Chapter 28: Teasing Tension

"I don't like this," I muttered, my hand clutching the ropes tightly. "This wasn't what I signed up for!" I yelled, desperation creeping into my voice as I dared not look down.

"What did you sign up for?" Jake's voice came from behind me. I couldn't see him, but I could feel his warm breath on my neck, a reminder of our proximity.

"I thought we were going somewhere fancy or something," I said, almost laughing at how silly my earlier expectations seemed now. We had left the rest behind, taken a cab, and arrived here, only for me to realize we were about to go bungee jumping of all things.

"But you followed me up here and got strapped in without saying a word. So why are you backing down now?" Jake challenged.

I cursed myself under my breath, my lips twisting as I replied, "I didn't realize how scary it looked until now." It was the truth; it had seemed like fun initially, watching others jump without fear. But now, fear had firmly taken hold, worsened by Jake's taunting.

"Scared of heights, are you?" he asked.

"Of course not, but—"

Before I could finish, he interrupted, "Too late." With a push, I was falling off the cliff, a nylon case and rubber band around my ankle the only things keeping me from hitting the ground.

My scream echoed through the mountains. "I hate you so much!" I yelled as I descended.

"It's not funny," I said through Jake's laughter. My hair was a mess, and a frown was etched on my face as I finally got detached. I couldn't enjoy it, and Jake finding it amusing only made me feel worse. "Why didn't you go?" I demanded.

"Because I'm scared of heights," he admitted casually, a mischievous grin on his face.

My jaw dropped, and I raised my fist in the air, trying to process what he'd just confessed. I'd been coerced into doing something I strongly opposed, while he didn't even make an attempt. "That's so mean, Jake," I scolded, wrapping my arms around myself and turning away from him.

"Fine, I'm sorry," he said, reaching for my hand, but I pulled away, still avoiding his gaze.

"You always say that but never mean it, then you go ahead and do something stupid again and again. The fact that you think it's funny when it obviously isn't makes me see you as a brat," I told him.

"Ouch," he muttered, visibly hurt by my words, his hand on his chest. "Why did that hurt?" he wondered, head slightly lowered.

I met his gaze again. "As it should," I replied, then turned to walk away. He grabbed my hand to stop me from leaving, even though I was still upset. I tried to look away, but he cupped my cheek and tilted my head to see my face clearly.

"I am sorry," he said sincerely, but I wasn't ready to forgive just yet. Seeing this, he added, "How can I make it up to you?" My eyes locked with his, and a small grin crept onto my face.

"Well," I began, causing his eyes to widen slightly in realization.

This was the first time I had seen Jake terrified of anything since we became close. His voice was the loudest as he took the leap off the cliff. I had my hands over my mouth to stifle my laughter, and at this point, I couldn't blame him for doing the same.

The instructor helped him remove the harness, his hair all over the place, but he still managed to smile.

"I hope you're happy now that you almost got me killed," he remarked.

"Oh, please, don't be so dramatic," I replied, taking a step closer to close the gap between us. I reached out my hand to brush his unruly hair aside, but Jake's firm grip on my wrist halted me.

"What are you doing?" he asked, his right eyebrow raised as he spoke, his words flowing like melted butter as our eyes locked.

"I—your hair, I was trying to—" I stammered.

"Continue," he said, releasing his grip on my wrist.

"What?" He thighened his loose grip around my wrist once again but this time he pulled my hand directing it to his hair.

"Continue," he stated.

I took a step closer, brushing my fingers through his unruly hair, trying to tame it as best I could. Our faces were inches apart, and I could feel the warmth of his breath against my skin. His eyes never left mine, and a soft smile played on his lips.

"Is that better?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

Jake's gaze intensified, and he leaned in closer until our lips were almost touching. "Much better," he murmured, his eyes locked on mine. I felt a shiver run down my spine as he leaned in closer, and I could swear his lips were about to meet mine...

But just as our breaths synchronized, he abruptly leaned back, leaving me hanging in suspense. A mischievous glint sparkled in his eyes.

I blinked, my heart racing, and a mixture of confusion and anticipation washed over me. Did he just...tease me?

He stood grinning like he knew what he was doing, but there was another reason. "I think I should also help you with yours," he stated, his gaze shifting above my face and realization hit me.

I ran my fingers through my own disheveled hair, realizing only then that it was in complete chaos. I attempted to gather it up into a makeshift ponytail using a nearby rubber band when Jake reached out and gently stopped me.

"Let me," he said softly, his fingers gently brushing through my tangled locks.

I swallowed hard as he untangled the knots in my hair, his touch sending a shiver down my spine. He was so close, his breath warm against my cheek.

As he was finishing, he leaned back slightly, his eyes meeting mine once again. "There, all fixed," he said, his voice husky.

I couldn't help but smile, feeling a blush creeping onto my cheeks. "Thanks," I mumbled.

With a final brush of his hand through my hair, he took a step back, his gaze lingering on me. "cute," he remarked, his eyes dancing with mischief.

My heart skipped a beat, and my cheeks flushed a deeper shade of pink.

As Jake took a step back, his shoulders brushed against mine. he walked past me, I couldn't help but watch him while I stood frozen in place. He did it again.

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