Page 31 of The Vow We Made
“Then you might know my hometown, Christchurch. Have you heard of it?”
I raise my brows at his answer. “Would you believe I have?”
He laughs. “I only asked as most people confuse it with Christchurch in New Zealand.”
“Not me. I’ve really fond memories of holidays as a little girl. My parents used to take me and my friend Steph to a beach near there whenever they took time off.”
“What is it your parents do?” he asks and I have to be fairly careful how I answer.
“Well, my mum is a housekeeper and my dad a gardener.”
“A housekeeper. Do people still have those?”
“Apparently so.” I’m eager to move onto another subject before I reveal who my parents actually work for. “And what about you? Are you based in a hospital or practice?”
“I’m at the Royal Park Hospital.”
I point out into the black sky. “Isn’t that somewhere over there?”
“Actually.” He stands behind me, his front to my back and his mouth close to my cheek. I wonder if he hears my sudden intake of breath as his lips almost brush my skin. “If you look this way,” my eyes follow his outstretched hand now pointing in the direction of Westminster bridge. “It’s the tall building behind The Houses of Parliament.”
My pulse is racing. “I see it now.” I’m not nervous, I’m excited.
“And over there to your right,” he points in the opposite direction while keeping me close, “you can see The Shard,andSt. Paul’s.”
“Wow, they’re just beautiful from up here.” I say, while panting.
We’re nearly halfway into our journey but haven’t quite reached the peak when he points straight ahead. “Those arched lights in the distance are Wembley Stadium.”
His free hand drops to my hip and he moves even closer. There isn’t the slightest space between us and I’m about to run out of air. “Wh-what am I looking at again?” I swallow the hard lump in my throat. “I can’t see where—” I try so hard to stop the torrid jumble of nonsense tumbling from my lips but the close proximity of his body with mine, has mashed my brain. If I’m going to keep my composure, I have to cool things down. I break away from his embrace and head to the other side of the pod. “I can’t believe how beautiful it is up here.” I’m already missing his body warmth, but I would never let him know.
He leans against the glass, gazing at me. “It is,” is the only thing he says while his lips tighten into a straight line.
I’ve done the right thing because if I let it, this thing between us could move too fast and I don’t want any kind of fling. I want my next relationship to mean something, but then again, I was always going to be cautious. I hope he gives me the chance to explain why I called the flirting to a halt. If he wants whatIwant, he’ll be happy to slow things down and won’t let the space I’ve put between us become an issue.
He glances my way and grins. I think he’s letting it pass and he doesn’t appear to be the moody type, so hopefully he will understand. Taking the bottle from the bucket, he gestures towards my glass.
“More Champagne?”
“Yes please.” While he fills my empty flute, I wonder what he thinks of me now. All I’m trying to do is the right thing, but no matter how hard I try to suppress it, the physical pull between us both is undeniable.
* * *
AIDEN
She isn’t cold towards me, there’s been nothing wrong with our conversation, but her mood changed when I tried to get close. I’m putting the sudden shift in atmosphere down to nerves. I understand if she wants to take this slowly, she doesn’t know me from Adam, so with that in mind, I totally respect her wishes.
We return to the exit point and I offer some help when she steps out of the pod. It feels good to hold her hand in mine as she’s kept her distance during our last few minutes together. I’m tempted to never let go, but I’m not pushing my luck a second time, not until I feel she’s ready. We’ve gone from getting to know one another to polite conversation.
“Are you hungry?” I ask as we stroll along South Bank.
“Starving. Where are we going?” At least now she sounds enthusiastic, so maybe I’ve over-read the situation.
“Just a short walk from here.”
She smiles as we’re about to continue but she stops in her tracks. “Oh my God Aiden.” I follow her line of sight to the colourful walls of impressive graffiti art which surround the skatepark and are housed under the Southbank Centre.
“Impressive isn’t it?”
