“It is,” Zioh replied with warmth in his voice.
Up here, it felt like a swing beneath our feet, and my laughter couldn’t stop at the sensation. Zioh’s arms steadied me. He gripped me from behind, firm but gentle, “Feeling queasy?” he asked.
I laughed. “No! I love it!” Joy bubbled out of me, and we both laughed. “This is amazing!”
The wind whipped around us, cold and biting, yet a steady warmth bloomed inside me. Even the spray from the river against us was ticklish and delightful, and I would never forget the joy of this moment.
“Do you need my jacket? Or I can ask someone to fetch you more coats?” Zioh offered.
I shook my head. “No. I just need your hug.”
“It’s yours then,” he whispered, tightening his hold around me. He pressed a kiss at the top of my head, lingering, and I loved the way my heart beat for him in this moment.
Zioh tightened his embrace as I kept staring at the scene before me. Dozens of buildings rose like palaces, their architecture grand and unmistakably London. We passed Big Ben, the Palace of Westminster, and Westminster Bridge.All around us, other yachts glided along, and ahead of us loomed the giant Ferris wheel—the London Eye.
Oh… it was breathtaking.
Zioh released me and placed his hand at my waist, turning me gently to face him. He smoothed my windblown hair, and his deep gaze locked with mine.
“So, what do you want on this New Year’s Eve?”
I arched my brows. “What?”
“A gift. For the new year.” His eyes glimmered as he hovered over me. “What do you want?”
Oh, right. He always gave me a gift at New Year’s, too. For a moment, I said nothing, only staring at him.
“Do you want something?” he asked again, holding my eyes with his, glowing with a gentle sparkle. “Need something?”
Smiling, I let the truth of my heart slip free. “I want us to be together again next year.” I held his hand on my waist. “To relive this moment.” A quiet laugh slipped out of me. “It doesn’t need to be London, or a yacht…” I rested my chin on his chest, my eyes never leaving his. “But together. Both of us.”
Zioh’s eyes softened, the curve of his lips lifting in the most beautiful way. He nodded, agreeing. “Again?”
Again?
I looked away for a moment. Right, he wouldn’t be satisfied unless I gave him more of my wishes. So, I told him my dream was when we were grown. “I want to travel the world with you.” I hummed, glanced around, letting the beauty of the view in front of me sink into my chest, then turned back at him. “To see all the beauty out there, with you.”To see other wonders besides you.
Zioh locked my gaze, deep and consuming, and I might drown in it. Then he nodded and pulled me into his arms again.
He kissed my ear, then whispered. “I promise, I’ll try to make it happen with all my being.” His voice was low, raw,and full of meaning. “Only for you.” I hugged him tighter in return.
We stayed in that embrace until he whispered again, his voice deeper, rougher. “Thank you, Sophie.”
“For what?”
“Foryou.” He paused. “For your existence,” he held me tighter, his words breaking into a hoarse whisper. “For coming into my life…thank you.”
I clung to him, terrified of letting go. I should be the one to thank him for his existence.
We finally put a little space between us, enough to meet each other’s gaze. Silence settled around us, the sparkle in his eyes deepening like a soft glow. My lips trembled, and my heart started racing against my ribs, threatening to break free as Zioh lowered his head, inch by inch, toward me.
His hands shook on my shoulder. I expected a brush of a kiss against my cheek, but my breath hitched when his gaze dropped lower, settling on my lips. His lips parted, drifting slowly in my direction. I swallowed and began to close my eyes.
Suddenly, a crackling sound around us pulled us in one quick motion. I released him, then turned toward the commotion and gasped. My lips parted, my eyes shining, as fireworks began to fill the black sky above. I stared at the London Eye, so close ahead, until Zioh’s voice turned me back.
“Later we’ll go there, yeah?” His hand tightened at my waist. “You wanted to ride the London Eye, didn’t you?”
It was as though he knew my list by heart. Because riding that Ferris wheel had been on it too.
