Page 8 of Boarding Pass
There’s something in his voice—earnest, certain—that makes me believe him.
As the night deepens, our conversation drifts into stories about the past, the little details shaping who we are today.
“It’s funny.” Miles relaxes back. “My twin sister, Shay, is my biggest inspiration. She’s been through so much—living with epilepsy, figuring out how to live on her terms—and now, with Austin, it’s like she’s found this perfect balance. They’ve got their whole world together which is—different for me. I need to figure out who I am outside of being Austin’s business partner or Shay’s brother.” He glances at me, his expression sincere and unguarded. “I guess I’m a cliche. I’m in Paris to find myself.”
I suck in a breath as his words sink in. “I get it. I thought Mark and I were building a life together. Looking back, I was the only one trying.” I hesitate, then add, “He never supported my work. Treated it like a phase. And I let him, because I wanted the family, the future I’d imagined. Then one night, beforewe were supposed to move into a new place, he ended it. Said we weren’t happy anymore.” I glance at the skyline, then back at Miles. “He wasn’t wrong. And now I’m here, trying to figure out who I am on my own.”
For a moment, neither of us speaks. The weight of our confessions hang in the air.
Then Miles leans forward slightly, his voice low but certain. “Sounds like you’re already doing it.”
“As are you.” I let out the breath I’ve been holding.
The champagne is almost gone, we’re both a bit drunk and I’m caught in a dilemma. I want to spend the night with Miles. Does he feel how I do?
Meeting you feels like a movie.“ I look out at the Eiffel Tower after I say the words. Truthfully? I’m too out of practice to take charge.
Miles leans toward me, his movement unhurried, as if he’s giving this moment space to breathe. “Thebestmovie.”
I glance at him, wondering if this is what it feels like to find exactly what you didn’t know you were looking for.
When his lips meet mine, it’s like the world tilts on its axis. Our kiss is warm and electric. Soft with a quiet intensity.
I’m breathless.
In a moment that categorically rewrites everything before it.
Chapter five
Herlipsarestillwarm on mine when the kiss ends.
Yet, I can still feel her—like her presence has sunk beneath my skin, leaving me branded.
For a moment, we stay like this. Still. Her hand rests lightly on my chest, her lips just a breath awayfrom mine, and I’m clutching her waist like letting go might send her spiraling out of range.
It’s overwhelming—this feeling. The pull. The need to be closer to her even though we’ve just met. It’s absurd. I barely know her. And yet, without a shadow of doubt, it’s clear the moment I walked into Magnum tonight I was always going to end up here with her.
I should say something. Anything. But the words won’t come and, for now, maybe it’s okay. It’s enough to stay rooted here, caught in this strange, undeniable gravity pulling us together, something far bigger than we are.
Sophie leans back just enough to look at me. Her gaze feels like a spotlight and an invitation all at once. For a split second, I forget how to breathe.
“Well.” I find my voice, trying to break the spell without shattering it. “That was…”
“Unexpected?” She seems hesitant.
I grip her face gently in my palms. “I was going to say inevitable.”
The words hang between us. Her lips twitch and curve into the faintest smile, and it makes my heart do something reckless in my chest—like it’s daring me to leap, to trust this moment, to see whereit leads.
Her fingers comb through my hair. The movement is casual, but her eyes stay locked on mine, unblinking, unshaken.
“I guess I should say goodnight.” She casts her eyes downward then back up at me. There’s no finality in her tone. It’s a statement waiting for an answer, a question disguised as certainty.
“You could,” I drawl, the words thick with the weight of everything I want to say but don’t.
She bites her lip. “But?”
“But…I don’t think either of us wants to say goodnight.” I lean forward to close some of the space between us.
