forward, but she let go of the rope and gripped the green peg. “Okay, now put your left foot on that red peg. It’s a little bit further down, but you’ve got this.” She did as she was instructed. “Okay. Good.” Enzo moved to another hold in order to get closer to her. He placed her hand, the one that had been gripping his, on a peg, and gave it a quick squeeze. “I’m going to let go of this hand now, okay?”
“No, no! Please don’t!” she cried.
“Listen to me.” His voice was firm but not loud or condescending. “You know that ride they have in every carnival, the chair swings? This is the same thing. If you happen to slip again, it’s no big deal—you just swing with it. You’re harnessed. You’re safe.”
“I—I never go on that fucking ride!” she said, her voice almost unrecognizable even to herself. “Travis always wanted me to go on it, but I never would. I hate that ride.”
Enzo chuckled.
“Don’t laugh at me!” She glared at him, almost crying. “I hate heights.”
He began to move up, not letting go of her hand, and she slowly followed. “This is a ridiculous date, babe,” he said with a gentle smile. “You should’ve let me pick. Who the hell takes a date rock climbing? We could’ve been having a delicious lobster meal right this second at the Manhattan in Tampa.”
Moving gingerly from one hold to the next, she noticed that when she slowed down, unsure of where to put her foot or hand, he guided her patiently. “I hate lobster!” she yelled. “And anyway, you’re having a great time.”
“And you’re having the time of your life, I can see,” he said sarcastically.
“Shut up, Enzo! I’m getting over my fucking fears! Epiphany happening here!” Her voice was shaky, though. She was about to look down, but he hollered at her.
“I told you to look at me. Don’t look down.” Again his voice was firm, but the playfulness returned immediately. “I mean, really, don’t you want to look at my ass?”
If she hadn’t been certain she was about to plummet to her death, then yes, she would definitely have wanted to look at his ass. But right at that moment she wanted to get off the wall. “I want to go down. Not up. I know they can make that happen. The guys holding the ropes down there can do shit to make that happen. I give up. So, make it happen. Reverse this fucker.”
“No. We’re going to finish. I told them not to do that when you first let go.”
“I didn’t hear you say anything,” she said, focused on the climbing.
“I think you were having a nervous breakdown or a heart attack, one of those. And I’m fairly certain it made you deaf.” She knew exactly what he was doing by being playful yet argumentative, and she had to admit it was working. And he was right—she hadn’t been able to hear anything but the blood rushing in her ears when she’d first slipped.
He continued to speak. “Look up. You’re almost there. You were closer to the top than the bottom. I made an executive decision.” He placed her hand on one of the green pegs, closed his own hand around hers, and squeezed. “Go on and take another step up.”
“No!” she cried.
“Look at me,” he demanded, his voice assertive but not harsh. “Jamie Lynn, baby, look at me,” he repeated. When she did, he went on, “You’re not going to fall. I’m right here. Focus and go slow.”
She took a breath and did as he said. Slowly she took a trembling step, her hands following one by one. Her palms were clammy and sweat dripped slowly down her spine. She was a hundred percent sure every part of her body would be sore tomorrow. But, he’d climbed up with her and told her what to do to make it all the way up. He’d been firm when he needed to be, and joked around to distract her. He reached the top and hoisted himself up, then turned and he extended his arm to her. She reached for it, still trembling, and took the final step, and he pulled her up. She heard cheering from below.
“Damn, I’m proud of you!” He pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her. Except for the kiss they’d shared a few months back, this was the closest they’d ever been to each other. His hand was at the back of her