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"Well, we can't all be that secure that young."
"I am incredibly special, you're right."
Sage smiled and let me have that one. "I should have drawn kissing girls in your margins. That would have gotten the message across. Plus, you deserved that."
"I did deserve that," I agreed. "Can never have too many kissing girls."
"Exactly. You also deserved to give yourself a break, like you do now.” Her gaze flickered to my hand. “You don’t believe you’re going to make it, so you're pushing yourself hard. Too hard, Pastel. I don't want you to break."
"I-I'm fine." I tucked my hand behind my back.
"You flinched when I grabbed your hand earlier. Smallest twitch of your mouth. It's the same one you get when you drink your tea too quickly in the office. You're too polite to complain out loud. That twitch is as close as you get."
"Wow, someone's obsessed with me," I joked.
"I know my competition like the back of my hand." Sage closed the remaining distance and kissed me. It started gentle and evolved into parted lips, evoking a noise I was quick to stifle, because this wasn't the place.
"Can tonight be about fun?" Sage asked in a hoarse voice when we pulled back for a breath. "I know you want your notes on your chapter, but we have all night. Right now, I would love to watch you enjoy yourself and forget about the stress of work, family, and competing."
I nodded, eyes still half closed, my mind still in a lull after her kiss. "I'd love that."
When Sage said suspension bridges, she meant suspension bridges. I could do stairs in my sleep. My fear of heights wasn't triggered by them. But put me in the air on swaying wood planks? I froze.
"Come on, let's go back," Sage comforted me when I stopped in the middle of the bridge. "I told you we didn't have to do this."
"We're. Doing. This." I clung to the railing, shaking like a toddler who'd just learned to walk.
"You don't have to prove anything, I swear." Sage was ahead of me, within arm's reach. "I didn't mean to pressure you."
"You didn't."
"I think my sheer presence pressures you sometimes."
"You think too highly of yourself," I said and tried to take a step forward. The bridge groaned under the movement, and I paused again.
"I'm going to get better at this date thing," she said with a sigh. "I should have chosen dinner and a movie, something that doesn't have a vein popping in your forehead."
"There's no vein in my forehead," I grumbled.
"Wanna bet?" She offered me her hand, and I grabbed on, thankful for something solid and steady. Instead of urging me toward her like I’d expected, Sage came to me. She pulled out her phone and flipped the camera to us. I was a panicked mess, but at least my hair was still cute and holding up well in the humidity. Sage looked perfect beside me.
"Let's take a photo," I decided. "I want to have leverage whenever you inevitably protest about doing something for me."
"No fair, I told you this was voluntary," she complained with a laugh.
"Doesn't matter. I'm being brave because you like this. So when the shoe is on the other foot, I want to have this as proof that I'm willing to go the extra mile."
"Fine." Sage wrapped her arm around my waist, securing me against her. I felt safer in her grip, finally able to relax for a second. She snapped the photo and surprised me at the last minute by turning to kiss my cheek.
"You look really beautiful tonight," she whispered in my ear. "Scared or not."
My stomach flipped at the compliment. She kissed me once more, and my nerves melted along with me.
"I feel better," I said once she put the phone down. Her arm remained on my waist.
"Really?"
"Yeah, my heart's not racing and the air's really great up here."
