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“Yes. Yes, we do.” Lily pulls me tight and yanks me into the gondola. The devilish look on her face screams,There’s no going back now.
The moment our feet hit the flooring, the gondola sways.
My knees tremble. I lean more weight onto Lily, and she guides us to an empty seat.
I clamber onto a chair, gripping tightly onto the edges. “Why’s it shaking? Are the screws coming loose?”
“I’m going to say it’s safe to assume all gondolas are like this.” She stands beside me, brushing her hair off her shoulders.
“Yes, but this one’s hundreds of feet off the ground.”
“1,296 feet, to be exact.” Lily pockets the brochure and stands in front of me. “You like to snowboard,” she says reassuringly. “Just pretend we’re on a ski lift.”
“When I snowboard, I can fall into fresh powder, not a bunch of rocks.”
I’m going to faint.
The welcome announcement plays over the intercom in Portuguese before switching to English. “Welcome to the Sugarloaf Cable Car. The ride will span three minutes. We hope you enjoy the views.”
Oh, fuck. This is really happening.
Lily’s mouth hangs open as she stares out, entirely captivated by the sight of Rio. I take a deep breath. Her familiar scent melts across my senses. She smells like her namesake, dewy and fresh, with a trace of sunscreen and the citrusy bergamot of her morning tea.
The tram moves, and my stomach falls into the soles of my feet.
“I don’t feel okay at all,” I whisper.
Lily squats, crouching on her tiptoes, and claps her hands on my knees. “What can I do?”
Each paralyzing sensation in my limbs loosens under her touch. “Kiss me again.”
Her palm lands with a loud smack on my skin. “No. Be serious. Why didn’t you tell me you were this afraid of heights?”
“Wanted to surprise you.”
“Let me actually help you. Come here.” Not waiting for my reply, Lily takes my sweaty palms between her hands. My nerves fire on all cylinders at her sudden tenderness. “Take some deep breaths. In and out.”
I mimic the rhythm of her breathing, my fingers interlocked with hers. Finally, my spine unwinds. “I’m okay?”
“You’re okay.” Lily smiles reassuringly, and I get lost in the green of her eyes. The panic drains away. I become too aware of how close her face is to mine. Each of my lungs aches for an entirely different reason.
I lift my chin to her. “Maybe I should be scared all the time.”
“Shut up and don’t ruin a nice moment.”
“Thank you.” I force a smile.
Lily tightens her hand around mine. “We’re almost there.”
Is this how it would be if she stayed all summer? Her reluctantly holding onto me as I melt beneath her touch?
I wonder what my brother would have to say about this.
“Can you hold my hand the entire way back?” I smile.
The golden sunlight kisses her features, bathing her skin in an iridescent orange glow. It’s beautiful out there, but there’s a whole other wonder right in front of me.
She rolls her eyes. “You never give up, do you?”
