Chapter 24
Noah
I still can't believe I'm doing this. I hold Elina in front of me, inhale the scent of her hair, and feel the warmth of her body. We gaze into the infinite expanse of the Tyrolean mountains. She is with me, and she is happy. It feels good even though it's not right.
Reluctantly, I take a step back. "Time to head back home."
With sparkling eyes, she turns to me. "Let's do it." She radiates energy while a familiar fatigue takes hold of me even though it's not yet noon.
Something happened the night before last when Elina observed my sleep. I have no idea how she managed it, but the following morning, I felt rejuvenated like I hadn't in a long time. But since then, it's gone downhill again a little more each day.
"You look tired." She frowns, scrutinizing me.
I don't want to lie to her; she doesn't deserve that. "It's not as bad as it has been," I say with a shrug.
She places her hand on my chest. "In a few days, I'll have your results. Then we'll know more."
Her confidence comforts me. "I trust you; you're a great doctor," I say, eliciting a bright smile to spread across her face.
"I am." She nods satisfactorily, turning to walk away.
I follow her to the summit station of the summer toboggan run, help her position the sled on the tracks, and take a seat in the back of the two-seater. "Hop on."
Her cheeks turn rosy; she wipes her hands on her jeans. Then she takes a seat. "Let's go," she whispers excitedly.
I give us a push, and the sled starts moving. At first, it's slow, but soon, we reach the section where the tracks slope downhill.
"Whoa!" Elina exclaims as we gain speed.
Quickly, I wrap my arm around her and slow down. I want her to feel safe and enjoy the ride. We approach a curve, and gravity pushes us outward.
Suddenly, she raises her arms. "Yesssss!" she screams so loudly that her cry echoes back to us. "Faster!"
Grinning, I release the brake, and we zoom down the mountain. Accompanied by Elina's shouts of joy and the wind in our faces, even I feel something I haven't felt in a long time.
Freedom.
It's as if I can let go of everything that usually weighs heavily on my shoulders. I join in Elina's laughter. Our sled gains speed, and the desire for this ride to never end becomes more urgent. But soon, we are approaching the bottom station. With a heavy heart, I brake our vehicle.
Before we even come to a complete stop, Elina turns to me, gasping for breath. Her cheeks are flushed, just like her eyes. "One more time."
She doesn't have to ask me twice. "Absolutely," I say, feeling so liberated that I can hardly recognize myself.
Whatever this woman does to me feels incredibly good, and I'm already addicted to it.
***
After our thrilling ride on the summer toboggan run, we arrive at Hanna and Florian's house in the late afternoon, hand in hand.
"I can make us some pasta," Elina suggests. "I don't have anything else, unfortunately."
She wants to cook? I vividly remember her attempts to help me with the soup. "Pasta is always a good choice. Let me handle it."
Shaking her head, she raises her index finger. "No way. You are my guest today."
She looks so adorable that I can't help but want to kiss her again.
Oh well, why not? I pull her closer to me and place my lips on hers.
