“I know it feels that way, but it’s not. When you start feeling that sensation, pick a point to focus on. The rest doesn’tmatter. Let it fade away for as long as you can see it and if need be, pick another spot.”
“Got it,” she said, but she was staring at me.
“You’re good?”
“Yes. What next?”
“Now we begin our decline.”
I walked her down one step at a time. Her eyes never left mine. I smirked.
“What’s so funny?”
“When you pick a spot to focus on, it should always be a constant, unmoving, unyielding spot. For future reference.”
“Exactly,” she said.
My heart swelled as I stared back at her, trying not to read too much into what she’d just said.
We reached the bottom successfully and the room started clapping.
I gave a little bow before walking away and leaving Zoey to finish her video.
“You looked like a hunky superman flying in to save the damsel in distress,” Gail teased.
I groaned. “And that’s why we take lessons slow. She wouldn’t have needed me at all if you hadn’t rushed her.”
She gave me a knowing look. “I think we both know that’s not true.”
My jaw dropped and before I could even think to respond, Gail walked away.
I should have left. I was only there as a trainer, and the assignment appeared to have come to an early end. I would have loved to have a few days to teach her the true art of climbing and seeing joy, not fear, on her face when she took her first climb, even if it was just an indoor wall.
Instead, I just stood there watching her in action. She wasn’t exactly my Zoey when she was in work mode, and I had to admit that she had certainly put a lot into this. It wasn’t the egotistical fluff I had assumed, knowing she was an influencer.
I had to admit I was really impressed by it all.
Would I want to be a part of it day in and day out?
Hell no.
But I hadn’t really minded being in front of the camera teaching her something I love. It had been a little fun even.
Admittedly, I had been thrown off seeing myself through the videographers eyes in that teaser, and I was still a bit unsettled on how upset Zoey had gotten over it. But I supposed that was the separation part of fantasy and real life.
It was something I was just going to have to get used to.
That thought had hit me like a brick.
I gave it a moment to sink in. I tried to think of tomorrow, next week, next month, even next year without Zoey in it and I couldn’t. There was no longer any vision of my future that I could imagine not being by her side.
How the hell had this happened?
Mine,my wolf reminded me.
I just stood there in shock, feeling overwhelmingly helpless and nodding like a fool.
I had a mate whether I wanted one or not.
