Her Broken Wings - FINALLY Completed

Chapter 25

It had been a week since we arrived, and I still found myself tongue tied and wide eyed almost everywhere we went. It was magical, a fairytale, except that it was really happening. The louvre although amazing was nothing compared to Montmartre. The afternoon that Sam and I had spent on the top of that hill, watching the artists draw and paint was purely magical. I almost felt embarrassed at how wide I had been smiling that day.

My camera that I had gotten for christmas had been put to good use. Taking pictures of Paris was amazing, but I had found an even more distracting subject. Sam. He'd caught me several times snapping his picture but had been begrudgingly allowing. If he only knew how many times I had caught him on camera, he would probably think I was insane.

Stepping out of the shower, I looked down at the shimmering red gown that was draped over the counter. Every time I touched the silky fabric I felt as if I was running my fingers through clouds. Taking a deep breath I got dressed in the lavish outfit. I straightened my shoulders, trying to gather my confidence. I deserved to be in this dress. I was no different from anyone else, and I deserved to be in this dress. No matter how many times I said it, there was a little voice that muttered in the back of my mind. Sighing, I felt my shoulders slump.

After I was finished with my hair, I exited the bathroom to see Sam sitting at the desk tapping away at his laptop. Walking up behind him on bare feet I wrapped my arms around his neck. Smiling, he leaned down and placed fluttering kisses on my arm.

"Can you zip me up?" I turned around as Sam stood from his chair and his fingers found the zipper that lay halfway down my spine. I shivered as he slowly raised the zipper up to my neck. I felt goosebumps raise on my arms.

Sam's hands rubbed up and down my arms. "Cold?"

A wave of emotion rushed into my chest, taking me by surprise. My breath caught. "I-" love you. The words were on the tip of my tongue, so why wouldn't they just come out?

"No, I'm fine." Turning around I gave Sam a genuine smile.

"Are you ready?" Sam's boyish grin had me mirroring him.

"I don't know. Where are we going Mr. Mysterious?" I raised my eyebrows in question.

"Can't tell you that. It would give away the surprise." I pouted, which only made him lean down to kiss me. His lips on mine ignited a fire within me and I melted into his body. I felt something erupt in the pit of my stomach and couldn't help a whimper from escaping my throat. Groaning, Sam broke away from me with a dark passion in his eyes. Blushing I looked down, my eyes locking on my toes. I wiggled them distractedly on the carpet.

"My princess seems to have lost her shoes. We can't go to the ball without those now can we?" Sam said wryly while looking down at my feet.

"Oh, I didn't lose them. They're strategically hidden in the apartment. Death traps like those should be thrown into the deepest pit of hell." I shuddered at the thought of trying to walk around in the four inch heels that Sam had handed me along with the dress.

"I had a feeling you would say that." Turning around he rummaged for something beneath the desk. "So I got you these." His hands emerged filled with elegant but simple strappy sandals. The gesture was so sweet that I felt my heart skip a beat.

Minutes later, I was being handed into the back of a limo. Sam slid into the car right behind me. Reaching for me, he pulled me into his side. He always seemed to do that whenever we got into a car, as if he had a subconscious need to bring me closer to him.

Sam kept me distracted by asking me how my phone call with my aunt had gone. I couldn't help but gush about my conversation with the twins. He smiled and listened patiently as I continued to describe their enthusiasm at finding an abandoned puppy in the backyard. My aunt had agreed to let them keep it, for now. I had a feeling that she would cave soon and let them name the little pup. She was too softhearted to take it to the kennel.