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“If you say so.” Damon smirked before he nodded up toward the double tree stand. “You want to go up?”
“Is it safe?” I looked up at the seats in the tree. “It doesn’t look safe to me.”
“You’re always safe with me, Sam.” Damon’s words were earnest, as his hand gave mine a thoughtful squeeze.
My breath caught in my chest as I looked between the double tree stand and Damon, my nerves and fear battling it out with my courage and implicit trust in him. Eventually, my trust won out as I met his gaze, a widening smile on my face.
“Okay. Let’s go up.”
* * *
A few moments later and we were climbing.
I went first, with Damon below me watching my every step. I’d never been much of a climber, so I tried to take my time, my hand gripping onto the stand’s ladder like I was holding on for dear life. When I finally reached the top, I clung to the tree behind me, leaning against it like if I didn’t, I would’ve toppled straight to oblivion.
I watched as Damon climbed the ladder, casual and strong. It was borderline maddening how easy all of this came to him, my inadequacy when it came to nature seeming to stick out like a sore thumb. When he reached the top, he flashed me a playful grin as he moved even closer to my side.
“Are you okay?” he started. “You look like you’re about to knock on death’s door.”
“I’m fine. I’ve just… never climbed a tree before. I’ve never been this high off the ground if I wasn’t in an airplane.”
“Wait. What?” Damon quirked an eyebrow. “You’ve never been in a tree? Not even when you were a little kid?”
“Climbing trees isn’t exactly a statewide pastime down in Georgia.”
“Oh.” Damon let out a small hum. “Well, thank you for coming up here with me, then.”
Damon gently grabbed for my hand, guiding me toward the seats, settling us down inside of them. I felt myself shaking a little bit as I situated myself in the chair next to him, my breaths coming out shallow and stilted.
“You’re going to love the view. Trust me,” he assured me, his focus on the woods below. “If you want to see a deer, this is the way to do it.”
“I believe you,” I murmured, folding my hands in my lap. I snuck a look over at Damon, his gaze so intense yet excited, like a kid about to unwrap a huge gift at their birthday party. I smiled to myself as I took him in, his joy almost palpable, contagious even. My envy about his connection with nature melted into something else, something that hoped a deer appeared out of the woods just so I could see that moment reflected on his face.
Just so I could’ve been happy for him.
Suddenly, there was movement below us. I couldn’t see anything just yet, but I could hear rustling in the leaves. A thrill shot down my spine, my own excitement coursing through my veins as I looked around the forest below, my eyes straining to catch a glimpse of a deer.
“Do you see anything yet?” I whispered, as I shifted to a crouching position, glancing around from side to side.
“Not yet,” Damon replied, as he stood, his stance a lot more guarded than my own.
“I wonder if they can smell us or something—”
My words were interrupted by a growl.
A guttural, spine-tingling, terrifying growl.
I looked below us again, this time making direct eye contact with a pair of black eyes, white teeth, and a huge, black snout.
A bear.
It took my brain a few moments to process it, but I was looking right at a bear.
Shit!
“Don’t,” Damon started, as he gingerly grabbed for my hand, pulling me up toward him. “Don’t panic.”
“How am I supposed to do that? Not panic?” I whisper-yelled as I leaned into Damon’s side, turning my face away from the bear. “Oh, my God. Is this really how I’m going to die?”
