Page 77 of No One Wants That (Blitzen Bay)

KIT

“You’re not scared of heights.”

Butch drove as far up into the mountains as he could and parked where the road ends. We hiked the last mile toward the peak as the twilight’s soft glow was just starting to light up the sky. It was the perfect morning until we got to the last obstacle—a short, but very steep climb with only tiny footholds jutting out of the sheer rock face. I’m not scared of many things, but I’m terrified of heights.

“We don’t need to go all of the way up,” I say, pushing his hand off my shoulder. “We can see the sunrise from here.”

“We can see it better up there.” He pushes me toward the wall.

I turn back around and bury my head in his chest. “No. I’m really scared of heights. That’s too steep of a climb.”

He wraps his arms around me and hugs me tightly. “You’re not scared of heights. That’s not a rational fear. You’re scared of falling. And you’re not going to fall because I’ll be behind you the entire time. Come on. You can do this.”

“No,” I whine, snuggling deeper into his chest.

“Kit,” he says, stroking my back. “One of the reasons I like you so much is that you don’t hesitate. I know you can do this. Fear is just added energy to help you get through something you haven’t tried. I’m going to be on your back the entire time. We’ll do it together.”

When I look up at him, his eyes are all gentle and sweet again. I swear he could make me jump off the mountain when he looks at me like this.

“Fine,” I say, taking a shaky breath. “Don’t let me fall.”

“I promise,” he whispers directly into my ear then turns me around to face the wall again. “I’m going to lift you up. Put your feet there and there and grab onto that ledge. Okay?”

I nod. My body engages when he picks me up and pushes me against the wall. I grab the ledge. When I feel his hand on my back, I start climbing. He matches every move I make until we get near the top.

“You’re doing great. You’re like a little Sherpa.” He puts his hand on my butt. “Put your arms over the top. I’ll push you up the rest of the way.”

When he starts pushing, I scramble over the top. I glance around expecting to be terrified by my new view, but all I’m feeling is some kind of extreme happiness that I don’t think I’ve ever experienced before. I look down at him.

“Do you want me to pull you up?” I ask, a goofy smile plastered all over my face.

He laughs as he races up the rest of the way and pulls himself over the top.

“Yes,” he says, hugging me. “I wanted you to pull my two-hundred-pound body over the top.”

“I could have done it.” I giggle and kiss him again. I’m feeling giddy and lightheaded. I’m not sure if it’s the altitude or the fact that love feelings are shooting all of the way through my body—or maybe a glorious combination of both.

“I have no doubt you could do anything you set your mind to,” he says, sitting against a rock and pulling me down between his legs. He wraps his arms around me as I sink back against his chest. “I’m so proud of you, baby. You made that look easy.”

I look up at him—my eyes glowing. “It was easy because I knew you had my six.”

“Your six?” he says, smiling as he pulls his head back. “What do you know about six?”

“I watched a war movie and they kept saying that. I think it means like having someone’s back.”

He rubs his face against mine. “Yeah, that’s exactly what it means. And I promise I’ll always have your six.”

I pull his arms tighter around me. “Ooo, look! The sun’s coming up. I’m glad I got you out of bed this early so we could get here in time.”

“Yes. Thank you for forcing me to get up.”

“You’re welcome.”

He kisses the top of my head. “Selective memory is obviously one of your top skills, too.”

We watch the sunrise in silence for a few minutes—his arms wrapped around me with his head resting on top of mine. I’ve never felt so warm, secure, and peaceful. As the sun keeps crawling over the peak, the sky takes on the most beautiful pink glow.

“That’s my favorite color,” he says, pointing at the horizon. “That deep pink color.”

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