this is me trying

Chapter 35 - Laces that Connect

One. two. Three.

"Just breathe. Take three breaths. Just breathe." Her shoulder touched mine, and I smiled at her, knowing she knew. She always would know.

We went to the highest floor, and I took her down to the end of the corridor.

"Are we allowed down here?" she asked.

"Probably not," I laughed, as I took her through a fire exit, to a stairwell.

We walked up the winding stairs until I pushed open an emergency exit door to reveal the rooftop of the hotel. It was windy up where we were, but this wasn't what I wanted to show her.

"What are we doing up here?" Ona laughed. But I just grabbed her hand, bringing her around the corner to a small little indent behind the vents that circulate the hotel beneath us. From that vantage point, there was a straight-line view of the city. No buildings, or cranes, just the water and suburbia that was protected by the long white clouds.

"In Maori, they called New Zealand, 'Aotearoa', which translates to the Land of the Long White Clouds. I just think it's so beautiful."

"Do you find peace here?" Ona asked. "Find peace with nature?" I looked at her, confused. I had never been asked something like this before, but now that I thought about it, I did. Whether that was in Norway at the fjords, or in Manchester at the dam, or here, in New Zealand, staring at the beauty of the water and the clouds, I could always find comfort in the nature that was around me.

"Yeah. I do." Before I could think any further, the long white clouds that we were only a moment earlier lushing over, soon came over us, bringing droplets of rain that turned into sprinkles, which ever so quickly transcended into thick, rain, saturating my clothes.

I stared at Ona, in disbelief, before laughing, looking up at the sky.

"Come on," Ona said, pulling me towards the stairwell exit. There was a little blip that sheltered us from the rain. But something drew me back out. I wanted to feel the rain soaking into my skin.

"Eva! What are you doing?" Ona shouted as the rain muted nearly every other sound in the world.

"Come on! Live a little," I replied. She walked out to me, before grabbing my hand and giving me a slight twirl. I laughed before landing back in her arms. Her arm wrapped around my back and everything about this moment felt right. The rain was wetting our hair, some strands sticking to my face.

She moved a piece from my cheek, twirling it behind my ear. At that moment, I knew it was me and her.

Always.

Forever.

"Eva..."

"Don't say it," I replied. "Can we just live in this bliss for a few more moments?" She smiled softly, bringing my closer to her body. Our faces were only inches away from each other.

I felt her lean closer, and I didn't protest. I wanted this. She wanted this.

What was the problem?

There was none.

She cupped my cheek with her hand, and I felt her lips inch closer to mine.

"HEY!" a voice soon screeched. We quickly broke apart. "You two cannot be up here!" the security guard screamed. We both looked at each other, laughing slightly, but not wanting to get in trouble.

"Sorry, sir," I replied, faking broken English. "I don't speak English. I thought pool."

"Sorry miss, but the pool is on the fifth level."

"I sorry." I was trying to hold back a laugh. Ona and I soon rushed back down the stairs, heading straight back to our hotel level. As I was about to exit from the stairwell, Frida saw me. I pushed Ona back behind the door, not wanting her to see us both dripping wet, coming from a place we were not allowed to go to.