Page 48 of Nothing But Air

“I know.” All humor drained from his voice. His eyes held hers, steady and serious. “You were right. About all of it.”

The sincerity in his tone caught her off guard.

“But you called for help when you needed it.” Her voice softened. “That matters.”

“And you came.” His eyes held hers. Steady. Grateful.

“Of course.”

Her pulse hammered. The sun caught his eyes, highlighting those golden flecks, turning his auburn curls to burnished copper. A moment passed between them—gratitude, trust, respect.

And maybe something else.

Something that made her acutely aware of how little space separated them. How his chest rose and fell with each breath. How his gaze dropped briefly to her mouth before returning to her eyes.

The world below seemed very far away.

“I guess that answers my question from earlier.” Sierra’s voice carried across from where Team Two stood watching.

Right. Audience. Fantastic.

Eden turned away, started preparing their descent. Threading rope through anchor rings. Double-checking the setup. Testing the system.

Her skin still tingled where Teague’s arm had brushed hers.

“I guess this means we lost.” His voice held a touch of annoyance—directed at himself. “Sorry about that.”

“Maybe it was for the best.” Eden clipped her figure-eight to the rope. “Rescuing you unlocked something in me. I haven’t felt this alive on the rope in a long time.”

“Glad my humiliation had some purpose.” He laughed—short, self-deprecating—but his eyes said he understood.

Did he understand what he’d given her?

By being stuck. By needing rescue. By trusting her to lead when his pride must have been screaming at him to figure it out himself.

He’d forced her to prove she could still do this. That the years not climbing hadn’t erased her skills. That maybe she belonged back on the rock after all.

The rappel down was silent. Controlled. Eden fed rope through her device, walking backward down the face with the easy rhythm of a thousand descents.

When her boots touched solid ground, both teams had gathered at the base.

Noah approached with an expression that promised a lengthy conversation about safety protocols.

Joy.

But before he could start, Kyle was there.

Moving into her space. Standing too close. That cologne—woodsy and expensive—wrapping around her like something she hadn’t asked for.

“Nice work up there.” His smile was warm. His eyes were not. “Textbook rescue.”

Eden coiled her rope. “Just doing what needed to be done.”

“Still. Good to see you back in action.” Kyle’s gaze shifted to where Teague had just touched down, and something cold slid through his expression. “Way to lead, Hamilton. So much for being someone she could trust.”

Excuse me?

Eden’s hands stilled. She looked up, meeting Kyle’s eyes with an expression that made him step back.