Page 124 of A Lie so Dangerous and Fragile

“What time is it?”

“Almost one p.m.,” he replied.

I closed my eyes, feeling too fatigued to stay awake. Tristan woke me up when we got to the hotel. I held on to his arm the whole ride to the tenth floor. I was quick to jump in bed once we entered the hotel suite.

“Jet lag?” Tristan asked, sitting at the foot of the bed.

“I hate it,” I groaned.

He leaned closer and kissed me on the cheek, then pulled away.

“Where are we?” I tried to keep my eyes open as I watched him unbutton his dress shirt. Even the sexiness couldn’t keep me awake.

“You’ll find out soon enough.” He smirked.

“We’re in France, aren’t we?” I asked, and he said nothing. “You suck at surprises.”

He laughed and walked to the en suite bathroom. I closed my eyes and allowed the sleep to drown me.

***

I woke up to my phone ringing. I felt strong arms around me as I tried to sit up.

Tristan pulled me back, grumbling, “Stay.”

“I have to answer my phone,” I said, and he let go.

I rushed to my bag and grabbed the device. Vina’s name appeared on my screen. I stepped out to the living room and slumped on the couch.

“Hey,” I said hoarsely.

“Have you arrived?”

“Yep.”

“How are you loving Paris?”

“Paris?”

I’d thought we were in France.

“I didn’t ruin the surprise, right?” She panicked.

I stood up and ran to the balcony. My jaw was on the floor as I stared at the view in front of me. No adjective could do it justice.

“Oh my God, we are in Paris!” I squealed like a kid visiting Disneyland for the first time. “I can see the Eiffel Tower from here, Vee.” I squealed. “I wish you could see this view. It’s spectacular.”

“Take a gazillion pictures and send them to me.”

“Okay. I gotta go. I’ll call you later.”

“Chlo,” she called before I could hang up.

“Yes?”

“Have fun. Go crazy. Don’t worry about anything and try to live in the moment. Love you. Bye.” She hung up while I stood on the balcony, smiling so big that my cheeks were hurting.

Since I was five, it’d always been a dream of mine to visit Paris. I opened my arms, relishing the warm air and sunlight on my face. I breathed in the beauty, art, history, and culture of the city. How was it possible for such a spectacle to exist? The antiqued buildings were an architectural masterpiece. The city had a romantic quality to it and held a certain charm and allure. That was why I’d always been drawn to it. The air caressed my bare thighs, leaving a trail of goose bumps in its wake. I’d given Tristan back his sweatpants since he had nothing else to sleep in, but I’d kept his T-shirt.

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