Chapter 48

Chapter 48
KAT’S POV

I admire the clouds. The jet is preparing to land.

Slowly, it goes down.  When I lean closer to the window, my breath catches so sharply it almost hurts.

The Eiffel Tower stands in the distance.

“Oh my God,” I whisper, unable to think, unable to breathe “You brought me to Paris?”

It comes out as a squeal, embarrassingly high-pitched and cracking, but I can’t control it. It’s Paris. I love this city.

I feel Percy’s eyes on me before I look at him. He sits back in his seat with that soft, infuriatingly gentle smile on his face. He looks proud of himself.

He shrugs a little, pretending it’s nothing. “Surprise.”

I turn fully toward him. “Percy… Paris?”

“Yes.” He nods. “Paris.”

I can’t look at him for too long because something inside me starts melting in a way I don’t understand, so I press my forehead to the window again as the jet slows on the runway. My heart is racing. My palms are warm. My chest feels full, too full. Not in the bad way. In the overwhelming, I-might-float-away kind of way.

The moment we step off the jet, I suck in a deep breath. It smells like rain clinging to old stone. I can smell the warm croissants drifting from bakeries somewhere nearby,

Percy walks beside me, taking my hand in his.

A sleek black luxury car rolls to a stop in front of us. The driver steps out immediately, bowing his head and greeting Percy in French. Percy replies in perfect, effortless French. Of course he does. Then, the driver quickly loads our luggage into the trunk.

I’m still too stunned to speak. My eyes are everywhere - the sky, the old airport buildings, the cars driving by, the way the sunlight hits the horizon and makes everything look like it’s glowing from inside.

Percy glances at me. “You alright?”

I swallow. “I - Percy, it’s Paris.”

His smile widens “Yeah. I noticed.”

Inside the car, I sit near the window and look outside. I can’t help it. The city feels alive. Every street we pass pulls me in - the narrow alleys with bicycles leaning against lamp posts, the wide riverbanks where people stroll even at sunrise, the flower stalls bursting with color. The Seine glitters as we drive over the bridge.

I must look like a kid at her first amusement park because Percy laughs under his breath.

“What?” I ask, not taking my eyes off the view.

“You’re adorable when you’re overwhelmed.”

I turn my head around to glare at him. “I’m not overwhelmed.”

He raises a brow. “Kat, your face is basically stuck to the window.”

I roll my eyes and turn back to the glass but I can feel my cheeks warming. I hate that he notices everything. I also kind of love it.

The city slowly moves into open coastal roads, and when the car finally stops, I blink hard

A villa sits on a cliff overlooking the ocean. It looks like something straight out of a movie. It has floor-to-ceiling glass walls and pale wooden floors visible through the windows.

Percy steps out first, then opens my door.

“Who owns this?” I ask as I step out.

“I do.”

I’m even more impressed “Wow”

He laughs softly and gestures toward the entrance. “Welcome to Paris, Kat.”

The interior is even more beautiful than it looks outside. Soft music plays from unseen speakers. A massive bowl of fresh fruit sits on the kitchen counter. Plush blankets are folded neatly on the sofa. Paintings line the walls.

The place looks breathtaking.

I walk slowly through the villa, brushing my fingers along the surfaces. The wooden floor is warm beneath my feet. The ocean roars below the cliffs.

Percy stands near the entrance, watching me explore. He isn’t tense. He isn’t forcing anything. He just watches.

“It’s beautiful…” I whisper, more to myself than to him.

His answer is quiet. “So are you.”

My heart stumbles over itself. I pretend I didn’t hear him. Instead, I walk toward the glass wall like I’m fascinated by the view—but my pulse is pounding in my ears.

He takes me out into the city for hours. Montmartre becomes my new favorite place instantly - narrow streets lined with artists painting portraits, small cafés tucked between bookshops, the smell of chocolate and pastry everywhere.

We share éclairs from a bakery that looks like it’s older than both of us combined. I take a bite and gasp like a dramatic child.

Percy laughs. “Good?”

“This is the best thing I’ve ever eaten,” I say with my mouth full.

“Glad you approve.”

We climb the steps to a balcony outside a little bookstore and take pictures. We both laugh at the way the wind keeps messing up my hair. We wander down streets lit with fairy lights even though it’s daytime, and for once, I don’t feel like I’m performing for anyone.

I just… exist. And laugh. And breathe.

At one point, I trip over a crooked cobblestone. I yelp, flailing like an idiot.

Percy catches me instantly. His hands stay gentle but firm around my arms, steadying me. His touch is warm, too warm, and it spreads heat through my ribs before he pulls away.

“You okay?” he asks.

I nod, even though I feel my heart slamming inside me. “Yeah. Just… uncoordinated.”

He smiles. We’re close, so close. I stare into his beautiful blue eyes. I can feel the heat radiating off him. His eyes dip to my lips for one second, one dangerous second, before he looks away.

On a bridge over the Seine, I lean over the railing, drinking in the view. The colors of the water shift with the wind. Boats drift beneath us.

“This city suits you,” he murmurs.

A shiver runs straight down my spine. “Why?”

“Because you glow here,” he says. “I like seeing that.”

I don’t know what to say. No one has ever said something like that to me. Not in a way that feels real. I grip the edge of the railing to steady myself.

Later, after we walk for what feels like hours, Percy buys two coffees from a tiny café window. Mine spills when a cyclist brushes past too fast, splashing half the drink onto the sidewalk.

“Here,” he says, holding out his cup. “Share mine.”

I hesitate. “Are you sure?”

“Kat, we’ve shared worse.”

I laugh. I lift the cup to my lips, then pass it to him.

When he hands the cup back to me, our fingers brush. The touch is light but enough for me to feel sparks.

We stand close. Too close. The world slows, the noise fades, and when he looks at me, something in his expression shifts.

“Kat,” he says quietly.

I know what he means. I know what he’s fighting. I know what I’m fighting too.

But I step closer. Just a little.

My breath mixes with his. His eyes drop to my lips again slowly. . And when I tilt my face up the slightest bit, he meets me halfway. Our lips touch in a sweet passionate kiss.

The kiss is soft at first but after a few seconds, it deepens. It’s slow and tender.

His hand lifts but stops to touch my cheek, cupping my face in his hands.

When we finally pull apart, I’m breathless. His forehead rests gently against mine.

“Paris looks good on you,” he whispers.

I close my eyes “It looks good on you too”