Topher paused, his hands resting on the swan boat’s handles, his gaze softening as he looked at me. “I didn’t expect to… like this. To likeyou.” He smiled, a bit more tender now, and my breath hitched. “I mean, you’re smart and funny, and you challenge me in a way no one else does. You don’t just let me get away with stuff—you push me to be better.”
I felt my cheeks heat, and for once, I was glad the ridiculous swan boat was distracting enough to hide how flustered I was.
“And you have this way of making people feel comfortable, like they can be themselves. I’ve seen it with my mom. You’ve been so good to her, and it’s not just an act. It’s who you are.” He looked down for a second, as if he were gathering his thoughts, then met my gaze again, more earnest this time. “You make me feel like I can be myself around you. Like, I don’t have to be ‘Topher Brodie’ the billionaire or whatever. I’m just… me.”
I blinked, his words hitting me right in the chest, and I had to swallow down the lump forming in my throat. I’d always known Topher was more than what people saw on the surface, but hearing him say these things about me, about how I madehimfeel, was almost overwhelming.
He hesitated, his eyes searching mine. “And you’ve made me realize something else, too. I don’t have to keep grinding myself into the ground. You’ve shown me that it’s okay to take a step back. I’ve been here for weeks now, and I haven’t worked as hard as I used to. But you know what? Nothing’s fallen apart. My life hasn’t collapsed.” He let out a small, almost disbelieving laugh. “I’m happier, less stressed, and feeling better than I ever have in my life. And that’s because of you.”
My heart pounded as his words sank in. Topher Brodie, the workaholic billionaire who never stopped moving, was admitting he didn’t want to work as hard. And he was attributing it tome.
“Topher,” I whispered, my voice trembling slightly. I wanted to say something, but my mind was spinning too fast, trying to keep up with the enormity of what this meant.
He smiled, a little softer now, and reached over and gave my hand a quick, reassuring squeeze—just enough to make my heart trip over itself. “I don’t want to go back to the way things were before. You’ve made me realize there’s more to life than working nonstop. I want more than that.”
I swallowed hard, my heart swelling. “That’s, that’s a big step for you. I mean, you’ve been on this path for so long, and now you’re saying?—”
“I’m saying I’m willing to change,” he interrupted, his tone sincere. “For me. And maybe for us.”
I couldn’t help it. The joy that bubbled up inside me was impossible to hide. My lips curved into a wide, uncontrollable smile. “Wow, that’s… that’s huge.”
He grinned, and his eyes never left mine. “Yeah, well… you’re kind of a big deal.” His voice softened even more. “You pay attention to the little things. You notice when I’m stressed, even if I try to hide it. You don’t miss anything. And I didn’t realize how much I needed someone like that in my life.”
I stared at him, my heart thumping with every word he spoke. He wasn’t just saying nice things—he wasseeingme, and it felt like the most genuine thing in the world.
“I don’t know how to explain it,” he said, his voice dropping a little lower. “But when I’m with you, it feels like everything just… fits.”
I felt my heart soar, and the smile that spread across my face was impossible to hide. “Topher—” My voice cracked, and I had to laugh at myself. “I don’t know what to say.”
He grinned, reaching out to brush a strand of hair behind my ear. “I know we started this whole thing for my mom, to make her happy. But it doesn’t feel like we’re pretending anymore. At least not to me.”
I swallowed hard, my mind racing as I tried to process what he was saying. “What are you saying?”
His smile was soft but sincere. “I don’t want to just play along anymore. I want us to give this a try.”
The world seemed to pause for a second. Well, at least it did in my head. The ridiculous swan boat, the swirling water, all of it faded into the background as his words hung between us. I couldn’t stop the warmth that spread through me, and before I could even think twice, the words tumbled out. “I like spending time with you, too.”
The second I said it, I realized how true it was. It wasn’t planned, but it felt so right, so easy. And the look on his face—his grin stretching wider, relief lighting up his eyes—it only made me happier.
“Good,” he said, his voice warm and carrying the same quiet happiness that had started to build in me.
And then,thud! Our swan boat jerked violently to the side, slamming into another swan boat with a loudclunk. We lurched forward, gripping the handles for dear life as we tried not to tip over.
“Oh no, I think we hit them!” I gasped, my eyes wide with shock, but the sight of the startled couple in the other boat only made me want to laugh. They stared at us, wide-eyed.
“Oops,” Topher said with a sheepish grin. “Sorry!”
Nobody had been injured, but the bump sent our perfectly packed picnic basket tumbling off the boat’s edge. “No, no, no!” I yelled, watching it fall in slow motion, flipping dramatically into the lagoon with a loudsplash.
For a moment, we both just stared at the floating basket, bobbing along in the water. Then, all at once, the absurdity of the situation hit, and I doubled over with laughter. “Oh, no, did we just lose our lunch to the lagoon?”
Topher was laughing, too, his hands still gripping the handles. “My mom and Gladys are going to love this story.”
“We have to rescue it!” I said, still giggling. “We can’t let the sandwiches go down without a fight!”
Topher shook his head, already turning the swan in the general direction of the basket, but it was clear this boat had a mind of its own. Instead of going straight, we veered to the left, circling the basket as if we were predators who couldn’t quite figure out how to catch their prey.
“Pedal faster!” I shouted, trying to get us closer.
