Page 36 of How You See Me (You and Me Duology #2)

Josie

I might have panicked—just a little—when Hayes first mentioned the hot air balloon ride.

It’s my default reaction to anything that dangles even a toe outside my comfort zone.

But standing here now, beneath a towering balloon painted with sunrise colors, its silky canopy billowing with the wind, I can’t bring myself to hold onto the fear.

It’s too breathtaking, too magical, to let anxiety win.

I need to do this—not just to conquer my fear, but to prove that I’m still me despite it. I’m still growing, and I can be brave. That I am brave.

I need to do this for me. For Hayes. For Ava.

“Ready?” he asks, his voice coated with that calm confidence I’ve come to rely on more than I should .

My heart takes off.

Needing his comforting touch, I reach for his hand and tap my chest with the other.

He does the same, and for a minute, we breathe together.

“Ready.” My answer comes with zero hesitation or second-guessing. Not about this. Not about him.

We climb into the basket, and the burner flares with a roar, lifting us skyward.

Instinctively, I press into Hayes. Every inch of me craves his warmth, his steady presence.

His arms wrap around me, and I rest my cheek against his chest, listening to the rhythmic beat of his heart.

It’s strong. A quiet reassurance, making me feel safe in a world that’s anything but.

Little by little, an exhilarating weightlessness replaces the tension. The world below begins to shrink, and I realize I’m not clinging to him anymore. I’m relaxed and unchained from my fears.

I’m not worrying or doubting my decision. Just taking in the beauty of this moment, the joy Hayes brings, and the quiet certainty that I’m exactly where I’m meant to be.

As we rise higher into the morning sky, the scenery unfolds in the distance like a living painting. Albuquerque stretches in every direction—a breathtaking mix of rugged, sunburnt mesas, a sparkling river, and a city bathed in light.

All around us, other balloons drift like bright ornaments hung from invisible strings—splashes of color dotting the endless blue sky.

From behind me, Hayes rests his hands on the basket rim, caging me in. I lean back to take in the view with him, but he’s looking at me instead. The sky lives in his eyes but so does something deeper. Something unspoken, real, and too overwhelming to ignore.

I shift to face him, my heart pounding—not from nerves, but from everything he’s becoming to me. “It feels like we’re floating through a painting.”

He tucks my hair behind my ear, his thumb tracing my cheek. “I was thinking the same thing. One you’ve touched and perfected.”

He kisses me, and I float even higher, letting go of the last remnants of my heart.

◆◆◆

For the rest of the ride to our landing spot, I capture every breathtaking moment with my camera—the endless sky, the floating colors around us, the way the sun highlights the copper tones in Hayes’ hair.

He takes a few pictures too, sending some off to Ava.

He even asks another passenger to snap some of us together.

Our first real photo together, and I’m glad it happened up here.

I’d already taken a few selfies, capturing him in the background, but it doesn’t mean the same as him proudly standing next to me, his arm tugging me close for all the world to see.

His phone soon buzzes, and he glances at the screen, a smile lightening his features as he reads the message.

“From Ava?”

He nods. “She says you’re beautiful. ”

My heart does a full somersault when he kisses my forehead—tender, lingering, everything.

This is the man I want. The life I’ll fight for, wait for, and believe in forever.

Whatever comes next for us, I’m all in.

◆◆◆

After being shuttled back to the launch site, we find a patch of shade beneath a broad tree, and we sit facing each other to share the cake Hayes had made for me.

“I want to tell you about Ava,” he says suddenly, setting down his plastic fork and leaning back against the trunk.

My heart shifts and aches for him. Nearly every time he mentions his sister, something pales inside him. I give him every bit of my attention. Whatever he’s about to say, it matters.

“I have four sisters I adore,” he starts, a tender smile brushing over his face. “But Ava and I have always had a special bond.” He pauses for a bit, then laughs under his breath. “There’s a connection between you and Ava that I hadn’t realized until now. You love rainbow sprinkles, right?”

I nod, confused but matching his enthusiasm.

“That’s how I’d describe you—fun, colorful, sweet.” His gaze dips shyly.

His compliment and the adorable nerves that followed warm my core, and I let him know with a quick kiss. “I think you’re the sweetest too. But I’m sensing there’s more to this story. ”

He smirks, that teasing spark giving me glittery flutters in my chest. “I’m working my way up to it.”

I roll my lips together to keep from interrupting again, but inside, I’m swooning. He’s opening up, sharing a piece of him and that tenderness I adore. He’s solid, always—but this kind of strength? This vulnerability? It’s sacred, and I know what it costs him.

“My nickname for Ava is Cupcake,” he continues, amusement waning as he picks at the brittle grass between us. “When she asked me to take this trip, she called me Sprinkles. She said cupcakes are better with sprinkles . . . that I made her feel better.”

Emotion wells in my chest. When he comes back to me, he’s drowning in so many emotions I recognize—grief, fear, and the same fierce love I have for Jordan.

He takes my hand, moved by something he has yet to say. “You’re my sprinkles.”

“Oh, Hayes.”

“She’s a gentle warrior, like you,” he continues, voice quiet and thick. “And she fights a battle every day.”

A tear escapes and glides down his cheek. Just one, and it’s heartbreakingly beautiful. Climbing into his lap, I wrap myself around him the way I did during his flashback. His arms come around me fast. Like he needs me to hold him together. And I will.

I lean back, cupping his face in my hands. “I can tell how much you love her.”

“I’d do anything for that girl. Even drive across the damn country. ”

“Why did she ask you to go?”

He exhales, using his shirt to wipe his wet cheek. “She has a rare form of leukemia.”

Panic catches in my throat, and for one long, painful moment, everything goes silent. I reach for him, needing to give him something to hold on to. Needing the same just as much.

“Oh, Hayes.” My voice breaks. “That poor child.” Then, it clicks. All of it. His mood swings, the urgency, the rocks. “She . . . doesn’t think she’ll beat it, does she?”

“She wants to. She tries. But with every step forward, something knocks her back.” Another tear drops, and I wipe it away with my thumb. “And I’m not there.”

“You feel guilty for being away and having fun.”

His forehead drops to my shoulder. “Mom keeps telling me this is what Ava wants. That my happiness is her only wish.”

“She loves you. Your happiness is hers, just like her pain is yours.”

He nods slowly, his hands gripping my hips. “We were supposed to take this trip together. The things you and I have done—the rollercoaster, concert, waterfall, fossil dig, balloon ride—they’re from a list she gave me. There are a few more left.”

I press closer, holding on tight as his arms lock around me. “I wish she could be here to make those memories with you. But since she can’t, I’m glad you’re not alone. ”

He leans back against the tree trunk. “Before she knew you were coming with me, she said I had to do the activities with someone. It was a rule.”

“She knows you like those.” I tease, despite the ache in my chest. “So basically, you should be thanking me. I saved you from having to talk to strangers.”

His lips twitch into an almost grin. “You saved me from a lot of things. Mostly myself.”

“That’s because I like that guy, and I want to be his . . . officially.”

“What would make what we’re already doing official ?”

“You have to say the words.”

“What words?”

“If I told you, it wouldn’t count.”

His hands trail up my sides, lighting my skin up along the way. His voice is softer now. “Josie Jones?”

“Yes, Hayes Montgomery?”

He straightens to press his body against mine, and the world around us fades into the background. I loop my arms around his neck, my fingers threading into his hair.

“Will you be my girlfriend?”

I can’t help the sheer joy wreaking havoc in my belly. “I thought you’d never ask.”

Our kiss is tantalizingly slow and undeniable, and when it ends, everything between us feels different. More. Like maybe love really is the one thing that can anchor you and lift you up at the same time.

At that moment, I know without a doubt . . . I got the better end of this deal.

◆◆ ◆

We stop by the gift shop and restrooms, just long enough to stretch our legs and shake off the last of the balloon magic. On the way back to the van, I have an idea.

“I think we should call Ava and tell her the good news.”

Hayes pauses, eyes brightening. “I love it. It’s been a while since we talked.” He checks his watch. “Maybe we can catch her before bedtime.”

He grabs his phone and opens the back doors of the van, giving us a shaded place to sit. He settles beside me, thumb hovering over the screen.

“What’s wrong?” I ask, noticing the stillness in his posture, the way his gaze holds on his phone.

“I haven’t seen her since I left. Nearly every time I’ve called, she hasn’t been able to talk.”

“Then it will be even more meaningful if she’s able to today.”

With a long breath, he lifts the phone, angling it so only he’s visible. “Ready?”

I nod, my stomach knotting. I know how much she means to him and how difficult this call will be.

“Hi, sweetheart. Everything okay?” his mom asks in greeting, a mix of concern and love in her voice.

“Of course. Is Ava up? I want to tell her something.”

“Oh. She’s right here. One sec.”