Chapter 25
Meirna
“Come on with me,” I quip, watching Bronte stand yards away with his arms folded across his thick, black jacket.
The odds of him standing and not enjoying a carousel ride are likely to happen. However, this was my Christmas gift, and I plan on using it to its fullest extent.
Letná Carousel, one of the world’s oldest carousels in Europe, is twirling around in Prague under white lights, green garland with red bows, and surrounded by magnificent snow. It has nineteen hand-carved horses covered with real horse leather, and every once in a while, the wood will creak and announce how old it really is.
Again, I’m not sure how Bronte pulls these things off. However, it’s another once-in-a-lifetime deal that I was not going to turn down, regardless of how I got here and why. I have the whole carousel to myself as I sit on a white horse, going up and down as the ride spins slowly.
It’s captivating under the simplest of circumstances. I could be on a carousel ride in New York and not get this feeling there. Everything here feels like being in a chapter inside a storybook. I don’t have a prince, but a broody husband who goes to lengthsbeyond my means to offer me everything this holiday season in Prague.
It’s a dream.
It’s impeccable in every way.
And it’ll be a time that I’ll never forget.
The ride reaches Bronte again, and I hit him with narrowed eyes because he’s missing out on something he may never be able to pull off again.
“Live a little,” I coo sweetly, craning my head to keep eye contact as the ride continues to move. “When is the last time you’ve been on a carousel?”
I swear he saysneveras the ride spins, and that alone is depressing.
But, not surprising.
Especially after everything he told me about his family and Bobby. Now I can understand why he’s not connected and linked to their world because they abandoned him and did awful things.
As I approach Bronte again, I lean over the horse, exposing my ass arched purposely for his view as I innocently—of course—remark, “You know you want to. It’ll make a special moment?—”
He moves and steps onto the carousel, holding one of the golden bars as he makes his way over to me.
My lips heave that I won as he steps beside me and immediately grips my hips, gently pulling me off my horse.
“What kind of memories can I make on here, Daydream?”
His breath makes small white clouds as he speaks, peering down at me with that familiar hunger forming in his eyes as he settles me in front of him.
“I’m afraid to answer that question,” I reply, lifting my chin to look at him. “If you climb on one of those horses, I might die of shock.”
“You don’t have to worry about that happening.”
A mindless smirk forms along my lips. “Any way I can sway you with that?”
“Plenty. But you’d be naked and I’m not about to finish this trip with you catching pneumonia."
“It’s not that cold.”
“It’s cold enough.”
Rolling my eyes, I can’t help but like how he cares about my well-being, no matter how much I may disagree. “I’m all for moments. Who knows when I’d be able to do this again.”
“Next year, if you want. We can make this our new thing.”
We.
I don’t miss that word coming from his mouth. It hones in on our trip coming to an end and the decision I have to make; keep Bronte as my lawfully wedded husband or divorce him and move on with my life.
