“What are you doing?” I hiss, my heart rate skyrocketing.

“I’m going to our final destination. We need to hurry. Start climbing.” Eyeing the flimsy ladder skeptically, I pause before sighing and beginning my ascent, limbs shaking involuntarily. Genevieve climbs quickly, her short frame scaling the cliff fully before I’m even a quarter of the way up. Black curls peep over the edge at the top as she peers down at me. “Come on!” she yells. “You’re going to miss it!”

“Miss what?” I yell up at her.

“The view!” she cheers before disappearing from my line of sight. I move my legs and arms quicker, focused on not looking down. I’ve never been particularly fond of heights. Especially not while attached to a fraying piece of fabric turned into a makeshift support system. When I finally reach the top, I roll my body away from the edge, remaining prone on the ground as I wait for my racing heart to still. Genevieve nudges me gently with her shoe. “Just a few more minutes of walking and we’re there.”

Standing to follow her on shaky legs, the adrenaline still coursing through me, we walk a few more minutes along the edge of the cliff. I keep several feet of distance from the sheer drop on the other side. Noticing my breath quickening, I realize we’ve climbed even higher and now stand on the highest point of the shoreline for miles around. A few other couples sit spread out along the smooth rock. Genevieve finds us a private location before flopping down and patting next to her.

When we’re both seated, I survey the view. Cobalt sea wraps around most of the view, the ocean turning more green-gray with each minute of twilight that passes. The sun almost reaches the horizon, and a vibrant explosion of tangerine, peach, and blush ripples across the sky. The fluffy clouds that perpetually surround Velmara light from within with the color of apricots. The smallest sliver of moon appears in the sky directly above us, and Genevieve sighs next to me. Her sweet scent wraps around us, and I can’t help but let out my own contented sigh. Genevieve speaks softly, explaining the significance of the location.