Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 54287 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 271(@200wpm)___ 217(@250wpm)___ 181(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54287 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 271(@200wpm)___ 217(@250wpm)___ 181(@300wpm)
I run as fast as I can, forcing myself to move faster than I have in a long time. When I see Alexis high in the tree—the one that Zach and I are supposed to build a tree house in—my stomach lurches, and I almost drop to my knees. She’s so high up.
I hold my hands toward the sky. “Alexis, listen to me, baby. Quit crying, okay?”
Her sobs slow, and she hiccups.
Abby is standing next to me. “Alexis, you’re okay.”
She starts to shake her head, and in my most calm voice, I ask her, “Are you hurt anywhere?”
She shakes her head. “No, I’m scared.”
Fuck, so am I. If anything happens to this little girl, I don't know what I’ll do.
“Okay, listen to me, okay?”
She nods, sucking in her bottom lip. She’s trying not to cry, but I can see her body physically shaking.
“Okay, listen. I’m going to catch you.”
Abby gasps next to me, and I can feel her eyes trained on me, but I don’t dare look away from Alexis, who is vigorously shaking her head side to side. “I can’t,” she cries.
I’m nodding my head, hands held up to her. “Yes, you can. Lex, I won’t let you get hurt. I promise.”
She pulls at the dress she’s wearing and yanks on it. She’s so shaky on the tree branch, I move underneath her in case she falls instead of jumps, but she doesn’t move.
When she turns back to look at us, she’s about to cry again. “I can’t. My dress is stuck, and I can’t get it unstuck. Please, Davis. I don’t want to be up here anymore. Please get me down. Please.”
I’m on the move and stop at the bottom of the tree. Even though I’ve always carried a pocketknife, I still check to make sure it’s there. When I wrap my hands around it, I drop it back in my pocket and make my way up two steps up the tree. Abby puts her hand on my thigh. “Davis, this is crazy. Let me go after her; I’m smaller than you.”
I shake my head. “No way, honey. I’m going up and bringing our girl down. I promise, she’s going to be fine.”
She nods, sucking back a sob. “I trust you.”
Jamie and her mom are coming around the back of the house, and they come to stand next to Abby.
I climb up the tree, and the whole way up, I’m talking to Alexis in a soothing voice. “You are doing a great job, Lex. You just stay calm and hold on. That’s the only two things you have to do, okay?”
She stutters, “Oookay.”
I keep climbing, cursing my prosthetic the whole way up. My movements are clumsy, and I’m missing steps and catching myself, but there’s no way I’m giving up.
I get to where she is and sit on the thick branch. I reach for her, and she’s only able to move a few inches toward me, but she latches on to my neck in a death grip. I hold on to her and brush my hand through her hair. “It’s okay, Lex. I got you.”
She starts to cry, burying her face into my neck, and I kiss her hair. I look at where the branch is tangled in the ruffles of her dress. Any way I pull it, it’s going to rip. I pat her back. “It’s okay. Please stop crying, you’re killing me.”
She pulls back. “I’m not killing you.”
I wipe at the tears on her face. “It means it hurts me that you’re crying. I hate for you to be sad and scared.”
She puts her little hand on my cheek. “I don’t want to hurt you, Davis.”
Fuck, this little girl completely has my heart. How can Abby even question it?
I pull the pocketknife from my pocket. “I’m going to have to cut your dress, but I promise I’ll buy you as many dresses as you want, okay?”
She nods. I cut the dress, pulling her free from the branches, and then pocket my knife again. I heft her closer to me, and she wraps her legs around my middle. She’s holding me so tightly I can barely breathe, but I don’t have the heart to ask her to loosen up.
“Hold on to me, and no matter what, don't let go, okay?”
She nods into my neck, and I start to move, bringing us both down the tree. I take it slower on the way down, and each move brings a grimace to my face. I know I’m going to pay for this later, but nothing else matters right now. I have to get Alexis to safety.
When we get closer to the ground, I know that I’m going to have to drop the last few feet, and I’m afraid to do it with Alexis in my arms. I stop and tell her, “Honey, I’m going to hand you down to your Mom, okay?”