One Night

Chapter 126

Audrey

1 jerked my head up, and there he was.

“Edwin,” I breathed, suddenly cringing at how desperate I sounded. I cleared my throat, taking in the sight of his stubbled face now that he had removed the blue surgical mask covering it In the dim amber glow of the streetlights, he looked even more handsome in his casual black jacket and trousers, a pair of worn leather boots clicking on the cobblestones.

“Mind if I join you?” he asked, gesturing to the pastry and wine.

I shook my head, offering him the bottle. “Be my guest.”

Edwin joined me on the wall, our legs dangling over the edge. Our knees brushed as he settled, and I felt a jolt run through me. It took all of the willpower I had not to let it show,

We sat in comfortable silence for a moment, passing the wine back and forth and sharing bites of the eclair. But it was hard to chew with him so close after all this time. It had been two months since our kiss in the utility closet, two months of not seeing him or hearing his voice.

Was he as anxious as I was, I wondered? I doubted it.

Finally, Edwin was the first to speak. “Your look tonight was my favorite, you know. Clearly the best out of all the others.” Helt my cheeks flush, the warmth spreading down my neck as I looked away. “You’re just saying that because of our history.” But Edwin shook his head, his expression serious. “No, I’m being honest, Audrey. You know I wouldn’t lie just to make you feel good.”

I stared down at my feet, suddenly feeling bashful. He was right, despite everything, he wouldn’t sugarcoat his words. That was what I liked so much about him.

“Thank you,” I said softly, then added, “And thank you for the hotel room, by the way. It’s… beautiful. And too expensive and vast for a single girl like me, I wanted to say. You should keep me company tonight. It would be a waste otherwise.

But I didn’t

“Ah, it’s nothing.” Edwin waved his hand dismissively. “It’s my usual room when 1 come to Paris.”

“Oh?” I raised an eyebrow. “So you come here often?” I hoped like hell he had never shared that room with Fiona. Or anyone else, for that matter.

Edwin chuckled, his eyes tw**ng in the moonlight. “Actually, come to Paris Fashion Week every year. Just incognito, like tonight.”

I felt a pang of guilt at that. “Oh. I’m sorry for taking your favorite room from you.”

“Don’t be,” he said firmly, handing the wine bottle back to me. As I took it, our fingers brushed, and I thought I might pass out and fall off the wall and into the river below. “I wanted you to be comfortable. You deserve it after everything you’ve been through.”

His words brought the smallest smile to my lips, and we lapsed into another silence as I took a swig of wine. But then a thought occurred to me, and before I could stop myself, I blurted out, “Is Fiona in Paris with you?”

Edwin’s face darkened, his jaw clenching. “I’d rather not talk about her.”

“If you’re with me,” I said, my voice coming out stronger than I felt, “I have a right to know.”

1/3

13:03 Wed, Sep 18

Chapter 120

His shoulders slumped slightly, clearly realizing I was right. He sighed deeply before answering. “No, she’s not with me. T wouldn’t come here with her.”

Satisfied with his answer, I stood up, brushing off my trousers. “Want to walk with me?” I asked, jerking my head down the cobbled pathway.

Edwin hesitated for a moment, his gray eyes searching mine. Then he nodded. “I’d like that.”

As we strolled along the moonlit streets, the sounds of the city a gentle hum around us, Edwin asked, “Did you get to travel much growing up?”

I shook my head. “Not really. My first adoptive mother would have taken me on trips if we had the money, but she passed away before she had the chance. The second family… they didn’t care for me at all. Just wanted the tax benefits that come along with adopting a human.”

Edwin’s face fell, his brow furrowing. “I’m sorry to hear that. A child should at least get to enjoy road trips as a family, even if they’re not lavish

“What about you?” I asked, eager to shift the focus off of myself, “Did you travel a lot?”

He nodded. “My family went all over the world,” he said.

“That sounds fun.”

A scoff “I wouldn’t go so far as to say it was fun,” he retorted. “It was always for my father’s business. My siblings and I were sort of left to our own devices

I blinked for a moment, recalling the days I had mistakenly thought he had a girlfriend when it was just his sister. Little did know he was actually engaged.

But then Edwin’s eyes tw**ed, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. “But not all was lost. My sister and I were always thick as thieves. We’d go on little adventures.”

“Oh really? Like what?”

“Well, there was this one time in Paris,” he said, his voice h**se as though trying not to laugh. “We got caught sneaking onto rooftops and were taken back to our rental by the police. My parents were livid.”

I couldn’t help but burst out laughing. “You? Getting dragged home by police? I can’t picture it.”

“Believe it or not, I had my moments,” he said with a wink. “My sister and I gave our parents more than a few gray

hairs.”

We walked in companionable silence for a while, the city lights t****ns playing soft melodies. We stopped beside a man playing the violin, and Edwin tossed a few bills into the man’s hat before we moved on

“What’s your favorite place in Paris?” I found myself asking

“Why do you ask?”

I shrugged. “Just curious. And this all feels a bit..” I waved my hand at the street performers, the people with cameras, the sparkling fountains. Touristy.”

“So you want me to show you a better time?” he asked, turning to face me.

Asoft breeze ruffled at his back as he said those words, gently blowing that all-too-familiar cologne into my face. It was all I could do to nod without crumpling into a panting, desperate heap in front of him.

“Y-Yes,” I managed around the sudden lump in my throat. “I’d like that.”

Chapter 120

“Very well.”

Suddenly, Edwin took my hand, his fingers intertwining with mine. The simple touch sent sparks through my body. He led me down winding alleyways, the cobblestones uneven beneath our feet. I tried to keep track of where we were going, but soon lost all sense of direction.

“Where are we going?”

“You’ll see,” was all he said.

Finally, we stopped in front of an old church, its facade weathered but still beautiful. Edwin turned to me, his eyes s with mischief. “Close your eyes.

sparkling

1 hesitated for a moment, shooting him a wary look. “You can trust me,” he said, and his voice had taken on a huskier tone than before. Once again. I felt weak in the knees, but I complied, I felt his hands cover my eyes, just to make sure I wasn’t peeking.

“No cheating.” he murmured, his breath warm against my ear. Goddess, I thought I was going to pass out.

He guided me forward, one hand on my waist, the other still covering my eyes. I could hear our shoes echoing as if in a vast room, the sound bouncing off unseen walls. Then we were climbing stairs, the journey made more difficult by my inability

to see.

“Careful,” Edwin said, his arm around me, holding me tight. 1 leaned into him, trusting him completely.

We walked up the stairs for some time. I wasn’t sure if it was just that we were going very far up or if I was just slow, but soon my legs began to burn. But still, I trusted him wholly-or maybe I was just savoring the sensation of his arm around my waist, his cool fingers over my eyes..

Finally, I heard the creak of a door opening, and suddenly felt cold wind on my cheeks. The sounds of the city grew and I could smell the crisp night air. We took a few more steps, and then Edwin’s hand fell away from my eyes-although his arm remained looped tightly around my waist, holding me fast against his sturdy form.

louder.

“Okay,” he said softly. “Open them.”

曲