Page 7 of Meet Me at the Metro (Gildenhill #1)
7
SOARING HIGH
E L L I E
I don’t know what in my right mind convinced me to come with Theo tonight. We don’t get along; that much between us has become glaringly obvious. But maybe he really can give me what he bribed me to stay with…
An escape.
After all, it would be a relief to have an escape from the chaotic thoughts in my head and the mental image ingrained in my mind of a half-naked Lucy in John’s shirt. The thought makes me nauseous for what I think must be the hundredth time tonight, but I swallow back my rising queasiness and hope that I haven’t made a big mistake in agreeing to join Theo tonight.
“Are you just going to sit your arse on the train all night?” Theo snaps his fingers in front of my face and breaks me from the trance of my thoughts, making me aware that the train has pulled to its next stop.
My eyes read the platform’s name waiting for me outside: London Bridge.
“I could,” I retort. I snatch my bookbag up from the seat and hurry off the train before he has a chance to mutter some other smart-ass remark.
“Follow me,” he instructs.
I’m practically walking on the tips of my toes just to maintain an eye on him as he quickly weaves us through the sea of bodies crowding the train station. For a split second, I’m sure that I’ve lost him, but I break through the mob of unfamiliar faces and find him waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs leading out.
As I reach him, Theo nods his cocky little head for me to continue ahead of him.
Subtlety is certainly not his forte .
“You’re so bossy,” I groan, stomping past him and ascending the staircase.
“Yeah, yeah. Keep it moving, shorty .”
My calves are burning by the time we reach the top of the steps, but the cool night breeze of the city feels amazing as it rushes against my skin. I close my eyes for a moment, soaking in the humming of passing cars and the constant chatter of London as I regain some of my breath.
When I open my eyes to the bustling city around me, I ask, “Where are you taking me anyway?”
“That’s for me to know and you to find out when we get there. Just enjoy the scenery and keep up this time.”
He steers us onto a barren and dark street, and I laugh, “What scenery?”
Unlike the one we were just on, it’s quiet and isolated from any city-goers besides the two of us. I peer up at the tall, terraced buildings planking both sides of the street, wishing there was at least one lit window to illuminate the blackness all around. Unfortunately, I can’t find a single one.
A glass bottle clanks against the ground somewhere ahead of us, and I instinctively speed up my pace and close some of the distance between us.
“We’re safe, Nora,” he chuckles, motioning his head to an orange, furry cat swatting an empty beer bottle ahead. “Just stay close.”
“I could if you would slow down!”
Theo glances over, and I don’t miss the way his gaze trails down the length of my legs. “For how fast you run your mouth, you sure are slow as hell.”
“Yeah, well, not all of us were graced with the legs of a freaking granddaddy long leg.”
He grins roguishly. “Is that supposed to be an insult?”
“No,” I cut back, feeling my cheeks grow hot. “It’s an observation.”
We both go silent for a few beats, and from the corner of my eye, I watch Theo pull something out of his back pocket. He plucks out a cigarette from the cardboard case now in his hands, gripping it between his lips as he lights the end of it and draws back a long inhale.
Blowing the smoke away from me, he asks, “You smoke?”
“Do I smoke?” I can’t help but scrunch my nose at the question. “Hell no.”
“ Ahhh ,” he nods in what he thinks is understanding. “Anti-smoke shtick, huh?”
“No,” I shake my head. “No, it isn’t like that; I just—I think the concept of smoking is pointless. I mean, you’re basically paying to keep up a bad habit for yourself.”
He raises an eyebrow and nods. “ Mmm . And have you ever even tried it yourself?”
“Well, no, but I—”
“Alright then,” he says smugly, cutting me off. “I don’t think your opinion holds much sway in this debate then, does it?”
“Debate? Is that what this has turned into?” I chuckle. He shrugs, so I insist, “Well, go on then. Give me your argument. What do you smoke those cancer sticks for?”
“They relax me.”
I make sure to maintain a straight face as I retort, “So could yoga.”
“ Yoga?! Are you fucking mental?”
“Kidding,” I laugh. “I’m kidding.”
Theo looks amused now as he proposes a new question. “Is that what you like to do to relax, miss congeniality?”
“Absolutely not.” I shake my head. “I’m not that flexible.”
“No?” He cocks his head to the side like he doesn’t believe that, and there’s a glint in his eyes that has my legs going weak. “So what do you do to relax then, Nora?”
“Well, I umm— ” I fight to come up with something that doesn’t include the terms vibrator or masturbate, but he keeps looking at me with this snide expression, and my head can’t seem to formulate any words.
Quit looking at me like that.
“I like to listen to music.”
“Music?”
“ Mhm , music,” I tell him and myself for confirmation.
“Okay, then.” He takes another puff against his cigarette. “What kind?”
“I’m not telling you.”
“And why not?”
“Cause you’ll laugh at me and make a joke about it.”
“No, I won’t. Now, tell me.”
“I swear if you make fun of me.”
“Tell me, dammit,” he chuckles, and I hate how much my ears enjoy the sound of it.
“Show tunes,” I blurt out, immediately feeling embarrassed of the confession.
“No, you do not!” he snorts, his eyes lighting up with pleasure. “You’re telling me that you listen to show tunes to relax? You really are a fucking theatre major, aren’t you?”
“See!” I shove him, though I can’t help but laugh. “I knew you’d react like this, you asshole! I’m sorry we can’t all have my exquisite taste in music.”
“You mean your shit taste in music. You really should try a cigarette sometime. I promise you it’d be a whole lot more enjoyable than listening to that Broadway crap.”
“The day you quit talking shit about my taste in music is the day I’ll try a cigarette.”
“So never, then?”
It isn’t until I look back up at the road ahead that I notice we’re near the end of the street we’re traveling down.
“You hungry?” he asks.
“I could eat,” I shrug. I don’t even remember how long it’s been since my last meal today.
We turn the corner onto a much busier road, and Theo motions to a Thai restaurant ahead. “Sound okay to you? ”
Hell, Thai food is my absolute favorite, but I’ll be damned if I gave him the satisfaction of knowing he picked it right. “Sure, that’s fine.”
As Theo holds the restaurant door open for me and motions me inside, I start to believe that coming with him tonight may not have been such a bad idea after all.
“Are you ever going to tell me where you’re taking me?” I ask for the third time since we’ve left the Thai restaurant.
He gives me an apathetic look. “Are you ever going to quit asking me the same questions over and over again?”
“Yeah, when you answer them.” He ignores my last statement as we turn onto a cobblestone walkway, so I just use his silence as an opportunity to fire another question his way. “Can you at least tell me if we’re almost there yet?”
“Can you give me more walk and less talk?”
“Depends on how much more walk you’re talking, Teddy.”
His eyes glaze over with a look of amusement. “You are so damn impatient, you know that? It’s right up there,” he finally confesses, motioning past a thicket of trees ahead of us. I deliberately study the bright lights that peek through the tree branches, and as we walk further down the pavement, I’m able to make out the massive Ferris wheel structure lying behind them.
The London Eye.
The sight has me momentarily stopped dead in my tracks, so he pushes me forward. “Come on. We’re almost there.”
“ Nuh-uh . I’m not going on that. I don’t do Ferris wheels.”
“That’s fine,” he smiles devilishly. “Because we’re not going on that...”
“Huh?”
We finally break past the line of trees, but my eyes don’t want to believe what they see as they take in the sight of the massively tall swing ride in front of me. The amusement attraction stands at least 200 feet high, its red lights and illuminated sign— The Star Flyer— doing nothing to lessen its horrifying appeal. With a racing heart, I watch the swing chairs lift, slowly rising higher into the air as they spin around the center post.
“We’re going on that,” he clarifies.
My stomach churns with fear. “Like hell we are!” I pivot on my heel and attempt to book it back from where we came from, but he pulls me right back to his side.
“ Ah, ah, ah ,” he reprimands. “We walked all this damn way, Nora. We’re getting on that ride.”
I grit my teeth. “ Like. Hell. We. Are .” I tug and pull against his hold as I argue, “You didn’t tell me that you were taking me to my worst nightmare, Theo! You’re out of your damn mind if you think I’m getting on that thing .”
“You’re getting on it, even if I have to drag your arse through the gate. Quit being a chicken.”
“I’m not a chicken. I’m a sane, rational woman who knows better than to play Russian Roulette with death!”
“Oh my God. Would you stop being dramatic? You’re not going to die.”
“ Dramatic?! Did you seriously just call me dramatic?”
“I sure as fuck did. You’re strapped in the entire time. It’ll be fun.”
“This is your idea of fun?” I scoff. Despite all of my protests, he’s still got a firm grip on me. “You’re crazy. You are actually freaking crazy!”
“Says the one who looks like she’s having a literal seizure right now over a damn amusement ride.”
“Oh, that was mean,” I shake my head in disbelief. “That was so mean, Teddy.”
He chuckles at my restlessness. “ Nora , come on. Would you just chill the hell out and let yourself have some fun? I thought you said you wanted an escape tonight, huh?”
“I did,” I sigh, hating how wracked my nerves are. “ I—I do . ”
All too quickly, I remember everything that happened earlier that ultimately led me to come here with Theo tonight, and suddenly, I’m not so worried about the ride anymore.
He must notice the shift in my demeanor because he gently releases his hold on me. “What were you needing an escape from tonight?”
“My thoughts,” I admit without even a second of hesitation. Before I can even control them, tears are welling up in my eyes. “It’s just been a really hard night.”
“Come on,” he says, urging me to sit at a nearby iron bench. When I settle against it, he asks, “You wanna talk about what happened?”
“No,” I sniffle. I’m so embarrassed by how freely my tears fall, but I finally admit, “ Yes. ”
“Then talk,” he says softly, crouching before me. “What happened?”
“It’s a lot,” I mutter.
“I can handle a lot.”
I give him a doubtful look.
“Trust me.”
“ Well ,” I sigh, contemplating whether or not I should tell him. Part of me is hesitant, but another— intrinsic —part of me is convinced that I should, so ultimately, I confess, “Tonight, I found out that my boyfriend back home has been cheating on me.”
He winces. “ Shit. ”
“With my best friend.”
He winces harder this time. “What the fuck? That’s awful, Nora.”
“I FaceTimed him after class tonight, and he was at her house.”
“I’m sorry. That isn’t fair.”
“But you know what’s the shittiest thing about it all? I can’t stop asking myself what more I could have done to keep them from doing that. Like, maybe if I hadn’t moved here, none of this would have happened.”
“Did you regret coming here before all of this happened?”
“No,” I breathe .
“Then, you need to stop that. None of this is your fault. What they did falls on them, not you. Besides, it sounds like you’re better off without them anyway. They sound like a pair of royal, fucking wankers.”
I choke on a laugh that’s a mixture of a cry, and I can tell Theo’s pleased with his ability to cheer me up because he grins broadly, nudges my knee with his, and repeats, “A bloody awful pair of royal, fucking wankers.”
“ Royal fucking wankers ,” I giggle, appreciating the way it eases some of the pain in my chest. I look to the ground and wipe the rest of my tears away. “I’m sorry for crying on you like this. This is embarrassing.”
“I’m not embarrassed, and you shouldn’t be either.” Theo allows me to soak in the quiet for a moment and calm my emotions before telling me, “I’ve been through the same shit before, Nora, and it sucks—God, do I know how bad it sucks, but I can also tell you that it won’t always hurt like it does right now.”
“Promise?” I whisper.
“Promise,” he nods. “You know what I think would make you feel better?”
I glare at him, already knowing what he will say next. “What?”
“ The Star Flyer.”
“Oh, bite me!”
“Would that make you feel better? ” he quips, raising a brow. I keep glaring, and he laughs, “ Kidding, but not about the other thing. You’re getting on the ride .”
“You know what? Fine,” I relent, standing up from the bench.
“Wait, you’re serious?” A satisfying smirk starts to tilt the corners of his lips. “I thought I was going to have to work much harder than that to convince you.”
“I’m about to change my mind.”
“Oh, hell no. I don’t think so!” With an enthusiastic slap against his thick, muscular thighs, he quickly stands. “Come on, let’s do this shit!”
Much to my dismay, the line hasfilled out entirely as we head over to the entrance of The Star Flyer . Before I can even contemplate what a stupid, impulsive decision I’m making, Theo is already handing money to the attendant at the ticket booth and shoving two tickets into his back pocket. We’re ushered inside the gate of the ride, and I toss my backpack to the side before I make my way to a pair of swing sets with wobbly legs.
My hands feel like pure Jello as I grip the chains holding the chairs in place and attempt to pull the heaviness of my body up onto the seat.
Theo watches my struggle silently for a few beats before offering, “Need some help?”
“No,” I murmur, starting my fourth attempt at getting my ass up onto the damn thing. When he approaches me anyway, I insist, “I’ve got it.”
“Such a stubborn thing,” he grumbles.
My breath hitches as he clutches my waist in his hands and pitches me onto the cool, metal seat of the swing before I can object. I hate the way my head hazes with the after-effects of his touch—the sheer strength in his arms.
Theo doesn’t speak a word as he sits down in the chair beside me and pulls the security bar down over our laps. I’m silently grateful when he reaches over and latches the buckle of my seat for me because I’m not so sure my fingers could have stopped their trembling long enough to do it myself.
“See,” he reassures me, shaking the secure attachment for demonstration. “Locked in tight. You’re not going anywhere.”
“ Mmm-hmm, ” I nod, too stricken with fear to make out words.
We sit in silence as the attendant walks around the ride and ensures that all seats are properly buckled before starting it up. I take a death grip on the rattling chains in my hands as our seats jolt and begin spinning around the center post. My stomach is churning with regret as the ride gains momentum.
“You okay, Nora?”
“I-I don’t know,” I shudder with my eyes clenched tight. The force of the wind rushing against us is getting stronger, and as the ride jolts higher again, my heartbeat thunders inside my chest. “This was a bad idea.”
“ Breathe, ” his deep voice advises as if he knows what my sudden panic feels like. “We’re safe. We’re okay. Just breathe. ”
And because I don’t know what else to do, I breathe just like he tells me to.
“Good, now open your eyes and look.”
I shake my head adamantly. “I can’t.”
“You can,” he encourages. “Just breathe and open your eyes. If not, you’re going to miss it all.”
Just like that, I force a long, steady breath from my lungs and open my eyes. They sting against the rushing wind, but I keep them open, gasping at the view in front of me as we glide through the air.
City buildings sprawl out for miles in the darkened landscape around us, the golden glow of their lighted windows twinkling in the night. As we turn round and round, I catch glimpses of those same lights sparkling against the River Thames that sways to life beneath us. Its waters are like nothing I’ve ever seen before: a beautiful, black oasis that mirrors the settling city surrounding it. I let the breathtaking scenery wash away every ounce of fright and worry inside me and fall in love with the adrenaline rush coursing through my veins instead.
I dart my head between Theo and the stars in the sky, smiling so broadly that my cheeks hurt. “Oh my God! This is incredible!”
Theo’s grinning just as big as me, but his eyes aren’t looking at the spectacular view all around us— they’re looking at me .
“I knew you’d like it if you just allowed yourself to. It’s not so bad, huh?”
“It’s not bad at all!” I holler into the breeze, feeling invincible as I throw my arms into the air and let everything but this moment slip from my mind.
I notice how Theo’s gaze turns thoughtful as he looks me over. His eyes pass languidly over the features of my face, and their influence has goosebumps surging against my skin, but he pulls them away as the ride begins to descend to the ground, and my body grows quiet again. I’m frozen in a state of awe for the rest of our journey down, and it isn’t until we make our way off of the ride and push out of the exit gate that I find my ability to speak again.
“Holy shit! That was so amazing! I want to go again.”
“What did I tell you? Was that a good enough distraction for you? ”
“Yes,” I reply softly, finding myself smiling. “Thank you.”
Suddenly, it dawns on me how enjoyable tonight has been with Theo. He’s a sarcastic asshole, but I have to confess that this evening— with him— has been the most fun I’ve had in a long time.
I wonder why our previous interactions couldn’t have gone this well.
“Can I ask you something?” I blurt as we begin to walk back down the pavement from where we came earlier tonight. He nods, so I no longer fight the urge to ask, “Do you hate me?”
“Do I hate you?” The light that was in his face just moments ago fades. “That’s a ridiculous question. I barely know you.”
“I mean, it’s just that you haven’t seemed so keen toward me all the previous times I’ve been around you. So, I just figured that you did— you know —hate me or something.” I don’t know why it feels so vulnerable to say all this out loud, but it does. “I feel like I’m seeing another side of you tonight.”
“I don’t know what you want me to say to that,” he mutters, a veil of shame sweeping over his face.
“Nothing. I’m just—I’m just trying to figure you out.”
“ Figure me out?”
“Yeah, I mean—just figure out your deal.”
“My deal?” he scoffs, and I immediately regret the turn in conversation.
“I don’t mean it like that,” I insist, shaking my head fervently. “I just—I hoped that you would tell me what I did that first night to make you so upset. I don’t think it was all over some spilled paper, was it?”
His jaw tightens. “Are you fucking kidding me?”
“What? What did I say this time?”
“It wasn’t just some spilled paper .”
“Talk to me, then. Tell me what they meant.”
“You wouldn’t fucking understand.”
“I could if you at least try to talk to me. At least try and explain.”
“Why should I have to explain anything to you? I don’t owe you shit. ”
The words hurt, and I hate how greatly they stun me and falter my confidence.
“Fine. You don’t owe me shit, Theo, but guess what? I didn’t owe you an explanation tonight, either, but I gave you one, didn’t I? I was ashamed as hell to confess what happened, but I decided to let my guard down and trust you. You don’t always have to keep yours up, you know?”
“I don’t have a guard up.” He rolls his eyes. “Don’t pretend like you suddenly know me.”
“You know what? Forget it. Forget this whole conversation. This whole night.” Not wasting a second more, I start to walk away. “Have a good rest of your night, asshole.”
“You’re not walking home by yourself. I’m coming with you.”
“Like hell you are! You’re not the boss of me.”
“Just get the fuck back here,” he calls after me, worry laced in his voice. “You don’t even know where the hell you are.”
“Listen here, you grumpy dick,” I fire back, pivoting on my heel and stomping in his direction. We’re face to face, and my heartbeat is pounding in my ears. “Don’t ever talk to me like that again, do you understand?”
“Nora, I—”
“Shut up!” I demand, and he does without further argument. “I’m going home. I’m walking there by myself— without you— and I want you to leave me the hell alone from here on out .”
“Nora! Just wait.”
However, I don’t dare listen to his request. I storm off into the night and don’t stop or slow down until the sounds of the busy city streets swallow up the sound of his voice.