He glanced at it, his lips twitching slightly. "If you say so... then fine, they're not."
"You're such a liar." I picked up on his half-hearted tone. "Just wait till you see them. Oh, and if the weather cooperates, we can chase the aurora tonight. The forecast looks perfect for it these next few days."
Kholod watched me enthusiastically break down the itinerary, his gaze softening.
"Alright, it's your show," he said. "You lead, I'll follow."
That made me pause. Kholod Morozov, the ultimate control freak, saying he'd let me take the reins?
"You won't change your mind halfway?" I probed.
"I won't." He took the guide from my hands and pored over it carefully. "This is your trip. You decide. I'm just here to keep you company."
The way he said "keep you company" sounded a little forced, like he wasn't quite used to the phrase.
But it sent a warm flutter through my heart all the same.
The next day unfolded exactly as I'd planned.
Skogafoss's mist refracted rainbows in the sunlight, and the trailbehind Seljalandsfoss let us slip right inside the cascade, gazing up at water thundering down like a galaxy in freefall.
"Watch your step," Kholod called from ahead, glancing back often. "It's slippery here."
"Got it." I carefully lifted my skirt hem, navigating the slick rocks.
Suddenly, my foot slid out from under me, and I lost my balance.
"Noelle!" Kholod spun around, grabbing my arm and pulling me straight into his chest.
I collided with his solid frame, my heart racing.
"You okay?" He held me tightly, his voice laced with clear tension.
"I'm fine..." I looked up, catching the worry in his eyes, and couldn't help but laugh. "I just almost slipped. No need to panic."
"You..." He frowned. "Alright, from here on, I'm holding your hand."
"No need—"
"This isn't up for discussion." He intertwined our fingers, gripping firmly. "You slip again, and we're heading back to the hotel."
I glanced at our clasped hands, feeling the heat from his palm spread all the way to my heart.
"Fine," I conceded.
We continued on, hands linked. His was large and warm, holding on tight, as if he feared I'd vanish at any moment.
By the time we reached the black sand beach, the wind had picked up fiercely. My hair whipped around chaotically, and my skirt fluttered up.
"Wait." Kholod stopped, pulling a hair tie from his backpack.
"You brought that?" I asked, surprised.
"Yeah." He looked a bit uncomfortable. "Saw it when you were packing last night and grabbed one."
He stepped behind me and clumsily gathered my hair, tying it up. It took him two attempts, and it ended up a little lopsided.
"Sorry, I'm not great at this."
