Chapter 263
Lyman glanced at Effie and reached out, taking her hand in his.
Effie gripped his hand tightly, and with his help, managed to climb up. But the movement was a bit too forceful-she lost her balance and nearly toppled backward.
Luckily, Lyman reacted swiftly, steadying her before she could fall.
Still pressed close against his chest, Effie felt her heart pounding from the scare.
Lyman’s gentle, deep voice broke the silence. “Are you alright?”
Effie shook her head quickly. “I’m….. I’m fine.”
“Are you scared?”
Lyman shook his head, a small smile playing at his lips. “Not at all.”
Just then, the hot air balloon began to rise, slowly lifting them higher. Effie and Lyman peered over the edge, watching as people and houses shrank beneath them until the balloon floated to its highest point and gently came to a stop. The wind up there was stronger, whipping Effie’s hair into a wild mess.
She pulled the hair tie from her wrist, but before she could do anything, Lyman took it from her, carefully gathering her hair and tying it back at the nape of her neck.
He seemed worried about hurting her, though, so the knot was a bit loose.
Effie laughed and thanked him, then turned to look at him. “You could have tied it a little tighter…”
Her words trailed off as she noticed the way Lyman was looking at her-so intently, as if he might pull her in with just his gaze.
Nervous, Effie swallowed hard and blurted, “Look… look at that view.”
Lyman’s voice was soft, almost reverent. “You’re the only view I see.”
Effie froze, her breath catching, heart skipping a beat.
Lyman gave her hand a gentle tug, pulling her closer until she was nestled against his chest. The sudden movement made the whole balloon sway.
Effie gasped and instinctively wrapped her arms around his waist, clinging to him.
Lyman cradled her head, his voice soothing. “Don’t be scared. I’m right here.”
“Mm-hm.” She nodded, her voice muffled.
“Good girl, close your eyes,” Lyman whispered.
Effie obeyed, eyes fluttering shut. A moment later, she felt Lyman’s soft, warm lips
brush against hers, tentative at first, then deepening.
She started off tense but soon melted into his kiss, responding to him.
They were still kissing when the balloon finally began its descent.
When they finally touched down, Effie could hardly catch her breath, her heart racing in her chest.
Without warning, Lyman scooped her up in his arms.
Effie let out a startled yelp, clinging to him as he held her close.
His voice rumbled above her head. “If you’re scared, just say so. There’s no shame in it, at least not with me.”
Effie blinked in surprise, then quickly looked up at him. “You knew?”
Lyman looked down at her, his eyes soft and full of affection. “You don’t have to pretend to be strong around me.”
Effie lowered her gaze and nodded.
Once, someone else had said those words to her-someone who ended up hurting her the most.
She had bared her soul to Mitchell, only to be met with mockery.
She’d learned her lesson since then, keeping her true self carefully hidden away.
She thought she was doing a good job, thought Lyman wouldn’t see through her. But he did.
Lyman took her hand gently. “It’s getting late. Let’s head back.” “Okay.”
Suddenly, Effie caught sight of a nearby vendor selling chilled young coconuts. Here, the coconuts were kept whole and ice-cold in a cooler; if you wanted one, the vendor would chop the top off and hand it to you, ready to drink.
The heat, combined with the barbecue they’d had earlier, left Effie feeling thirsty.
She couldn’t tear her eyes away.
“Want one?” Lyman asked.
Effie nodded. “Yeah.”
“Let’s get one, then.”
“Alright.”
Effie was about to leave after buying her coconut, but the vendor called out to her. “Hey, pretty lady! After you finish the coconut water, you can scoop out the fresh coconut meat inside. Want to try?”
He’d noticed from their accents that they weren’t locals, so he decided to offer a bit of friendly advice.