Chapter 176 Chapter 176
Valerie was glued to the window as the gondola rose towards the sky. She watched the people down below walk through the streets of the park, spotting countless children with their parents as well as other couples. The other buildings, especially the roller coasters, looked amazing from this view. She longingly stared at her favorite coaster, making a mental note to go there later. Then again, he probably wouldn’t enjoy that very much…
She turned her head from the window to him, surprised to find him studying her. His crystal eyes were focused on her alone. He didn’t care about the gorgeous view from up here at all. She was flustered by his attention, moving a strand of her hair behind her ear.
“What is it?” she asked.
“Nothing, just thinking,” he said and took her hand, inching closer. “Last time we were on the Ferris wheel, we didn’t just sit around.” He winked, his tone growing slightly suggestive.
“What happened?” she asked cluelessly, prompting him to crack a smile.
“Ah, sugar, you seriously have no idea?” he smirked. “I could show you if you want.” The gondola reached the highest point, and the wheel briefly stopped.
“Um… okay?”
He leaned in, and she understood what he was up to when she saw the glimmer of longing in his eyes. For a brief second, they seemed to flash red—she must have imagined that. His warm hands cupped her cheeks and tilted her head up. Slowly, he connected their lips and kissed her. Just like last night, his kiss made her heart soar. She was overwhelmed with a strong feeling of happiness and delight, and let herself be swallowed by it. Smiling into the kiss, she embraced him and rested her hands on his back. Her actions brought them closer, and he deepened the kiss.
When they parted, she took a deep breath, looking a bit dazed. He was so good at this. She felt drunk on her happiness, her heart beating faster than normal.
“Now you know what we did,” he remarked cockily, smirking at her. “I figured that demonstrating it would be more interesting than just telling you.”
“I can’t argue with that,” she said, touching her lips in awe.
The gondola returned to the ground soon after, and they got out, continuing to explore the park. There was still a lot to see and lots of things to do. They spent the remainder of the day in the park, Valerie trying to get him into a rollercoaster, but he refused to set foot in one of those “abominations” as he liked to call them. He made a huge fuss over it, and she ended up laughing tears at his sulky expression.
After a while of walking around and trying different rides, Valerie felt tired, and the injuries on her back began to throb. She wanted to rest, but at the same time, she also wanted to see the other attractions of the park. Torn and unsure about what to do, she didn’t mention it to him. However, she did notice the glances he threw at her now and then. Valerie got the feeling that he knew what was up.
“Valerie, why don’t we take a break?” he suggested eventually.
Conflictedly, she looked at the very inviting rollercoaster behind him, wondering if she could ride it just one time. The injuries on her back said otherwise… but still.
“No, I want to see the rest of the park too,” she replied. “If we take a break, we will lose time.”
He frowned, crossing his arms and stopping in his tracks. She stopped as well and wondered what he was up to now. “Let’s take a break,” he said persistently. “It would be better to rest for a while.”
“But… but why?” she whined.
He was silent for a tad too long before he answered her. “Because I’m tired and I want to sit down,” he grumbled. “Also, my feet hurt and I’m hungry and thirsty and…”
“Okay, okay. I get it,” she sighed. “You’re such a grandpa.”
She never noticed his triumphant smirk as he led her to the next coffee shop. He’d make sure that she was safe, especially when she was too stubborn to take care of herself.
—
That evening, she was so tired that she went straight to her bedroom after they returned home. It had been an exciting day, and she had even regained a few memories. Most of the scenes she had seen were related to Maxwell. He appeared in nearly every single one of them. It made her wonder if her life had revolved around him only. What else had happened in the months she had forgotten? Her curiosity grew with every memory that returned.
Each moment she rediscovered was one she cherished, and one was more endearing than the next. They were like pieces of a puzzle she needed to collect to see the bigger picture. She had yet to make sense of all of them, but she was confident that eventually, just that would occur.
Valerie sat cross-legged on her bed and looked through the pictures she had taken today with her phone. She’d already put on comfortable clothes and didn’t plan on staying up much longer. It had been an exhausting day, maybe a bit too long for her since she wasn’t fully healed yet. Resting sounded like a good idea.
She yawned, covering her mouth with her hand. At the same moment, Maxwell came into her bedroom. He wore a comfortable black shirt and sweatpants, his hands tucked into its pockets.
“What are you up to?” he asked, sitting next to her. His arm circled her waist, and his hand came to rest on her stomach. He peered over her shoulder at the screen.
“Just looking at all the photos from today,” she explained with a smile. “I enjoyed our outing a lot.”
“Good, but I’d prefer if you called it a date, sugar,” he said flirtily. “'Cause it was a date.”