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Her chest heaving from her run, she threads her hands behind her neck and works to slow down her breathing before finally uttering “Family thing. Long story.”
“Enough said,” I say, glad she’s here. “What do you think? Are you ready to do this?”
I bend down and pull out the gear then lift my head to meet her wide eyes.
“Or maybe we need to do some cardio?” I tease.
Her mouth twists and her eyes narrow. I think if she had something to throw at me right now, she would. But other than her phone and the shoes on her feet, she’s accessory-free.
“I get nervous running in the dark, and it’s colder tonight. I don’t know how two days made that much difference, but it did,” she says.
“Because it’s October in New England. It gets wicked cold here, yeah?” I puff out a laugh that accentuates my point when my breath fogs.
“Okay, let’s do this,” she says, forming fists at her side and taking in two deep breaths to reset her heart rate. She’ll be breathing hard again in ten minutes, but climbing is a different type of exertion. Being able to keep your heart rate steady while scaling takes time. Like earning a black belt.Fuck that Cole guy. He still pisses me off.
We get suited up and Brooklyn is finding her footing within minutes. She follows the same route as before, placing her hands in all the same places and using her legs to ascend, her upper body to steady herself. She clips the rope easily into the hooks, and we make it to the same spot as before in about half the time. She giggles when my hands wrap around her calves.
“Ticklish much?” I lean my head out to the side to catch a glimpse of her face. The moon is full tonight, lighting up her profile with a blue-silver glow. She flattens her check against the wall as her laughter grows more manic, her eyes squeezed shut. I’m not sure if she’s smiling or weeping.
“Hey, are you all right?” I switch my hold on her right leg to a gentler, more tender touch, rubbing her muscle.
Her body shakes with her emotion for a few more seconds before she howls into the night air so loudly I’m a little worried people are going to come looking for us.
“Is that a yes?” I say through a breathy laugh.
She drops her chin, and our eyes meet.
“I can’t believe I’m doing this. Thank you, Cameron. Just . . .”
She swallows hard and I move my hand along her calf again to comfort. To adore.
“Youare doing this. Thank you for letting me be a part of it,” I say, unable to stop my smile from spreading to both sides of my face.
I hold on to her gaze, wanting to lock down this moment for as long as I can, my touch on her leg light and tender, my thumb trailing behind my palm with the slightest lingering touch as I caress up and down.
“Higher?” I ask.
She nods emphatically, her eyes glistening as she smiles.
“Yes. Higher, please.”
I pat her leg and tighten my grip to brace her as she shifts her body to search for her next landing. She sees the same ridge as before, the one she slipped from, and without hesitation, she grabs hold, her right leg scaling the wall a second after, the left following when she quickly finds a nook. In seconds, she’s risen another foot, hooked in the rope, and this time I’m the one to yell out, “Woot!”
“One more. Maybe two,” she says. I can feel her muscle quivering under my touch, fatigue setting in.
“Don’t overdo it,” I preach.
“One more,” she insists.
I spread my fingers to give her muscles as much support as I can then let her call the shots.
“Where to?” I ask.
“I think I need to use that crevice,” she says, jerking her head up to point. I know the one. She’s right, but it won’t be easy.
“Okay, reach inside with your right hand first, then follow with your right foot. It seems counterintuitive, but it’s the best way. I promise.”
She nods and flattens her palm against the rock, inching it upward toward the two-inch gap above her head. When she finds it, she sucks in a hard breath, and I step up to cover more of her with my chest for reassurance.
