Jonas was staying by Melinda's side, intently listening to her as he shared his opinions from time to time.
The two never got the chance to talk about culture and tradition. This enabled Melinda to understand Jonas a lot better than she did in the past.
She started liking him even more. He was no longer the cold, intimidating person that he was once. He was the love of her life.
The thought brought a smile to Melinda's face. She followed Jonas without saying a word.
Although it was fascinating to witness this country's way of living, Melinda felt depressed at times.
Jonas and Melinda spent three days in France. Melinda blindly followed him without questioning about their schedule.
They seemed to be planning to travel all over the world.
Once they went back to the castle, Melinda saw that the servants had prepared all her favorite food. The time Jonas spent with Melinda made him understand what she liked and disliked. He took good care of her and made sure she had a comfortable time. Melinda was very thin in the past but she had gained a lot of weight in the last few days.
"Jonas, I feel like I've put on weight."
Melinda pinched the warm flesh on her cheeks and frowned. She was like every other woman who wanted to maintain a good figure. Everyone lost weight during travel but Melinda became fairer and plumper than before.
"Oh come on, you are still too thin. You need to gain weight," Jonas said, eyeing her bosom.
Melinda's cheeks turned red as she glared at Jonas.
She angrily jabbed the chopsticks on the rice and shoved it into her mouth.
"Mellie, look at you. You are too thin and I sometimes get worried when I look at you," Jonas said guiltily.
Melinda was always thin and she looked weaker than before. Jonas felt that she had lost weight because of him.
Melinda didn't answer and continued to eat what Jonas offered. He breathed a sigh of relief and continued to add more food to her bowl.
Melinda ended up eating a lot and her belly was peeking through her shirt. Jonas took her out for a walk in the garden outside the castle.
"Mellie, where do you want to go next?"
Jonas asked, running his fingers across Melinda's arms, interlacing their fingers. Melinda's fingers were slender and rough at the same time. It was perhaps because she spent a lot of time tapping the keyboard.
"You arranged all of this, didn't you? You tell where we are going next."
Melinda trusted Jonas. People say that traveling is a great way to strengthen a relationship and Melinda finally understood that. She felt that they were in a blissful relationship, enjoying the company of each other. This trip had taught them more about each other.
"Let's go to America," he said, grinning happily. Jonas was glad that Melinda had faith in him.
"Okay."
Melinda nodded in agreement. As long as Jonas was by her side, she would go with him to any corner of the world in a heartbeat.
The next day, Jonas packed his things and waited for Melinda to get ready. He didn't rush her because he wanted her to have a good rest and enjoy her time, rather than being exhausted by the travel.
When they landed at the JFK airport, the somber, gray sky greeted them, making Melinda more depressive. Jonas had planned to go to some famous sights for the next three days but the weather had ruined his plans.
Melinda was agitated and stayed in the hotel all day. Jonas checked if he could watch any movies with her but the weather was still the same during the following days. Therefore, he was left with no choice but to take her to the next destination, Britain.
However, to Melinda's disappointment, the weather in Britain was no different than that in America. It was drizzling and Melinda hated to walk under the rain.
The bleak weather had an impact on Melinda's mood. She became more sullen and perturbed. Jonas was worried and didn't let her go out.
Jonas was frustrated that their trip was destroyed by the weather, so he checked the weather forecast of the next day. To his dismay, he found that the weather was going to be the same for the next few days. Therefore, he quickly planned their trip to the next destination.
Jonas was worried about Melinda's health and made her stay back for one more day before leaving. On the third day, Jonas and Melinda flew to Salar de Uyuni mine in Bolivia.
The Salar de Uyuni mine is popularly called the mirror of heaven. It is a flat stretch of salt that remained after the prehistoric lakes evaporated a long time ago. The place has occasional rainfalls and the climate is relatively arid.
Melinda and Jonas interlocked their fingers and saw their reflection dancing on the lake like a hazy oil painting portrait.
Melinda turned around to say something but stopped when she met Jonas's eyes that were gleaming with love and affection. The words froze in her throat as she blinked and continued to look at him.
Their eyes were pouring out the feelings that words couldn't.
"Jonas," Melinda whispered.
Jonas felt that his name somehow sounded sweeter in Melinda's voice. He smiled and held Melinda in his arms.
His tender touch made Melinda weak in her knees. He looked into her eyes, waiting for her to respond. The lake cast a striking reflection of the couple who were destined to meet and reluctant to part.
Jonas rested his chin on Melinda's forehead, relishing the moment. She closed her eyes and tugged his shirt, loving the closeness.
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