CHAPTER 111: ALMOST TOO BEAUTIFUL

Merlina read the note twice, once with her eyes, and once with her heart.

’There’s no one else I’d rather be here with.’

The words were simple, but her throat tightened. It wasn’t a grand declaration. It wasn’t flowery or overdone. But it was him. Honest, steady, and quietly certain.

She glanced up, and Craig was still deep in conversation with Drew. He hadn’t looked at her then, hadn’t tried to gauge her reaction yet. He’d just said it, written it, and let her sit with the truth of it.

But when he finally did glance over, maybe sensing her eyes on him, his voice slowed just a fraction. And there it was, the smallest smile tugging at the corner of her lips, quiet and unguarded.

His eyes held hers for a beat longer than necessary, and there was a flicker in his expression, something soft, like he was fighting the urge to smile back in the middle of his conversation with Drew. He didn’t want to ask for anything more than her just being there.

So instead, he looked down at his glass, and that almost-smile stayed on his mouth. Not quite a grin. Not a smirk. Just a small, unfinished thing.

But she saw it. And it was enough.

The jet touched down in Paris just after sunset, the city lights shimmering like a thousand stars scattered across the earth.

The car ride from the airport was quiet. Craig sat beside her in the backseat, his hand resting close to hers on the seat between them, but not touching.

He didn’t talk.

He didn’t fill the silence. And he didn’t try to make the moment anything other than what it was.

Merlina sat in quiet awe, forehead gently resting against the cool glass of the window. She spent most of the drive staring out, her eyes drinking in the city, its glowing signs, the golden haze of old streetlamps, the balconies with flowers even in winter.

Everything looked like it had been painted in soft strokes. Paris didn’t need to try to impress her. It just was.

When they pulled up to the hotel, it was nestled on a quiet street lined with trees and warm lights. The bellhop greeted them, and they were guided through a beautiful marble lobby, then into a private elevator that opened directly into their suite.

The space was quiet and softly lit, luxurious but not cold. The living room had floor-to-ceiling windows, a comfy couch in a muted cream, and a small table already set with bottled water and delicate pastries.

But it wasn’t until she opened the bedroom door that her breath stilled.

The Eiffel Tower filled the window.

Not just visibly there. Impossibly close, like she could open the window and touch it with her fingertips. It stood just beyond the glass, the entire window framed it like a portrait, bathed in gold, lighting up the night like it had been waiting for her.

Craig leaned against the doorway, watching her take it in. "You like it?"

She turned slowly to face him, her voice still caught somewhere between laughter and disbelief. "It’s beautiful...it feels so unreal."

He gave a small smile, and walked in further, a teasing glint in his eye. "I figured... if you needed to cry, or sleep, or scream into a pillow, you might as well be looking at something beautiful while you do."

She tried not to smile, but it broke through anyway. Small. Soft. Real. "Thank you," she said, her voice quiet.

He gave a small nod and stepped back toward the living room. "Take your time. Freshen up if you want. I’ll be out here."

She stood there for a moment longer, just taking it all in. The view, the quiet thrill curling in her chest. A kind of private excitement, like a secret she got to keep for a few more seconds.

Then she smiled to herself, her fingers lightly brushing a small vase near the window, like she needed to feel something solid enough to know this moment was real.

Then she turned, slowly, reluctantly and made her way to the bathroom, still holding the view in her mind.

Melissa would lose her mind if she saw this. She’d scream. Probably take a hundred photos. And for a second, Merlina wished her sister were here too, not just to see this, but because they all deserved something beautiful.

Her siblings had been through so much lately. Not just her. She let out a soft sigh and stepped under the hot shower, the steam rising to meet her like a soft breath.

The water rolled over her skin, easing the tightness in her shoulders, washing away more than just the day. For a little while, she let herself sink into the warmth. Quiet, private, and safe.

When she reappeared a little while later, her hair was damp, curling slightly from the steam, and she wore one of the dresses he had bought.

A soft beige slip dress that skimmed her thighs and hugged her lightly at the waist. Simple, effortless, meant for indoors, but lovely all the same.

Craig had changed into something comfier too, his hair still damp, a clean shirt clinging to his frame. He looked up from his laptop, and the second he saw her, something shifted in his face. His mouth didn’t move, but his eyes did.

God, she was beautiful.

He closed the laptop slowly and set it aside, letting the moment stretch as she crossed the room and sat beside him on the dining table.

They didn’t say anything for a moment. Just sat there, side by side, the Eiffel Tower flickering through the windows behind them like a dream.

Then she looked over. "Can I ask you something?"

He turned slightly to face her. "Yeah."

"That speech you gave," she said slowly. "The one to the press, about what happened at Belford. Why did you do it?"

Craig looked at her for a long moment before answering. "Because I said I would."

Her brows pulled together.

"I told you I’d fix it," he said. "And that was... my way of starting. Owning up to what happened between us. I knew I couldn’t change the past, but I could stop hiding from it."

Merlina looked down at her hands. "You didn’t have to put yourself out there Craig, exposing yourself to cyber bullies, those people are—"

"I did," he said simply. "Because I dragged you into it, too. Because you didn’t want any of this, and I don’t want to be the guy who stays silent when someone I care about is hurting."

Merlina looked at him, her eyes soft and full, like the weight in her chest had cracked open into something warmer. She didn’t say anything right away, just took in the sight of him—Craig, steady and still hers in this moment.

He went on, his voice lower now. "I know it doesn’t fix everything. But I had hoped it would at least stop people from talking trash about you."

She let out a small laugh, barely a sound, and nodded. "It did," she whispered. "Melissa said people were actually...backing off."

She paused, and continued. "She even said some girls were kind of swooning after your whole speech." She looked down, smiling. "Which was kinda annoying, by the way."

Craig chuckled under his breath, his eyes never leaving her face.

"But I guess I just didn’t want them turning on you," she said, her voice quieter, laced with worry. "I don’t want you to deal with what I dealt with."

He looked at her then, eyes full of certainty. "It’ll be fine," he said gently. "I can take it."

And for a long moment, they just looked at each other, no more explanations, no more defenses. Just that quiet, unshakable understanding that some things were worth standing in the fire for.

"I always dreamed of coming here," she said after a pause, voice barely above a whisper. "Paris. I used to look at pictures of it when I was a kid, draw little versions of the Eiffel Tower in the margins of my notebooks."

Craig smiled slightly, not surprised.

"I know," he said quietly.

She blinked. "You know?"

He nodded. "I saw your student file, it was sent to me during STC. There was a line there that caught my attention, said your dream trip was Paris, because you believed artists saw the world differently here."

Merlina stared at him, stunned. "You read my file?"

"Every page."

A soft laugh escaped her, somewhere between touched and embarrassed. "You’re unbelievable."

"I wanted to know everything about you," Craig said, voice low now. "Even the parts you’d never say out loud, while you were too busy hating me."

She turned her face toward him fully then. Her hair still slightly damp, cheeks pink, eyes shining with something that felt like hope and heartbreak all at once.

"So," she said, her voice soft but playful, "the STC pairing...was that a coincidence or did you have anything to do with it?"

Craig blinked, clearly not expecting the question. A small, guilty smile tugged at his lips.

"Okay," he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck, "I might’ve told the Dean I wanted you."

Merlina nodded slowly, a knowing smile creeping in. "Right. And the tent swap at El Capitan?"

He laughed, wide-eyed. "That wasn’t me! Total coincidence. I was shocked myself."

She smirked. "Mhm. Alright, what else... Spain, you already confessed. Through my Instagram post."

He nodded, smiling.

She tilted her head, amused now. "Okay, the snow block? Running into you?"

Craig threw his hands up a little, still grinning. "Coincidence! Come on, Merlina, I wasn’t stalking you."

She laughed, the sound light and real. Her hair fell over her cheek, and without thinking, Craig reached out and gently tucked the strand behind her ear. His fingers brushed her skin, and she felt it everywhere.

Their eyes locked.

She took in a breath, then let it out slowly, her throat tight. Something in her cracked just a little.

Her voice, when it came, was quieter. Fragile. "Why are you doing all this, Craig?"

His smile faded, brow furrowing as he searched her face. Unsure of what exactly she meant.

She looked at him, eyes deep and intense. "Is any of this real?"

Her heart was beating fast, like it was trying to catch up with everything she was feeling. Craig didn’t answer right away, and the silence made her stomach twist.

"Because..." she hesitated, swallowing, her voice shaking, "it’s not too late...to stop. We can call it a mistake. Say it was just a moment."

Merlina’s eyes shimmered. "Because I don’t think I can go through something that was never meant to stay."