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Belle: Okay, Donna told Ryan you’ve gone to a restaurant instead of coming back here. Good plan. X
“Sorry I haven’t looked at my phone until now.” Guilt flooded through my veins that she’d been worried, and I hadn’t replied. In fact, even though I didn’t expect to see her in Paris, I felt an instant remorse I’d been harsh with her. I’d spent no time at all with her since she’d arrived, and I hadn’t seen her since the turn of the year either.
“What flight are you getting back?” I asked.
“6:20 p.m. from Charles de Gaulle? You?”
“5:00 p.m. Maybe we can meet up at the airport for a coffee before I leave.”
“You’re both traveling to the airport together. Donna’s arranged a car for you both for 3:00 p.m. I figured when I knew Belle was here, you’d want to catch up for an hour. Now, if you’ll excuse me, your sister is here with me and we don’t have much time left so you won’t mind if I ask you to save making up with her until after you leave.”
“You’re quiet, Ryan,” he stated. “Must be love.”
“Like you said, we don’t have long, so pay attention to your girlfriend and stop distracting mine.” The wink Ryan gave looked playful, but it wasn’t hard to read between the lines. He was sad my sister would be leaving soon as well.
Chapter 19
For two hours we sat on the coach, learning about the manipulations of monarchs and regents through the ages from Catherine de Medici, King Francis II and his part in protecting Mary Queen of Scots when he made her Queen of France, to the storming of the Bastille and the French revolution a couple of centuries later.
When we reached the Cathedral of Notre Dame, the driver stopped at a crossing.
“Hold up,” Jamie called out as he stood and tugged my hand. “Come on, we’re getting off here.”
I smirked when we passed Paddy, sound asleep, his mouth gaping as he slept soundly against the bus window, just as Jamie had predicted. Then focused on why we were getting off when we both knew Notre Dame Cathedral was under reconstruction after a tragic fire.
“See you at 3:00 p.m. in the foyer Ryan, don’t be late,” Jamie barked over his shoulder.
We watched the bus drive off in the distance before Jamie turned to me. “I wanted to bring you here because, had this been open, I’d have dragged you to the top of that bell tower, but this is the closest to the bell towers we can get.”
“What is it with you and heights? And why here? Does my face remind you of a gargoyle or something?” I asked, laughing. “Between lighthouses and towers, I’m thinking you have a fetish. Even the hotel room in Ballsbridge back in Dublin was also named the Tower.”
“Maybe I just feel high when I’m with you,” he said, joking.
“Well, whatever it is, if you ever take up pot holing, I’m warning you now, you’re on your own.”
“And there was I thinking you’d go to the bowels of the earth for me.”
“Correction, it’s the ends of the earth,” I stated, laughing again.
“Seriously though, I just wanted to get you off the bus. We only have a few hours left together before you need to leave. I didn’t want to spend another minute sharing you with the others.”
Delving into his pocket, he pulled out a beanie and put it on his head. From his other pocket, he took a pair of sunglasses out and slid them on as well. Fortunately for him, the sun was shining.
“There. How do I look?”
“Hot,” I said, “with or without piles of clothing,” I replied, honestly.
“You too, but I much prefer those piles on the floor myself when I’m given the choice,” he mumbled close to my ear then stuck his tongue in it.
“Ew, you soaked me.”
“Everywhere?” he asked, with a crude waggle of his brows. My mouth gaped but before I could think of a clever retort he winked. “Let’s find somewhere to sit in the warm and have lunch.”
Lacing his fingers in mine, he put my hand in his coat pocket to keep it warm. “One day we’ll come back here, and I’ll show you all this beautiful city has to offer.”
“I know this trip has been short and you’ve had to work, but it’s been fabulous spending time with you. I know I should feel guilty that we haven’t done more in the way of sightseeing, but you’re what I came to see, not some relics from the past, no matter how incredible they may appear.”
“Fuck, Daisy, you’ll be writing my song lyrics next,” he joked.
