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“I don’t know.”
“Rory. There’s no better cure than Paris for a broken heart. Wait, isn’t Paris the city of love? Oh well, listen, you’ll be surrounded by hot French men, French coffee, French chocolates, and best of all, French f**king pastries!”
I let out a laugh.
“I already purchased your ticket, it’s non-refundable, and we’re flying first class.”
I got out of bed, showered, got dressed, and had my picture taken for my passport. My heart was heavy and I still found it hard to breathe. Adalynn tried to get me to eat, but I couldn’t. Every bite of food I took made me feel sick. Adalynn said she had a few things to pick up before we left tomorrow, and she asked if I would go with her after she finished up at the office. Daniel dropped me off at Prim and, as I walked into her office, I saw Ian sitting in the chair across from her desk.
“Rory, what a nice surprise,” Adalynn said as her eyes widened.
Ian turned around and our eyes met. “I—I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were in a meeting,” I said nervously as I turned around and sprinted down the hall. I had to get out of there. My heart was racing and my breathing felt constricted. I pushed the button to the elevator a hundred times, thinking that it would magically make the door open faster. I didn’t know where the stairs were, so I couldn’t take them. I felt a hand lightly grab my arm and turn me around. It was him.
“I’m sorry. I don’t want to hurt you. Please, Rory, I don’t want to end things on a bad note.”
“It’s too late for that,” I spat as I jerked my arm out of his grip.
“I can’t give you what you want. I wish I could.”
“And I can’t give you what you want,” I said as a tear streamed down my face. “Please, just let me heal.”
He put his hand on my cheek, and for the first time since I’d known him, I saw his eyes fill with tears. “Fuck,” he whispered as he shook his head and walked away.
****
We landed and I couldn’t believe I was in Paris. I listened to music and slept most of the way. My eyes filled with tears a few times, but I managed to stop them. Even though I was with Adalynn, I still felt lost and alone. I felt like my world had crumbled, and I was left lying on the ground under a rubble of pain. I paid a visit to Stephen before I left and told him that I had to go on a trip. I spoke with the management at Hudson Rock and they told me that it would be okay to Skype with him on visiting days, during visiting hours.
We walked into the apartment that Adalynn’s father owned. It was small, but amazing. I walked over to the French doors that led out to a balcony from my bedroom. I opened the doors and gasped at the beautiful sight that was out my window.
“It’s gorgeous, isn’t it?” Adalynn smiled as she stood next to me.
“It’s amazing. Thank you so much for bringing me here.”
“I want to apologize again for yesterday. I didn’t know that Ian was going to show up, and when I went to text you, my phone died.”
“It’s okay. Don’t worry about it. We’re here in Paris now and all thoughts of Ian Braxton have left my head. It’s time to start anew and move on.”
“High five.” She smiled as she held up her hand. “I have to get over to my meeting. Are you going to be okay here?”
“I’ll be fine. I’ll go do a little sight-seeing.”
“Stay close and don’t get lost. When I get back, I’m taking you to one of my favorite restaurants.”
When Adalynn left, I walked around the apartment and took note of the beautiful antique furniture throughout. Adalynn said we’d be here for a week, so I unpacked my clothes and placed them in the dresser drawers. I decided to go and explore the area. It was a beautiful sunny day and I wanted to be outside. As I was walking down the street, and taking in the beautiful surroundings, I stopped at an outdoor market that displayed the best-looking fruits and vegetables. As I picked up a shiny red apple, I heard someone speak.
“C'est une belle journée pour une belle femme. Puis-je vous aider?”
I looked up from the shiny red apple to a French-speaking man. “I’m sorry, but I don’t speak French,” I said.
“Ah, you’re an American. I should’ve known by your exquisite beauty.” He smiled.
God, his accent was beautiful. He was beautiful. He wore his brown hair longish, and just the right amount of scruff sculpted his face. His hazel eyes had a brightness to them when he looked at me, and his smile was warm. He was a nice distraction.
“I’m Andre, and you are?” He smiled.
“Rory.” I smiled as we lightly shook hands.
“Nice to meet you, Rory. Please take that apple.”
“Oh no, I couldn’t. At least let me pay for it.”
“No, no, no. It’s a gift from me. Is this your first time in Paris?”
“Yes, it is, and thank you very much.” I smiled as I began to walk away, holding up the apple.
“It was nice to meet you, beautiful Rory. Make sure to visit again.”
I turned around and gave Andre a small smile and then bit into my apple and continued walking down the street. So far, I was liking my time in Paris. The bakeries were exquisite and smelled so good. On my way back to the apartment, I stopped and picked up some beautiful flowers from a flower cart on the corner. When I arrived back at the apartment, I set the flowers on the counter and looked for a vase. As I arranged the purple and pink peonies in the vase, they made me smile and that was what I needed. I set them in the center of the small dining table and then took a picture of them with my phone. I was jet lagged, so I went and lay down on the bed for a while. For the first time, I had a dream about Ian. I dreamt that we were on the beach and he was holding me in his arms, telling me that he loved me.
“Rory, sweetie, wake up,” Adalynn said as she lightly shook me.
I opened my eyes and I could feel the wetness of the tears on my face. I looked at her, still trying to focus on what was going on.
“You were crying in your sleep.”
I got up and walked into the bathroom. “I had a dream about Ian.”
“Aw, sweetie. I’m sorry. I know it’s hard. Do you miss him?”
“Yes, I miss him so much.”
“Well, come on. We’re going out tonight and we’re going to show this city how two American girls have fun.”
I smiled and started the shower. I needed to go out and have some fun. But, I secretly wished that it was Ian I was having fun with. As I let the hot water stream down me, I couldn’t stop thinking about him. I wondered what he was doing, if he was with another woman, and if he was thinking of me. I was pretty sure that Andrew and Richard were happy that I was gone. I put on my little black dress, high boots, and I curled my hair. I was ready to go out and paint the town.
