Page 47 of Too Late

“There’s a cave about eight-feet down.”

Her heart seized. Was he really suggesting going down to it? “You’re kidding, right?”

He cupped her face. “If we can get down there before he reaches that bend”—he pointed to where they had come from—“then he won’t know where we are.”

She stood frozen, but her insides quaked.

Josh whipped the pack off his back and pulled out the paracord. “It’s not much, but maybe it’ll help.” He tied one end around her waist and then the other end around his. He took her face in both of his hands. “You can do this.”

“Josh—”

He put his finger on her lips. Then kissed her forehead. “Go.”

She moved toward the side, but her breathing rate skyrocketed.

He whipped the pack on and braced his foot against a sapling that had found a crevice in the rocks to root.

“What if . . .”

“Don’t ask the questions, just act. Climb, Chloe.”

This was the kind of moment she’d had nightmares about for years.

She hadn’t climbed bare rock in thirteen years. She didn’t have the muscles needed, let alone the stomach.

Before even gripping the rock, her hands were shaking.

“Chloe.” Josh’s voice was kind but urgent. They didn’t have time for her to get over her fear. She needed to hurdle it. Run and jump, metaphorically.

She sat and let her feet dangle over the edge. Then braved looking over. Her stomach twisted. Lots of foot and hand holds. At least it wasn’t a flat face. But the first bit was going to hurt, looking for those first holds.

She rolled onto her stomach. Josh reached out his hand, and they gripped each other’s forearms. She slid down slightly.

God, help! I trust You with my life. I have to right now. But I do about everything.She moved her foot around, searching for a foothold.Get us out of here. Get me down this rock, so I can tell Josh how I really feel about him. Don’t let me . . .

She found a notch to rest her foot on.

Her stomach churned.

As the vise around her lungs tightened, so did her grip on Josh.

“Chloe, breathe.”

“I can’t do it.” The panic was coming. She felt helpless as it steamrolled into her body.

“Yes, you can.”

She searched for a hold for her second foot. There. Deep breath in. And out.

“That’s it.” Josh leaned closer, giving her more reach to go down farther.

She lowered herself.

“Remember to use your legs.”

Regret for not facing this sooner washed over her. All those times she could have rappelled instead of finding another way down.

Her first foot found a lower spot.

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