Page 204 of Chandelier Enthralled
My breath quickened as I bit into my lip, feeling a surge of panic that I was really going to do this.
Clutching the ribbon from the masquerade mask between my teeth, I approached the railing with my palms slick with tension.
I climbed up, balancing precariously on the railing with my heart thundering, the metal digging into my soles. The space between the balconies seemed to stretch farther as I surveyed the drop.
I took a deep breath and leaped.
Time slowed and then sped up.
My aim was off, the gap too wide.
My fingers grazed the edge of the iron bars, and I managed to grasp on to the railing, dangling in the air, feeling the terrible strain of my weight.
Don’t look down.My hands started to slip off the edge of the railing, the air leaving my lungs.
I must, for him…
With all my might, I hoisted myself up and over the balcony railing, knees slamming against the bars and crashing onto the other side.
I’d barely made it.
The adrenaline rush made me feel nauseated as I thought of the insane risk I’d just taken.
I got to my feet, ignoring my stinging palms, and grabbed my shoes. I made my way through the balcony door and paused to put on my heels before moving swiftly across the room.
I cautiously opened the door, seeing the guard outside my room, looking in the opposite direction down the hallway.
I tiptoed out, closing the door as quietly as possible.
Afraid the elevator might ding on its arrival to my floor, I decided to take the stairs and pushed open the fire door.
I scurried down the steps, around and around, gripping the orate railing, and eventually entered the hotel foyer.
Out of breath, I approached the front desk. “I’m going to need a car, please.”
I’m coming for you Greyson. I’ll prove to you just how powerful true love can be. I’ll restore your faith in humanity.
Mont-Saint-Michel rose against the dusky horizon, its castle walls weathered from centuries of ocean winds and storms.
It was a spectacular sight. As the Rover drove over worn cobblestones toward it, my heart sang with its beauty. It looked like something out of a fairytale. For me, more like a dark retelling of how love was always just out of reach.
From the back of the vehicle, I peered through the front window, watching the driver as he navigated us along the pathway, going slower than I would have liked. Moonlight drenched the narrow road ahead in silver. At high tide, the fortress seemingly floated above the water.
“It’s beautiful,” I whispered, mesmerized by the rocky island, set far away from the coast.
“Goes all the way back to the eighth century,” said my driver, steering us over a rough patch. “The causeway connects the mainland to that island. It’s only accessible during low tide.”
Although my stomach was in knots, I was proud I had gathered the courage to do what was brave as well as right.
My right heel was scuffed, but my hem would cover it. That, and my scraped palms from my leap of faith back at the hotel, would hopefully go unnoticed.
Ahead of us were several limos. Turning in my seat, I saw the same behind us, no doubt carrying official guests.
“Are you staying here?” asked the driver, his accent heavy.
“No.”
“Mais, Mademoiselle, je ne peux pas revenir pour vous.”
