Given Time

♡29♡

"Come on, Leah. You've only got a few more steps to go till we reach the top," Tanner shouts down at me.

I huff. "He's gonna kill me."

I pinch the twinge in my side and force my legs to climb the next few steps on the steep hill. When Tanner woke me up this morning and said we were trekking in the hills, I thought it sounded like a great idea. But as the sun beats down on my back and the stifling air gets to my lungs, I quickly change my mind. I wheeze in another breath and close the gap between Tanner and me. I keep my eyes fixed on him as my target while I walk and try to ignore my aching legs protesting to stop.

"That's it. You're almost there now," he encourages as I take the last two steps to him.

As soon as I reach him, he embraces me in a warm, sweaty hug and kisses my damp hair.

Having next to no energy, I lean my body on his for support, and Tanner keeps his arms wrapped around my back, holding me upright.

"Can we please stop now? We've been going at it for over an hour."

He smiles and shakes his head. "You see those trees up there?" he asks, pointing in the distance.

I nod. "Uh-huh."

"Well, the top is just behind them."

Is he serious!

"But they look so high up. It's got to be at least another ten-minute walk."

He chuckles. "You're doing great. And once you get there, the view is definitely worth the hike."

Wanting to get this over with, I extract myself from Tanner and take a step forward. "Ugh, fine. Let's get going."

He chuckles at my lack of enthusiasm and puts his hand behind the small of my back to help push me forward. With his help I move a lot faster, but the downside of this is that it intensifies the burning in my thighs.

As I look at the ground to watch my footing, I notice my pink converses are covered in dust. "You couldn't have picked an easier date like a picnic in the park or bowling?" I whine.

He shows me a disgusted face. "Bowling is for babies; this is what real adults do," he tells me, waving his arms around to show me exactly what he means by this.

I have to admit it, even though this isn't my date of choice, the idyllic scenery is breathtaking. The sun shines down on the trees, making the green leaves look more vibrant, and every so often, a squirrel or rabbit scurries along the ground. It's nature at its best.

We continue to follow the trail for the next five minutes, leading us closer to the trees at the top. I can hear the sounds of my shoes padding along the hard, muddy ground, and in the air, I can hear the birds chirping happily. I break the silence between us and ask a question that's been on my mind for a while now. "So, how do you know about this spot?"

He massages the back of his neck with one hand, while the other stays behind my back, supporting me. "I come here a lot."

Wow, that's news to me.

"I didn't know you like hiking."

He shrugs, seeming embarrassed. "I come up here to think. It's quiet and peaceful. Something I need in my life from time to time."

Awe, that's so cute.

I stop in the middle of the path, and Tanner halts, looking at me confused. I lean up and grip his T-shirt and kiss him. Tanner slowly swirls his tongue around mine, and just as I think it's all sweet, he smacks me on my ass.