Be Brave With Me

Chapter Thirteen

Across from the lookout over the bay, on the other side of the cul-de-sac, the face of the mountain rose another twenty yards into the air. A crumbling staircase was hewn into the stone. It led in two sharp serpentines up to what looked like a ledge from down here. A faded sign next to the rough stairs carried some Croatian words.

Head up here for adventure, it could have read for all they knew.

Aura leaned her head back to look up to where the steps ended below the ledge. This didn't look safe. Nor like a good idea.

Jess would rip her head off if she knew that she was even considering this.

Yes. First, she would rip her head off to stop these dangerous thoughts. Then, she'd tuck it under one arm and bring it along to take another look at her insurance papers which clearly stated no coverage of any damages to her body inflicted by reckless behavior.

These steps right here, some of them overgrown with slippery moss and others already crumbled away, were the textbook definition of reckless behavior.

But... there was also Theo.

By her side, squeezing her hand and pulling her along, eager to explore. "Come on, sunshine. Let's check this out."

She held onto his hand and made him stop. "Will you go second? So I land on you when we both fall to our deaths?"

He squeezed her hand one more time. "I'll be right behind you, catching you. Watching out for you. As always."

She turned away from him and looked up the cracked mountain face once more. To hide her face from him and how it cracked taking in his words. She had chased after him down in town - for once not running away from him - to apologize for her rude exit from two days ago, to apologize for everything. She hadn't done any of that yet - and he was still ready to risk broken bones for her.

He deserved better, he deserved everything in life.

Right now, she could start with her trust. He'd earned it tenfold.

With their hands linked, her ring sitting on his little finger pressed into her palm. As long as it's safe with you, I'll know you'll watch out for me.

She exhaled and nodded. "Let's go."

Her long overdue apology would follow once they had made it up there.

It turned out to be a tough climb.

Aura had to earn every step, testing every single one with a careful touch of her foot before she put her full weight on it. She held onto little nooks in the stone with one hand and Theo's hand with her other. Sometimes he would offer a boost from below, sometimes she would pull him up onto the next step. For the last two big ones, she went on her hands and knees to draw herself up.

She'd been right. The stairs led to a ledge.

And so much more.

She was standing in a big crevice in the face of the mountain, formed over thousands of years, undetectable from down below, but big enough to fit a small house. Or a small Croatian chapel, in this case.

The weathered stone building had a bell hanging at the front of its gable and was surrounded by a couple of large cork oaks that grew up here protected from the wind. It looked out onto the wide, open sea with a view that was even more breathtaking than from twenty yards down below.

"Aura!? You all right up there?" The concern in Theo's voice rang loud and clear.

She stuck her head out over the edge. "Yeah, I am. Don't worry. Come up here! You've got to see this!"