Page 64 of One Last Wish

“It’s a picnic with a twist. You’ll see. Come on. Our carriage awaits.”Carriage?

Standing on the sidewalk, I couldn’t quite fathom the white, horse-drawn cart covered in clear fairy lights, waiting for us outside Bookends. The carriagesnevercame this far into town. They usually only went around Central Park.

“What thehell?” I was actually smiling when Theo helped me up into the carriage.

“A good first surprise?” Theo asked, tucking the blanket around us that had been left on the bench seat.

“It’s pretty damn good. The only thing that would make it perfect would be some hot chocolate to drink.” At my words, Theo went into his picnic basket and pulled out a thermos. “Holy shit. You didn’t!”

“Darce helped with this one. This hot chocolate is apparently a family recipe of his. When I tried it last week, it was so delicious that I accepted his help.”

“I wasn’t aware that Darce spoke to any of his family.” Well, I didn’t know anything about Darce. That was the problem.

“Yeah, he keeps his cards close to his chest. That much is true. I think he’s a really interesting guy, though. He seems wise for his years,” Theo mused, pouring us both a cup of steaming hot chocolate. He was right, it was delicious. It had just the right amount of sweetness and wasn’t too watery. “It’s good, isn’t it?” As I nodded, I noticed we seemed to be making our way towards Central Park.

“How did you get the carriage to pick us up this far out?”

“That would be telling. You agreed to one date with me. I need to make sure I get a second one.” Where had this sudden confidence come from?

“Don’t get your hopes up, Theo,” I sighed, looking out at all the people on the sidewalk that were watching us. To them, it must have looked so romantic. It was far from that. None of this was about how I felt for Theo. If I was ever capable of having feelings for someone, it wouldn’t be him.

“You don’t know what I have planned. I know you more than you realise, Alora. You might joke that I’m like a stalker, but I take notice of you, that’s all. I see all the little things about you. All I’m asking is that you’ll give this date a chance.”

“I’m here, aren’t I?” Finishing his hot chocolate, he smiled at me.

“That is true.”

Several minutes later, we pulled into Central Park. It looked magical dusted in snow. Strangely, I felt pretty carefree as the carriage turned towards a quieter area of the park. In the distance, I could make out a small, lit up pod with tea lights and lanterns.

“Is this the second surprise?” I asked him.

“I know you’re not a fan of big crowds, so I thought a picnic in a heated pod would be a good idea.” Well, Theo had me there. He was right, crowds weren’t my favourite thing.

Taking the picnic basket with us, Theo and I made our way into the pod. It was decorated with frosted glass and the shape reminded me of an igloo. It had a square, small oak table and two chairs with fluffy white cushions on them. The whole dome was covered in fairy lights, and soft classical music was playing on a small speaker. How could he even afford this on his wage?

“How much did all of this cost?”

“Alora, can you stop asking questions? Simply enjoy the date.” Placing the basket on the table, he began to take out the contents. All my favourite chocolates appeared first, followed by strawberries, cured meats, cheeses, freshly baked bread, and finally, my favourite can of soda. I gazed at him blankly. These wereallthings I loved. It was impossible that Theo knew that. “I know you like to graze when you eat. You never eat one thing at a time. It’s always several things simultaneously.”

“Your stalker tendencies are a little scary,” I joked as he poured us another hot chocolate.

“We might as well finish this before it gets cold. We’ve got the pod for a few hours, so there’s no rush to eat all of this.”

We talked while we drank the last of the hot chocolate. It was another two cupful’s each, but it really did warm me up. It must have been the sugar, but I felt a little light headed once we had finished it all.

“I’ll need to ask Darce for the recipe,” Theo hiccupped. “Do you think there was alcohol in it?”

“Probably. Knowing Darce, I wouldn’t be shocked.” Oh, maybe Darce thought if Theo and I gotdrunk, things wouldhappen... He really had no clue how I felt about him, did he?Felt?As infeelings? My heart constricted in a strange way, yearning painfully. Fuck, what wasthat? But the more I thought about Darce, the more it twisted. It was like heartburn, but deeper. An ache that I couldn't quite decipher, but it was there.

“Are you okay?” Theo asked, watching me clutch my chest.

“I must have drunk that last cup of cocoa too fast. I’ve got heartburn.”

“Did you want some water?” He dug around his basket, grabbing a bottle of water and handing it to me. The cool liquid helped a little, quenching the fire raging in my throat. “Better?” When I nodded, he started to open all the food. Suddenly, I was starving.

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IHAD NO IDEA WHATwas happening, but I was laughing and hanging on every word Theo was saying a few hours later. Why had I never noticed how interesting he was before? He was telling me funny stories about his family. One Christmas, he and his sister had stayed up until four in the morning, hoping to catch a glimpse of Santa. I wouldn’t have found it so endearing if he hadn’t told me that he’d stopped believing in Father Christmasthree yearsearlier. His sister was starting to doubt, but Theo wanted her to feel the magic one more time.

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