The city of Paris had always been known for its magic—the way the streetlights flickered like candle flames, the way the Seine whispered secrets as it flowed under ancient bridges, the way love seemed to settle in the air like the scent of fresh roses.
For Claire, Paris had been nothing more than a dream, a place she had only known through the pages of her favorite novels. Until tonight.
Tonight, she stood beneath the twinkling lights of the Eiffel Tower, wrapped in the cool night air, her heart pounding louder than the music drifting from a nearby café.
And she wasn’t alone.
James stood beside her, his hands tucked into the pockets of his coat, his gaze fixed on her instead of the breathtaking view before them.
“I still can’t believe you’re here,” he said softly.
Claire turned to face him, her lips curving into a small smile. “I told you I’d come.”
He exhaled, shaking his head. “Yeah, but I didn’t think you actually would.”
She tilted her head. “And why not?”
James swallowed, his expression shifting, as if he was afraid of saying something he couldn’t take back. “Because people make promises all the time, Claire. And they don’t always keep them.”
Her chest tightened. She knew what he meant. Three years ago, they had spent an entire summer together—two strangers who had met by accident but felt like they had known each other forever.
And then she had left.
Not because she wanted to, but because life had pulled her away before she had the chance to tell him what she really felt.
But she had never forgotten.
Not the way he had laughed at the little things, not the way he had held her hand without hesitation. And certainly not the way she had felt that last night on the riverbank, when he had kissed her under the Parisian stars.
“I didn’t forget, James,” she whispered. “I never forgot.”
He stared at her, searching her face for something—maybe proof that this wasn’t just another moment that would slip through his fingers.
“Then why now?” he asked, voice barely above a breath.
Claire stepped closer, the glow of the city casting golden light in his stormy blue eyes. “Because some things are worth coming back for.”
James let out a shaky breath, his fingers twitching at his sides, as if resisting the urge to touch her.
But then, slowly, carefully, he reached up and brushed a strand of hair from her face.
“You know,” he murmured, “I once made a wish on this very spot.”
Claire’s heart pounded. “What did you wish for?”
James smiled—the kind of smile that felt like coming home.
“You.”
And just like that, under the moonlit sky of Paris, with the city humming softly around them, Claire closed the space between them.
His lips met hers in a kiss that felt like a love story finally finding its ending—or perhaps, its long-awaited beginning.
And for the first time in years, Claire knew she was exactly where she was meant to be.
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