Page 119 of A Simple Reminder
“Are you ready for another ride?” he asks, his tone playful.
My stomach twists, a nervous flutter taking over. “It’s…big.”
He squeezes my hand, grounding me. “You can do this. The one on Mount Tibidabo was scarier.”
I huff out a laugh, despite myself. “But it’s still big.”
“You’re with me,” he reassures, his thumb brushing over my knuckles.
The line is short, which means there is barely enough time to talk myself out of this. Before I can second guess, we’re climbing into one of the outer gondolas.
“For the better view,” Liam says, his voice light with boyish excitement, a stark contrast to the nervous energy knotting in my stomach.
The door closes behind us with a soft click, and the gondola lurches forward. My breath catches as we begin to ascend, the motion gentle but unrelenting. The first few feet feel manageable—until the earth pulls away beneath us, and my pulse stutters in response.
The city stretches out beneath us like a glittering canvas. Neon signs, streetlights, and the faint glow of distant buildings blur together in an endless sea of light. It’s breathtaking—truly—but the height makes my stomach churn.
I clutch Liam’s hand tighter, my knuckles whitening. He doesn’t let go, his thumb brushing soothing circles over mine.
“Hey,” he says softly, his voice a tether pulling me from my spiraling thoughts. “Look at me.”
I do, my eyes locking onto his. The noise of the world below, the creak of the wheel, even my own racing heart—everything fades.
“I’m with you,” he murmurs, his gaze steady and sure.
And just like that, the panic eases. Not completely, but enough. I hold onto him like a lifeline, my grip loosening slightly as my breath steadies.
The gondola slows, then stops. We’re at the top.Again.
“Liam…” I whisper, my voice shaky, but before I can say anything more, he shifts.
I freeze, my breath hitching as he shifts, and the gondola sways beneath us. “Liam, please.”
But the words die on my lips when he kneels in the tiny space, his hand still holding mine. His other hand dips into his pocket.
“Sophie,” he says, his voice quiet but weighted with emotion.
“What are you doing?” My voice is barely audible, the words trembling as much as my hands.
He looks up at me, and the love in his eyes is so intense, so raw, it steals the air from my lungs. His smile is soft, almost shy, but his gaze holds mine with unwavering certainty.
“Sophie. My Sophie,” he begins, his voice thick with emotion. “I know I said I’d wait until the timing felt ‘appropriate’, but I can’t. I don’t want to. You’re it for me. You’ve always been it.”
Tears well in my eyes, blurring his face, but I don’t dare blink.
“My heart knew the moment I saw you. The first time I danced with you, the first time I heard your name—I knew you were meant for me.”
A tear spills over, tracing a hot line down my cheek. He reaches up, brushing it away with a tenderness that makes my chest ache.
“I lost you for ten years, and I’ll never forgive myself for that. But I’m not losing you again. Not now, not ever.”
His words crash over me like a wave, drowning me in their sincerity. I let out a shaky laugh, my voice breaking. “But we’re already engaged…”
He shakes his head, a small smile tugging at his lips. “Not in the way that matters to me. This ring,” he gestures to my hand, where Lucas’s stand-in ring sparkles, ”this isn’t us. It’s not you, and it’s not my ring.”
He pulls a small red box from his pocket, his hand trembling slightly as he opens it. Inside is a ring so beautiful it steals my breath—a gold band with a stunning emerald-cut diamond flanked by two smaller stones, simple yet timeless.
“This ring means everything to me,” he says, his voice thick. “It is the ring my uncle—the man I loved most in the world–gave to his wife, and their love was everything I hope ours will be. They showed me what a marriage could be. What true love should be.”
