Broken Mirrors

Chapter Eight

Clair sang "Love Me Like You Do" at the top of her lungs, clutching a brush as a microphone. She danced, swaying her hips and twirling around to the beat, completely lost in the moment. It wasn't until the music stopped that she noticed Sinn watching her every move. Her face flushed a deep red, and she quickly tightened her robe.

"Don't feel embarrassed; it was a beautiful performance," Sinn said, a bright smile on his face.

Clair blushed again, hiding her embarrassment as she retreated to her room and closed the door behind her.

An hour later, after freshening up, she opened her door, peering out to see if Sinn was still around. Noticing no one, she slipped out, shutting the door quietly behind her.

"Where do you think you're going?" Sinn asked, adjusting his towel.

Startled, Clair turned around.

Sinn stood with his hands on his hips, looking at her expectantly.

Clair's eyes wandered over the water trickling down his skin, pausing to admire his chiselled torso before finally meeting his gaze. "Um... I... was..." she stammered.

Sinn raised an eyebrow.

"I'm going out to explore a bit," she said, biting her bottom lip. "It's my first time here..."

Sinn walked over to the kitchen counter to grab his phone.

"I was wondering if you could show me around," Clair added.

His phone began to ring, and he flashed her a charming smile. "Sure," he replied, heading into his room.

Clair mumbled, "Sweet," a smile spreading across her face.

Meanwhile, in Manhattan, Jessica stared at herself in the bathroom mirror, wondering how she had ended up in this mess. Picking up her phone, she scrolled through missed calls from Vincent. Sighing, she dialled him back, listening for an answer.

"Where are you?" Vincent asked.

"What do you want, Vincent?" Jessica replied.

"I need to see you. Come meet me at the beach."

Jessica sighed again. "I'll be there in five." She hung up and rushed downstairs.

"Jessica!" her mother, Dawn, called from the kitchen.

Dawn was making herself a sandwich. "I need you to get me some sauce from the store."

"On it," Jessica said, grabbing her bag.

Dawn folded her arms, giving her a serious look. "Are you sure you're heading out for my sauce? It's that Vincent guy again, isn't it?"

"Mom, not now," Jessica replied.

"You should tell him before things get messier," Dawn insisted.

"It's already a big mess, Mom!" Jessica shot back, slipping on her sneakers. "He's back with Dinah for crying out loud!"

"I told you Carlton Wilfred would be a better match for you! But you don't listen," Dawn said, shaking her head.

Jessica groaned, slamming the door behind her.

At the beach, Jessica approached Vincent, taking a deep breath before sitting down beside him. He was gazing out at the ocean, waiting for her.

"What's up?" she asked.

"I'm surprised you still run out to see me every time I call," Vincent smirked.

Jessica rolled her eyes and stood up.

"Don't leave..." Vincent pleaded, pulling her back down.

"What do you want, Vincent?" she asked.

"Dinah said you had to tell her something. It looked important."

Jessica sighed, staring out at the sea. "It's nothing."

"If it's nothing, it should be easy for you to tell me," Vincent pressed.

"I... I can't do this," Jessica stammered, getting up to leave.

Vincent jumped up and caught her by the arm, turning her around. "Tell me."

"I'm pregnant!" Jessica blurted out, her voice low. "I'm going to have your baby..."

Vincent's eyes widened in shock.

Meanwhile, Sinn answered a call in his room.

"Hey, I saw your missed call earlier. I was at work," Kate said, putting groceries on the table.

"I was just checking in," Sinn replied.

"That bastard got released from prison today," Kate said.

Sinn pressed the phone to his ear. "Did he go see her?"

"No, he didn't. My friend there would have told me," Kate replied.

Sinn's voice dropped. "How is she?"

"Same condition. Hurry back home, Sinn."

"I will," he promised before hanging up.

After getting dressed, Sinn joined Clair as they drove down to Marché Bastille, a market known for its fresh produce. Clair explored every stand, picking up a few items. She glanced over at Sinn, who was busy tapping away on his phone. Rolling her eyes, she walked away, mingling with some locals. A guy pulled her into the crowd to dance, and she swayed happily.

Sinn looked up to find Clair missing and stepped out to look for her. When he spotted her dancing with a not-so-bad-looking guy, he approached with a grim expression and pulled her away from him. Clair turned to Sinn, playfully pushing him to dance with her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, moving gracefully to the music. He let out a sigh but held her waist as she danced, backing into him, and swaying her hips.

As the music stopped, they found themselves staring into each other's eyes, momentarily forgetting the world around them. The crowd erupted into applause, and they joined in, clapping along.

Later, they stopped at the Eiffel Tower, where Clair took out her phone to snap pictures. Sinn led her to a building opposite the iconic structure; even from a distance, it was beautiful.

"This is beautiful," Clair said, admiring the tower.

Sinn looked out over the landscape, his gaze softening.

"Thank you for today; it was worth it," she said, hugging him.

He relaxed, inhaling the cherry-scented shampoo in her hair. As she pulled back, their faces were close, and they lingered in the moment before Sinn took a step back.

"Don't mention it," he said, running a hand through his hair.

"We should go," Clair suggested.

"Yeah," Sinn agreed.

Once back at the hotel, Clair said goodnight to Sinn before heading straight to her room. Smiling to herself, she played with the chain around her neck, biting her bottom lip in delight. After a quick bath, she slipped into bed, content with the day's adventures.