Always Him (Always #1)

Chapter Forty-Three

Darkness soon fell around Paris, bringing with it the sights and delights of Christmas Eve. People milled about the Tower and the surrounding areas as the snow drifted down, shearing everyone with tiny snowflakes. The shops that delighted me just with the sight of decorations in their windows now had every ounce of awe I could muster. Lights currently accentuated the already beautiful décor. In my mind, I could see how much of it I would try to either make or buy replicas of so I could decorate better for upcoming holidays.

Jasper led us through the people right to a food cart. They offered some mulled wine and chestnuts that perfectly helped the Christmas atmosphere. We each had some along with a sausage with cheese. The French food was just too good, and I made Jasper promise we'd make another stop there before we went back to the hotel for the night. He was quick to agree; as we walked away, I noticed him check his watch before glancing back at the cart. It was delicious.

We had walked for about twenty minutes or so when I'd stopped in the middle of another crowd. This time no one nearly ran me over; others had paused on their way to gaze at the sights.

Christmas lights of every color were wrapped around every lamppost, every awning of each business. Little displays outside the shops had various lights. Some even had music to accompany them. It was delightful.

I noticed a Ferris wheel not too far away and tugged on Jasper's arm. He followed my gaze and, without looking back at me, began leading us towards it. The sights we'd see from that high up would be the most real breathtaking sight of the day.

"It's beautiful." I broke the silence once we approached the Ferris wheel.

Jasper paid, and we climbed aboard the wheel. The operator gave us warning smiles and a candy cane. As we sat, the car rocked back and forth, and my foot slipped as I tried to situate myself on the seat.

"Ow."

Jasper went alert immediately. He looked to the side about to alert the operator when I put a hand on his arm. He turned to me.

"I'm fine, Jas. I just slipped a little, and it felt like a pinch. It's nothing serious." He was still tense. "Relax, please?"

He only nodded when he slid around to hold me in his arms.

"I'm not made of porcelain Jas; I won't break, I promise!"

"I know, I just like to hold you." He coughed up the pathetic excuse with an easy-going grin. I let him hold me as we went up higher and higher.

The higher we went, the more of Paris we saw. The tower was a cascade of blinking lights, from gold to white. There was a nearby fountain spouting water.

"Do you see this, Jas?" I glanced over just as he rechecked his watch. "Are we going to be late for something, or are you counting down the seconds until we're on the ground again?"

He blushed. "It's nothing. We're okay." He fidgeted slightly. Was he afraid of heights?

I grasped his hand tight. "I'm here."

"I know."

Jasper began pointing out various landmarks to me. Some I already knew, others I didn't. Some I just let him talk on about it because it seemed to relax him, distract him from the heights. The Seine river was a dark beauty from the top of the wheel. The inky darkness shimmered with the lights bouncing off it. It was an art show in itself.

We even got to see Notre Dame. It broke my heart to think about the fire that had ravaged it—such a historical monument. I was glad to see that work was continually being done on it in an attempt to restore it to its historic beauty.