ss yet expensive bar, Peter Thompson, a good friend from New Zealand, or Godzone, as they called it in those par

heard it all before. "Plenty of fish," he'd been told by every well-meaning friend and relative who didn't quite underst

mouthful of beer, and tried not to let his emotions show. Peter's hand, solid a

lf out of this. You can't just keep dr

now. I'm just... » His voice trailed off as he ran a hand

re cracking a grin. « You're thinking wh

k. « I don't know. What do

plane, or go skiing in the middle of nowhere. You need something to get that adrenaline pumping. » P

snorted. « You really t

thoughtfully, « if it doesn't, at lea

ecially when it came to him. There was a part of Jay, buried deep down, that welcomed the idea. Something to distract him, something to fee

nce course through him. It was a strange kind of release, saying yes to somet

nded, Jay felt an odd sense of calm settle over him. There was something about the crisp mountain air, t

is and jumped out of a helicopter over the high, snowbound southern mountains. Each experience was terrifying and exhilarati

t he had survived, despite everything. He had expected to feel more numb, to escape from the memories of Sarah

ady to face the people who would question him, who would dig into his grief

own, after a particularly reckless skydiving sess

onna have to deal wit

ountains, trying to empty his mind of everything. He had felt strangely at pe

do you

g forever. Sooner or later, you

The peaceful, almost surreal stillness of the mountain

red, though even he

n that the

he was calling. She always had a way of making him feel like a child, like he was somehow incom

his screen, he knew it was b

Ja

tation in Beth's voice

g to Kelly's w

with a date. Simple, right? But there was nothing simple about it. The thought of att

now, Beth. I'm n

ssing. We're all going to be there. And please, don't tell me yo

r much. Just a girlfriend, someone to pretend that everything was oka

hey're going to start askin

course, they are. And you know

hear the innocent remarks, the teasing, the pre

. « Jay, mate, I think it's time you face the music. You need to get b

wing slightly. « You mean, I should just f

d nonchalantl

. « Seriously? You're

I'm dead serious. Just find a new girl, take her

riend for a long, u

out of yo

of Jay's gaze. « Maybe. But it's the only thi

ridiculous, but part of him couldn't help but wonder if Peter was right. C

, » Jay muttered, his

d an eyebro

nswer. He di