Page 6 of A Simple Reminder

I’m surprised by her straightforwardness. I guess she never imagined standing next to me in her future.

“Deal.”

FOUR

SOPHIE

TEN YEARS AGO

“Okay, you’re right. Thisisthe best view of the city!” I exclaim while the whole city of Barcelona stretches before my eyes. It’s beautiful. I can see everything from this viewpoint on Mount Tibidabo, which is now one of my favorite spots.

“Told you.” Liam’s dark eyes are on mine, and he smiles so brightly. It’s as beautiful as this mountain.

No, scratch that.He’s even more beautiful in his crisp white shirt and linen pants, the fabric catching the sunlight and accentuating the contours of his muscular frame. He looks utterly mouth-watering.

“Now what?” I ask, tied up in knots with curiosity. After I told him I had a bad day at school yesterday, he planned today’s itinerary. It’s been a while since someone thought of me this way.

He lifts his arm and points to the right. “You see that Ferris wheel over there?” I follow his finger to the massive structure in the distance. “I’m taking you on a ride.”

I go still as the realization hits. The Ferris wheel isn’t gigantic in itself, but it sits atop the mountain. The very, very high mountain.

I shake my head. “I don’t think I can do that. What if we fall?”

“Yes, you can, and we won’t. It’s safe,” he says, his voice firm yet gentle, a soothing contradiction that sends a shiver down my spine. He wraps his arm around my shoulders, pulling me closer, the scent of him—crisp, warm, and undeniably him—enveloping me.

Leaning in, his lips hover near my ear, his breath warm as he whispers, “I would never put you in a dangerous situation.”

My body almost relaxes at his words, the steady weight of his arm grounding me as his promise sinks in. For a fleeting moment, I let myself believe him, the tension in my chest loosening as if his presence alone could shield me from anything.

We approach the amusement park, and Liam buys tickets for the Ferris wheel. I can’t tear my eyes away from the colorful gondolas circling above us.Very highabove us.

My stomach tightens as I track their movement, imagining the gentle sway of the gondola when it reaches its peak. The ground feels steady beneath my feet now, but I can’t shake the thought of it vanishing when we’re suspended in mid-air, with nothing but the thin walls of the gondola separating me from the endless sky.

I swallow hard and glance at Liam, who seems completely at ease, his hands casually tucked into his jacket pockets. Of course, he’d be the type to find this thrilling. I latch onto the laughter and chatter around me, the hum of the machinery, the bright lights blinking on the wheel, desperate for a distraction—but it’s useless.

Why did I agree to this?

The line moves quickly, and my pulse races with each step closer. My mind spins with every worst-case scenario—a sudden gust of wind, a mechanical failure, the very real possibility of me panicking halfway up. Each thought sharpens the edge of my anxiety, making it harder to breathe.

I wrap my arms around myself, holding tight as if I can shield myself from the whirlwind of emotions inside me. But it’s no use. It’s as though the Ferris wheel has already grabbed hold of me, pulling me upward into its grasp before I’ve even stepped onto it.

“Doing okay?” Liam’s voice snaps me out of my thoughts. I look up at him, forcing a smile that feels fragile, like it might crack under the weight of my nerves.

“Yeah. Fine.” My voice is steady, but I doubt I’m convincing anyone.

“Did you know that this amusement park is the oldest one in Spain and the second oldest in Europe?”

“What!” The words burst out of me, my breath catching as disbelief knots with a wave of panic that ripples through my chest. There's no way I'm getting on that ancient contraption. My legs instinctively twitch, ready to bolt, but Liam's arm is like a steel barrier around my shoulders, keeping me firmly in place.

“Calm down,” he murmurs, his voice soothing against my ear, “it’s obviously been maintained and renewed several times. I just thought you’d find that information cool.”

“Cool!? You just told me it’s the oldest amusement park in Europe.”

He tsks, his eyes dancing with mischief. “Secondoldest.”

I glare at him, but there's no denying the spark of excitement mingling with the fear in my chest. This man will drive me crazy, and I'm starting to think I might enjoy every minute of it.

His eyes soften, and he speaks with a reassuring gentleness, “Listen, if you’re terrified and don’t want to do this, I won’t force you. We can leave and go to the top of the church, then have some dinner. It’s always up to you.Deal?”

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