I catch it before it can hit the ground, baulking at the cartoon eggplants littering the cover, and because I’m a glutton for punishment, I flip through the pages. It’s impossible to tampdown the look of horror twisting my face, causing Adhira to cackle so hard I fear she might run out of oxygen.
Tossing it back to her, I shake my head. “Absolutely not. Pick something a little less likely to give that old man a heart attack.”
She rolls her eyes, stuffing it back on the shelf. “He’d think it was funny, but I’m not into consumerism, and I doubt he’d actually complete the crosswords, so I’ll refrain.”
We continue through the shops, purchasing crosswords, then find a small stand specialising in international sweets to purchase a few Scottish treats.
I know she’ll miss Archie with her last infusion coming up on Tuesday, but I’m grateful to him for keeping her sane through her treatments. I just wish I could’ve been there for her sooner, if she’d have let me.
When we’re finished, Adhira grabs my hand, tugging me down a sketchy-looking alley, and me being me, I follow without complaint.
“Are you leading me somewhere to get murdered?” I ask, false horror lacing my words.
“Yep!” she shouts, not bothering to look over her shoulder. “There’s something I want to show you.”
I follow her to the end of the alley, where we make a sharp right onto a cobblestone street lined with brick buildings and balconies draped with clothing drying in the uncharacteristically sunny September weather.
She stops in front of a set of open wrought-iron gates, a marble fountain set into the rounded entryway, the sun glittering off the water.
I step through the entrance with her, and it’s like falling into another dimension. There’s laughter spilling out around us, people smiling, couples basking in the sun, and children tossing coins into the fountain, making wishes that I hope come true.
I stare in awe at the butterflies dancing from flower to flower, a peaceful feeling whispering through me as we make our way to the ticket counter. Adhira scans a barcode on her phone for tickets she’s already purchased, and my heart warms to a dangerous degree at the realisation that she’d been thinking of me.
I’m not an afterthought to her.
“I figured we should enjoy the sunshine and refuel you,” she says, chuckling lightly.
I tilt my head, bristling as I flick my gaze to hers, realising she’s already got her eyes on me. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You’re always so busy being the light for everyone else, I thought it was time you received some of those rays,” she explains, gesturing up at the sun. “And seeing as I’m just about the least sunshiney person on the planet, I figured the botanical gardens and UV rays would do the trick.”
She has no idea.She sees herself as this cold, closed-off person, and in some ways that's true, but when you earn her trust, she glows brighter than any star in the galaxy. I only hope that someday, she’ll learn to see herself the way I do.
“It’s perfect,” I breathe out.You're perfect.“Thank you.”
I hold her gaze even as my anxiety urges me to look away, to spare myself the stars swimming in her eyes or the twitch of her lips at how happy this gesture has made me. I want her to know. Ineedher to know.
I see you, Adhira Shah. And there isn’t a single part of you that isn’t irresistible.
CHAPTER
FORTY-FOUR
Tuesday will bemy last infusion, and for every word of positivity I spew to Elijah, a much less optimistic one floods my mind.
I've been trying to take a page from his book and not ruminate on the negatives, but it's hard not to when my future isn't laid out on solid ground like I'd thought it was just a few months ago.
The sun on my face and the brush of Elijah’s pinkie against my thigh ground me to the moment, and for that, I'm thankful.
He doesn’t think I notice, but I’ve become acutely aware of every move he makes, and I can’t seem to stop. Thoughts of Elijah flood in, pulling me from the constant horrors creeping at the corners of my mind.
“I’d have worn sunscreen had I known we’d be out like this. Am I burnt already?” he asks. I smile, noticing the light-pink hueover the bridge of his nose and dusting his cheekbones. I take the opportunity to stare at him under the guise of inspecting for signs of sun damage.
Stubble coats his strong jawline, the knot in his throat bobbing. Impossibly strong shoulders and carved arms lie at his sides, and the ripple of muscles across his abdomen forms an Adonis belt pointing an arrow straight to the hoochie-daddy shorts covering his massive thighs.
He clears his throat, and my eyes snap to his, my ears heating as he smirks. “That’s an awfully thorough inspection you’re performing there, Adhira. I fear you’d make a wonderful dermatology PA, but maybe you should stay out of the emergency department, seeing as it takes you several minutes to record your findings.”
I unglue my tongue from the roof of my mouth and pull my shoulders back. “My days might be numbered, princess. Who am I to deny myself such a magnificent view?”
