REALLY ✓

15: The High Hopes

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      TAYA's POV:

"What is this place? Am I being kidnapped?"

I had lived all my life on this island, but I never knew of this narrow dirt road Judah drove into. Once we got to the end of the road, he parked the bike and killed the engine, before motioning for me to get off.

"Blondie, I can't kidnap you even if I want to. You're too much work," he joked.

I rolled my eyes and I was struggling to get off the bike. Next thing I knew, I slipped, falling butt-first on the ground. Because of course I would.

"Ouw!" my hand instinctively went to rub my backside.

Judah just stood there and he had the audacity to laugh at me.

"That's not very chivalrous, don't you think?" I muttered as I pulled myself up without his help.

"Chivalry's dead, princess," he replied, before turning towards the woods.

We had arrived in some sort of secluded area filled with trees. There were no one in sight, and the only access in here was this narrow dirt road no one would even notice.

I might die here and no one would know.

"Are you coming or what?" I heard Judah's voice from behind the trees.

I took a deep breath and followed him into the woods. We walked around for a good ten minutes. Judah seemed to know exactly where he was going, as if he had been here a million times before.

Finally we arrived at an opening, Judah moved the tall bushes aside, and in front of us laid this amazing view of the ocean and clear skies. My eyes widened instantly as I realized we were standing on an area of land at the top of a cliff.

"Whoa," I gasped and Judah smiled at my reaction. "I've lived here all my life and I never knew this place existed! How do you know this place again?"

"I used to live here," he shrugged simply.

"Wait, what? You lived here?"

Judah ignored the puzzled look on my face and just kept on walking until we came across an old abandoned building at the end of the cliff top. It looked like it was supposed to be a two-story house—except it was unfinished, tattered, and old.

Judah walked right in and climbed this obscure wooden ladder until he reached the second floor of the house. There were no walls up there and he just stood there with his head held high.

"Come on up Blondie, the view's amazing!" he shouted down to me.

"You want me to go up there? Oh no... no, I don't do heights. I can't get up there! There are literally no walls," I shook my head violently.

"You were fine last time when you jumped from one," he made a point.

"That doesn't count," I shouted back.

Judah made a complaining noise and reluctantly walked back down to my level. Once he was in front of me, he whisked me up suddenly, throwing my body over his shoulder in one swift move.

"Hey! Put me down!" I yelped and squirmed, but he ignored me completely. He climbed all the way back up the second floor, before finally letting me down once he found a cozy spot on the side of the house.

"You're crazy!" I half yelled, half whimpered.

I retreated away from the edge as much as I could, while Judah sat down and let his feet hung loosely on the air. As scared as I was right now, I had to admit this was one of the most beautiful sights I'd ever seen. We had the entire ocean and blue skies on full display.