Burned (Miller Sisters 2)

‘We’re here.’

And in spite of everything, I smiled, because we were right next to the London Eye, my favourite place.

‘You booked a night flight? That’s perfect.’ I could see our friends gathered waiting and I felt a warmth spread through me. It was the closest I’d come to feeling happy since I’d broken it off with Hunter.

I still had my sister. I still had friends. I’d got over him before. I’d get over him again.

I could learn to live without breath-stealing excitement. I could afford extra batteries.

We tumbled out of the cab and our friends swarmed around us. I was handed lots of interesting parcels and bags that my sister took away and tucked in a larger bag she’d brought with her.

‘You can have them later.’

‘What’s wrong with now? I can open them during the flight.’

‘You should be looking at the view and concentrating on the stuff that matters. Like my gift to you. It’s waiting in the capsule.’ She leaned forward and hugged me. ‘Happy birthday, Rosie. I hope it’s a special one.’

‘Why have you left my gift in the capsule? Someone might steal it. What is it?’

She pulled away from me and gave me a long look, a smile and then a little push. ‘Go on, birthday girl. Find out.’

Still looking at my sister, wondering what she’d bought me, I climbed the steps. I was expecting her to follow but she just stood there in the middle of our friends, watching with a smile on her face. I knew something was going on but I had no idea what.

Only when I stepped into the capsule did I turn my head.

Hunter stood there, with his back to the view, watching me.

‘Happy birthday, Ninja.’

CHAPTER TEN

I stared at him, felt a flicker of panic and then turned quickly to find my sister and the others but the attendant was sealing our capsule and the rest of my group were on the other side of the barrier, watching avidly.

My eyes met Hayley’s accusingly and she blew me a kiss.

I’d assumed my present was a trip on the London Eye, but I realized now her gift was Hunter. We were about to spend thirty minutes suspended over the city in our own private glass bubble. Just the two of us. Thirty minutes during which I had to hide how I felt about him. It was going to be the longest thirty minutes of my life.

It was probably going to be the longest thirty minutes of his life, too.

I felt awkward.

He’d obviously been manipulated into it by my sister, but he probably thought I was behind it because it was just the sort of stunt I would have pulled at eighteen if I’d had the funds. ‘I’m sorry. I knew nothing about this. You should have said no.’

‘Do you wish I had?’

I gave a casual shrug. ‘I love having friends around me on my birthday, but I’m sure there are a million other places you’d rather be. This was Hayley’s idea.’ I wanted to smile, but honestly, my face was exhausted. I had no idea why fake smiling was so much more tiring than real smiling but it was. I just couldn’t do it anymore.

‘No, it wasn’t. It was my idea.’

The capsule was slowly rising upward but I wasn’t looking at the view; I was looking at him. ‘Yours?’

‘I know how much you love the London Eye. I thought it was time we talked.’

‘I see you every day at work.’ I was going to kill Hayley for agreeing, but I wasn’t going to be able to kill her until the capsule had finished its circle, which meant that for the next half an hour I was locked in an enclosed space with Hunter.

‘You’ve been avoiding me.’

‘I’ve been busy.’