Their Freefall At Last by Julie Olivia

33

Bennett

Eleven Months Before

Ruby & Bennett are Twenty-Nine Years Old

Theo was right. It only took three months for Lorelei to fall in love with Emory Dawson.

I’ve actually come to like Emory. He’s quiet, and when he speaks, it’s only because he has something important to say. It’s a nice addition to our group dynamic.

After we found out it was Emory’s dad who meddled with The Grizzly’s construction, resulting in Lorelei’s accident, the group welcomed him with open arms. Quinn was seconds away from ordering me, herself, Emory, and Ruby a Daddy Issues Club T-shirt, but Lorelei talked her out of it. I think I saw a twitching smile from Emory at the thought though, which was a big win for Quinn.

One thing about Emory Dawson is that he doesn’t generally smile unless he’s looking at Lorelei. He stares with those big eyebrows of his pulled to the middle, like she’s the brightest sun. Which she is, especially when she smiles like he’s the next best roller coaster she’s gonna ride.

I’m happy for her. I’m happy for him. But I’m happiest for Ruby, who now gets unlimited access to Emory’s engineering brain.

It’s wild, watching him work, seeing the way his eyes dart between the tracks, as if he were a surgeon, studying an open heart. My best friend stands right next to him, nodding with every word and occasionally glancing up at me with wide eyes, as if to say, Ohmigod, ohmigod, ohmigod.

I chuckle and give her a thumbs-up, which she anxiously returns.

It’s a beautiful evening at Honeywood. The sun is setting, painting the sky in pinks and purples. All of my best friends and I are hanging out near The Grizzly while Lorelei, Emory, and Ruby analyze the track. Honeywood is rebuilding the roller coaster, and considering Ruby’s expertise, she’s contributing to the brainstorming process.

I can tell Emory is impressed by her. But she’s too busy freaking out to notice Emory’s little glances when she explains something complicated or solves a problem he’s been mulling over.

From my place leaning on the railing, I hear Emory try to make small talk with her, and I have to turn and bite the inside of my cheek to stop myself from laughing. Ruby is horrible at small talk. It’d be cringey if it wasn’t so cute.

“So, you’re still at Dominion?” he asks.

“Oh. The job? My job? Yes. Dominion. Mmhmm.”

Oh, sweet Ruby.

Emory nods slowly, squinting in the setting sun. “Why there?”

“It was my first job out of college.”

“Most people job-hop, you know.”

Emory is similar to Jolene in that he doesn’t sugarcoat anything, which I like, but also know it sets Ruby on edge, which I like a little less. I don’t know how to tell him that Ruby’s not a job-hopping kind of person. She found a roller coaster construction company and rolled with it—no pun intended.

Okay, maybe a little bit intended.

“They’re a really good employer,” Ruby responds, which has me frowning.

It’s a lie, and the worst part is, I don’t know if she knows it’s a lie.

Dominion sucks. It’s been months, and the leadership position Ruby applied for is still wide open. They’ve sent a we’re still interviewing type of email, but that’s bullshit, and we all know it. Ruby is still holding out hope though.

I love that about her.

“Dominion is fine,” Emory says, his eyebrows pushed together, as if even he doesn’t believe his own words. “Competent, I guess.”

“Weren’t you thinking of leaving?” Lorelei chimes in.

There we go.

And with one word from Lorelei, Emory perks up as well. Anything coming from Lorelei gets his attention.

“Were you?” he asks.

“Oh.” Ruby’s fumbling. “I mean, sort of. Yeah.”

“Sort of?”

“Yes, she is,” I call over.

Ruby’s eyes dart to me, wide as saucers. I give another thumbs-up. She doesn’t return this one, but oh well.

“Our Ruby is very risk-averse,” Quinn inserts in a fake hushed tone, as if it were some secret.

Theo is beside her, nodding, her legs swinging over the railing.

Ruby’s face heats, but it’s only because she knows it’s the truth.

“It’s just … I’ve been there for a few years, you know?” she says.

“Very loyal,” Theo adds with a nodding wink toward Emory.

Emory grunts, “No company deserves your loyalty—I can tell you that.”

“Emory!” Lorelei says, lightly pushing his shoulder. “I’ve been with Honeywood for years.”

“Same,” Quinn says.

“Ditto,” Theo chimes in.

And just because it’s true, I add, “Yep.”

“Okay, well …” Emory’s words fade. “You guys are anomalies.”

“Or we just love this park,” Lorelei says, taking a seat in his lap, which has the whole gang yelling variations of, “Boo,” and, “Gross,” and, “Get a room.”

Lorelei sticks her tongue out at us.

“Well,” Emory says, shamelessly running a large palm over Lorelei’s thigh, as if he owns it, “considering I’m starting a new business, if you ever want to hop away, I’d need someone like you.”

My eyes dart to Ruby’s. They’re wider than saucers now—they’re freaking plates.

Take it!I want to yell. Take the offer!

After The Grizzly fiasco, Emory left his dad’s company and started his own. It’s in town and everything. Ruby wouldn’t even have to move. But I can sense the hesitation in her. The way her lips twist to the side and her subsequent nod of agreement aren’t agreeable at all.

“I’ll think about it,” she answers.

The energy rushes from me, and I have to look away again. It’d be too hard to hide my disappointment.

Ruby is probably internally screaming at this opportunity, and yet … it’s a risk. And she hates risks.

I exhale, and Ruby catches me in the process. She looks panicky, so I toss her a smile. As if on cue, Ruby nods, I nod back, and two seconds later, we both send similar texts.

Ruby:Wanna meet at the ship?

Bennett:Meet at the pirate ship?