Page 12 of Waiting on You

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Paige’s face split into a beautiful, serene smile. She inhales deeply and then releases it, and I imagine she’s letting all the bad out and replacing it with the magic she spoke about.

“Tell me about it,” I say, wanting to hear what’s got her smiling.

“See that area right over there?” She points, and I follow, my gaze landing on an area of shops across the way. “That was my mom’s favorite breakfast place.” She smiles softly. “We would walk along the bridge and stop there for breakfast. She’d order the same thing every time—avocado toast and an espresso.”

“And what would you order?” I ask, wanting to soak in whatever she’ll give me of herself.

“Waffles,” she says with a light laugh. “I love waffles.”

As she continues, telling me how she and her mom would spend their day, her eyes lighting up at her favorite memories, her gaze remains on the outside while mine stays on her. Because the truth is, the magic isn’t in the city. It’s in the people we share the moments with. That’s why she hasn’t been able to feel the magic without her mom. Because it was their relationship, their bond, that made her feel the way she did.

Which is why I understand Paige wanting to draw the line between us from the get-go. She felt what I felt—the instantaneous connection between us. But she’s not in a place to put her heart back on the line.And I get it because I experienced it firsthand—getting your heart stomped on and having to pick up the pieces so you can attempt to move forward.

And the worst part is that even though we’re long-distance, it’s only a few hours. If I lived just a little south, this would be an entirely different story with a completely different ending. But that’s not how life works.

Despite all that, standing inside the Tower Bridge with Paige, experiencing the magic through her eyes…it feels like there’s nowhere else I should be but right here with her. Even if it means that after our time together is done, I’ll walk away with nothing more than the memories I made with this beautiful woman.

“So, what do you think?” she asks, pulling her eyes from the view outside and meeting mine.

“I think you were right. It’s magical.”

She nods in agreement. “I never should’ve let the bad overtake the good.”

“Sometimes, we have to see it and feel it in order to remember it.”

Her eyes well up with tears, and she closes them.

“Yeah,” she chokes out as her fingers, which are still intertwined with mine, tighten their hold. “It’s been a long time since I felt it.”

Someone walks by and bumps into Paige, so I step behind her and encircle my arms around her to protect her from the outside world.

With our bodies so close, I can smell her sweet,feminine scent. I try not to get too close, but when she leans back and relaxes into me, I allow myself to relax as well.

After several minutes of us both taking in the view in front of us, I lean in and murmur into her ear, “Thank you for sharing the magic with me,” wanting her to know how much it means to me. It’s not easy to let someone in when you’re feeling vulnerable.

Paige audibly sniffles and then nods, and after a few long beats of her remaining silent, I assume that’s the only response I’ll get from her.

But then she whispers, “Thank you for helping me to remember the magic.”

And for the first time, I wish my life were different. That I were just an average guy who worked a regular job so I could stop everything and see where things could go with the mesmerizing woman I met in London.

But that’s not who I am. I have a family and obligations back home. People who depend on me. And because of that, I know all I can give Paige is London. Thinking I could give her anything more would be unfair to both of us.

chapter five

PAIGE

“So, what’s next?”

I try to focus on Nate’s question, but it’s hard when all I can think about is the way he wrapped his arms around me while we were in the Tower Bridge and made me feel safer than I’d felt in a long time.

Safe to remember the magic. To feel it the way I’d felt it when my mom was alive.

I knew deep down that John and I were over before I even stepped off the plane, but after spending a short amount of time with another man, I know it’s for the best.

Is Nate the man of my dreams? No. We don’t live anywhere near each other. But he’s woken up my heart and reminded me what it’s like to feel.

“Paige,” Nate says with a smirk, “you look like you’re off somewhere far away.”

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