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Chapter 84: An Unplanned Trip
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The Valiant Trilogy Chapter 85: It's Quaint
The problem stems from me liking it too much. It's normal, nice, almost cozy. I could relax here and I fit. I could be a part of his world. It's a dangerous place to fall because as he's reminded me, I don't fit in with Vincent and I'll never be part of his life."It's quaint."He raises an eyebrow at my backhanded compliment and passes by me, throwing his jacket over one of the work chairs. He drops his laptop on a bench seat behind the work table. Of course he came prepared to do maximum work on this trip.Unbeknownst to him, so did I. Kind of. In my own way."And no."Huh? "And no what?" I ask, looking at him from my spot in the middle of the plane."I know how you hate when I don't answer your questions so, no, we're not taking this to our destination.""Then where are we going?" How do we not take a plane to a destination? Does he plan to circle the city for a few hours and then land again?"We'll take this to DC to meet our connection."I follow him to the back
The Valiant Trilogy Chapter 86: As If I Would Ever Beg Him
"Oh, Mackenzie," he says in the drool-worthy way that spikes my anticipation and makes me excited for what he'll say next."Yes?""Our plane in DC is a charter too. I hate walking through airports."I grip the armrest hard, thinking of all the mean things I want to say. Call him an arrogant asshole, stomp my foot, but I've tried those reactions before and they never worked on Vincent. It's time to try a new tactic."Think of your carbon footprint." Him jetting around the country the way he does in one chartered flight to the next. His CO2 output must be astronomical.He chuckles, only to himself. "If you ask nicely, I'll tell."Now this is going too far. "No."I won't ask again on principle alone. It doesn't matter where we were going because I have enough clothes for every situation. Weeks could pass before I need to even visit a laundromat. He can take his destination and shove it. No way will I beg.I may be curious, but I refuse to let it weaken me in this tug-of-wa
The Valiant Trilogy Chapter 87: The City of Perfume Samples
Paris is like an ongoing perfume sample. Everything smells…good. Even the alleyways. In Lansing you'd find a lurking pee odor, which sticks in your nose for at least three blocks. No, Paris's scent is subtle. I pick up hints of freshness here and there as we walk the streets. It's like visiting the mall and ebbing close to the perfume counter occasionally. Even in the crowded city streets where bodies crush together, and in other places where a hint of body odor usually hangs in the air, it is roses and jasmine.Or it'd let visiting my favorite city in the world go to my head.No, Paris definitely smelled amazing.It's easy to spot the tourists from the locals, the latter dressed in black and oozing sophistication. So many people, their arms and legs knocking into one another as they crowd the streets, look as if they are one ocean, a wave of people sailing down the sidewalk in the breeze.After exiting Vincent's private plane, which I wasted no time reminding him put out more
The Valiant Trilogy Chapter 88: A secret love child?
How old would this child be now? Would he be school age or hitting his teenage years? When exactly was Vincent in this reckless period? There hadn't been mentions of turmoil or pregnancy when he was young. I attempt the math in my head, but I'm jumbled.Vincent's face pinches together as if telling me the information is as painful as hearing it, but he doesn't get off so easily. "No, but by the time she lost the baby we'd already gotten married. I wanted to do the right thing, so we hopped a plane and were married on the Vegas strip in a ceremony we told no one about."That explains the marriage, but not why they're still together. My mind races, wanting to ask questions but knowing it's up to Vincent to tell me the full story. If I'm ever to trust him again, he has to come clean now."I tried to divorce her after that, but with her depression over losing the baby and then me, she tried to kill herself. I couldn't in good conscience leave until I knew she was in a better place. B
The Valiant Trilogy Chapter 89: A Trip to the Top
"I CAN'T BELIEVE we're going up in the Eiffel Tower," I say as the elevator operator shuts the doors on the crowd of us who have packed our way onto the small tower elevator.Less than ten minutes have passed since Vincent and I weaved our way through the barriers and the throngs of people, showing our tickets for the express elevator package—a one-way ticket to the top of the Eiffel Tower. Not only will I get to stare at it from afar watching the lights, but now I've visited and will see the city from high above.He smiles, moving his body a fraction so I have a better view out the window and our small space to ourselves. His cologne, the same enticing one he wears in the office, makes me lean in and breathe slightly deeper. "I thought you might enjoy it."My nose crinkles up with his words. "How?" I suppose not that difficult to figure out. I'm sure ninety-nine percent of visitors to Paris consider a stop at the Eiffel Tower on their must-do list."You have a calendar of Pari
The Valiant Trilogy Chapter 90: A Private Boat Ride
Our boat bobs slightly on the water in the Seine River. Others resembling ours float in front and behind us. The river is full of boats churning up the waters in the narrow space. The only difference between our boat and the others is they are jampacked with tourists. Groups of people chatter and stare out at the city lights as the sun descends in the sky.I check on either side, looking for other patrons on our boat, but there are none. We're as empty as we were when we left the dock. Only Vincent sits beside me on the red couch at the front of the boat."Shouldn't there be more people on this boat?" I ask, not wanting to alarm him but concerned all the same.Vincent left his bulky silent security guard in America against everyone's wishes. When he first mentioned it on the plane, I enjoyed the idea of being alone, but now we are too alone. Where are the people? They'd been surrounding in the busy city, and now we are alone.Vincent laughs, placing a kiss on my temple. It's ho
The Valiant Trilogy Chapter 91: Where to Next?
All places on my wish list.My shoulders perk up and I look away from the tower for a second, staring into his brilliant honey-colored eyes. "Ireland?" I ask hopefully. I don't want to give in to the game of making promises we're not sure we can keep, but after Paris it's the second location on my list.He places his forehead against mine, blocking my view of the tower. "For you I'd spend time in the green hills with the Irish sheep.""And kiss the Blarney Stone?" I ask, listing off the number one thing I need to do if I ever make it Ireland.He pulls away, his face crinkled. "Fuck no. People piss on that thing."I laugh and it's a light sound, one I haven't made since Vincent and I were at odds with one another."They do not." That is entirely an urban legend. There's so much security on the rock now it's perfectly clean. As long as you consider kissing a rock which hundreds of other people kiss that day perfectly clean. I would wipe it off first. To be safe.There are s
The Valiant Trilogy Chapter 92: Missed You, but Now What?
I stare out the window watching the Eiffel Tower and wonder how long to the next light show. I notice his presence as soon as he enters the room, but I don't turn and face him. Vincent doesn't speak either until his chest presses against my back. He rests his hands on my upper arms and stands behind me, looking outside as well."I've missed you so much, Mackenzie."Those words get me to turn until I face him. He wipes away a tear away before it streams from my eye. "I don't know how to forgive you."I want to. Yes, Vincent lied, but did he have a good enough reason? Did the circumstances make it okay? This one gigantic lie has made me question all the other things he said.Vincent gathers me in his arms and I lay my head on his shoulder. "Give it time. Let me show you, but don't give up on me."He tilts my head up toward his and places a soft kiss on my lips. It's tender and sweet, and he doesn't ask for more. But when it's obvious he won't do it again I stand on my tiptoes a
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