Page 189 of Before Dawn

Chapter Forty-two

Abigail-Ann

“Love will find a way through paths where wolves fear to prey.”

~ Lord Byron

The bed jolted beneath me, pulling me awake. My first thought was that there had been an earthquake. But as I blinked through the haze of sleep, I saw Mikkel beside me, twisting and turning as he sat up.

“Good morning,amor,” he said with a sleepy grin, his voice warm but oddly insistent as he reached for his glasses. “I was just about to wake you.”

I grabbed my phone from the nightstand, squinting at the screen to check the time.Four in the morning.“Why were you about to wake me?”

Mikkel’s eyes sparkled with excitement and urgency. “We’re going out.”

Still groggy, I rubbed my eyes.“At four am?”

He gave me a mischievous smile. “Yes.”

Despite the ungodly hour, I forced myself to sit up, the drowsiness making my movements sluggish. “Alright, alright,” I muttered, pushing the covers off. “Let me get ready.”

The cold morning breeze rushed through the bathroom window as I showered, making me shiver. Twenty-five minutes later, we were both ready; me in a black sweater dress with my hair in a ponytail and light makeup, and Mikkel in a white sweatshirt and dark jeans.

“All set?”

I nodded, spritzing a bit of perfume and slipping on my bracelets. “Let’s go.”

We made our way down the stairs, and the sight of Valeria around the kitchen island startled me. Apparently, we weren’t the only ones awake at this hour.

“Good morning, Valeria!”

“Buenos días,Mamá,132” we both said in unison.

“Buenos días!133” She looked up from her book and smiled at us. “Where are you lovebirds off to so early?”

Mikkel responded smoothly, “Campo de aviación.134”

Duolingo did not teach me that. I’m officially revoking my subscription.

“¡Eres tan romántico!135” she exclaimed. “Have fun.”

With a final nod from her, Mikkel and I left the penthouse. Sliding into the passenger seat, I asked, “Where exactly is out?”

He gave me a look that said,You know what I’m going to say,and I scoffed, rolling my eyes.

Nerves swirled in my stomach as I admired Mikkel’s adventurous spirit. The changing scenery fueled my anticipation until we arrived at an airfield, where a multi-colored helicopter stood against the dark sky, sparking my excitement.

I turned to Mikkel, eyes wide. “What’s… happening?”

His grin was infectious as he turned to face me. “Number one on your bucket list.” Hiis voice brimmed with excitement. “You didn’t think I’d forget about the list, did you?”

With trembling hands, and teary eyes, I reached for my phone and read aloud the item:Helicopter ride BD.

“We’re going on a helicopter ride,” I whispered, still in awe.

Mikkel leaned closer, his thumb gently brushing away the tears that had spilled onto my cheeks. “Right before dawn, baby.”

I leaned into him, overwhelmed by his love and thoughtfulness. As we neared the waiting helicopter, the hum of the engines and the glow of zodiacal light surrounded us, creating a moment suspended in time.

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