The Bucket List Boyfriend (Boston Love #3)

Chapter 17

Max

THE THREE weeks that Maya and I have been dating have been the best three weeks of my life. It’s been like living a dream.

Except now my dream is turning into a nightmare because I’m strapped to the front of a guy named Hans, looking out of an open door of a plane.

My heart is pounding in my ears so loudly I’m pretty sure it’s echoing in the clouds below.

This was a mistake. A colossal, why-did-I-agree-to-this kind of mistake.

Who cares about five million dollars? Not me! I’m seriously considering giving up here. I got the girl. That’s all that matters.

“Having second thoughts?” Maya shouts.

She can read me like a book.

“I’m about to willingly fling myself out of a perfectly functioning airplane at 15,000 feet. Who does that?”

Behind me, Hans starts trying to hype us up.

He has way too much confidence for a guy about to hurl himself—and me—toward the earth at terminal velocity. He’s all smiles, like he does this for fun.

Well, of course he does, but what kind of lunatic enjoys falling out of planes for a living?

Maya, on the other hand, is practically vibrating with excitement.

Both of our tandem jump instructors have cameras strapped to their head gear. I hope they’re not about to record my death. I don’t think that’s what Uncle Reggie had in mind when he wanted us to keep a record of all of this.

When the pilot gives the signal that we’re ready, Maya leans over and gives me a quick kiss, her eyes sparkling like this is the best day ever.

“See you on the other side, babe!” she shouts over the roar of the wind.

Then, with zero hesitation, she leaps out of the plane with her instructor like she’s jumping into a pool on a hot summer day.

And there she goes, out of my life as a brave, fearless goddess while I stand here… a terrified sack of potatoes.

“Max, you ready?” Hans asks, patting me on the shoulder.

No. No, I am not ready. I will never be ready.

I’d rather wrestle a bear, swim with sharks, or literally do anything else that doesn’t involve plummeting toward the ground like a malfunctioning meteor. I’ll even touch one of Maya’s snakes!

But before I can vocalize my horror, Hans starts moving, and suddenly, I’m dangling out of the plane, wind whipping my face.

I can’t feel my legs. I’m about to die. This is it. The final moments of Max Fitzbgerald’s life. At least I’ll die with the knowledge that Maya knows how much I love her.

“One… two…” Hans counts down cheerfully.

“WAIT!” I yell.

Hans either didn’t hear me, or he completely ignores me.

“Three!”

And then we’re out.

Falling.

Dropping like a rock tied to a grand piano thrown off a skyscraper. The wind rushes at me, slamming into my face and body.

I’m pretty sure my stomach stayed on the plane because it definitely isn’t with me anymore.

I let out a scream that sounds like a squealing teenager at a Taylor Swift concert.

Hans is laughing, or maybe he’s just yelling happy things into the wind. I don’t know because I’m busy replaying every decision in my life that led to this moment.

Skydiving? What was I thinking? I should have told Mr Carson just to keep the five million.

Suddenly, there’s a violent jerk, and the parachute deploys with a loud whoosh.

I’ve never been more grateful for fabric in my entire life. My body swings in the harness like a ragdoll, and I gasp, finally able to suck in some air.

We’re not falling anymore. We’re floating. Slowly. Gracefully.

“Oh, thank goodness,” I mutter, my voice shaky. “We didn’t die.”

Hans laughs behind me. “See? Not so bad!”

Not so bad? This man clearly has a few screws loose. As does Maya, if this is the sort of thing she considers fun.

My heart is still doing backflips, and I’m pretty sure I aged about twenty years during that freefall.

The ground gets closer, and as we glide down, I spot Maya already on the ground, grinning and waving like she just won the lottery. How is she so calm?

We touch down, and I want to kiss Hans the psychopath for getting my feet back on solid ground. I stagger a little, my legs feeling like they’ve turned into jello.

Maya runs over, her face glowing with excitement. “That was incredible!” she shouts, wrapping her arms around me. “Can you believe it?”

I look at her, wide-eyed, my body still buzzing with leftover terror. “Maya, the only thing I believe is that I’m never doing that again. Ever. In my life. I value my life too much to willingly jump out of a plane twice.”

She laughs, brushing some windblown hair out of my face. “Come on, how can you not love that rush?”

I give her a deadpan look. “Love it? Maya, I screamed so loud I’m pretty sure they heard me back at the airport. I saw my life flash before my eyes. Twice. Once before we jumped, and then again when the parachute opened.”

She grins, completely unfazed, and leans in to give me another kiss. “You’re such a drama queen, Max.”

“Maybe,” I acknowledge. “But you love me anyway.”

“Yes I do.”

“Even if I never jump out of another plane?” I ask as we walk hand in hand back to the hangar.

“Even then.”

I sigh, pulling her close despite the fact that I’m still trembling like a leaf in a hurricane.

I may not have turned into some thrill-seeking adventurer, but I did learn to take a risk where it really mattered. I wasn’t lying when I told Maya she was my biggest risk and my biggest reward.

She’s the reality I never dared hope for, and I still can’t believe I get to call her mine. And for the first time in my life, I’m okay with not knowing exactly where we’re headed, as long as she’s right there with me.