Don't mess with her

Chapter 29: Facing Fears

"Um...what are we doing here?"

"Isn't obvious?" I stared at him with a confused look.

"Yes, this is an indoor rock climbing place...but why are we here?"

"What does it look like we are doing?" He said slowly like waiting for me to understand the fact that he's making me climb.

"No, no, no. You more than anyone knows I'm terrified of heights. That is if you remember."

"I remember. That's why we are here. Listen I know you're scared but I'm here, I won't let anything happen to you. Do you trust me?" His eyes were full of sincerity and expecting my answer.

My breathing faltered but I decided to give it a shot. I was trying to break every barrier I've built over the years. I knew he was trying to do that, but still couldn't stop my breathing from getting erratic. "I trust you I but..." I left that thought linger and kept looking how high that thing was.

Drake saw my hesitation and spoke again. "Well, in that case you won't get what's up there waiting for you." He shrugged like it wasn't a big deal.

I looked at him confused and he pointed to something that looked like an envelope attached to the top of the rope.

I turned to look at him confused. "What's that?"

"There's only one way to find out." He smiled mischievously.

I grunted in frustration. I looked at the ground and to the envelope and repeated that action for quite some time until I made up my mind.

"Okay." I said not looking at him and surprised that he even heard me.

"Great. Let's get you ready." He was walking so happy towards the wall, while I dreaded every step. I'm beginning to regret my decision.

"Alright. Let's get you up there." He said while but of us were strapped and ready to climb. He grabbed one of the hand holds and nodded motioning for me to do the same to one that was close to me.

I took a deep breath and did as he asked. Soon I began to get the hang of it. Holding on tight and now using my feet too to push myself up.

Everything was going smoothly until one of my foot slipped. I shrieked and held to the rope for dear life.

I don't know how Drake came to me so fast, or was it the fact that I had my eyes closed shut? Either way, when I opened my eyes he was next to me but he didn't touch me or help me to hold back to the wall which was a few feet away from me. Oh sweet Lord, I was dangling like 20 feet above the ground. My breathing was becoming erratic again and I feared a panic attack. That's when Drake decided to speak.

"You can do it, Emily. Just swing yourself and grab one of the holds." He encouraged but I was too paralyzed to do so.

I shook my head rapidly. "I can't, I-I can't do it."

"Yes you can. Look at me, don't look at the ground. That's done, everything that you climbed it's all behind. Just like your life, everything that you lived it's all in the past. Now this is the scary part, you have to keep going on but now you are on your own. You know how to do it but you only need to learn how to get back and keep going to get what you want. I won't help you do so, no one else will. You need to learn how to trust yourself."

I nodded and bit my lip. He's right. I took a deep breath for the hundred time today and began to swing myself back and forth. The first try when I reached it, my hands slipped.

"Keep going. I know you can do it." His tone was serious and I knew he meant every single word.

I looked at the hand hold that I aimed for to grab and began to swing myself again. This time I reached it and held on tight. I did the same to one that was close with my other hand and looked down to place my feet on one for each.