shot through her like electricity, robbing her of the breath she’d held. She kicked her legs and broke the surface of the water, gasping for air and flailing.

Peter’s crow echoed loudly.

“Holy sh—”

“Told you it was cold!” Peter said, swimming to Wendy’s side. There was a wild, excited look in his eyes. “See! That wasn’t so bad, was it?” he teased.

No, it wasn’t so bad. It was thrilling. Wendy couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt a surge of adrenaline like that—the good kind that made your stomach flip and your heart flutter.

Water lapped at Peter’s grin as he watched her expectantly.

Maybe she could.

“Well?” Peter asked.

Wendy reached out and held Peter’s shoulders. Confusion flickered across his face, then quickly jumped to surprise when Wendy shoved him underwater.

He resurfaced, spluttering and wiping water from his face.

Wendy laughed, the loud sort that came right from the belly. “Come on, I’ll race you to the top!” she called to him. Wendy dove forward, arms slicing through the water as she swam for shore.

“Hey, that’s cheating!” Peter called after her.

The water tasted cold and sweet through her smile.

They raced each other over the edge of the rock and through the water. Sometimes with the rope, sometimes without. Wendy stuck to the safety of a pencil dive, but gradually she leapt with less trepidation and more speed. Peter tried different tricks, from backflipping off the edge of the rock to hanging from the rope upside down. About half the time, he either landed flat on his back or ended up belly flopping. Wendy laughed hard and loud every time. After a while, she wondered if he was doing it on purpose.

Exhausted and content, Wendy floated on her back, staring up at the blue sky framed by the green canopy. White clouds drifted by. Her blue tank top billowed around her, tickling her waist and wrists. Under the water, the rhythmic thundering of the waterfall filled her ears. Wendy inhaled a deep breath, reveling in the sensations.

When she opened them again, Peter was there, a curious expression on his face. His lips moved, but she couldn’t hear what he said.

Wendy shifted, lifting her head out of the water. “What?” she asked.

A strange little chuckle quaked Peter’s shoulders as he shook his head. “Nothing.”

Wendy flicked water in his face.

In return, Peter scooped her up, hooking his arms under the back of her knees and across her mid-back. He twisted, dragging Wendy through the water as he rotated.

Water rushed over Wendy’s shoulders and tickled her neck. She let her fingers drag through the surface of the water. Laughs bubbled through her lips.

Peter laughed along with her, eyes crinkled, droplets clinging to his lashes. When he stopped, Wendy still felt like they were spinning. “Whoa,” he chuckled, blinking his eyes hard. “Dizzy.”

Wendy looked up into his face. He hadn’t let go. “Yeah.” Dizzy and lightheaded. “Me too,” she said.