AllFreeNovel
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Parker groans, hitting the answer icon and raising the phone to his ear. “Hello?”
I watch him squint as he tries to hear his brother. He shakes his head and plants a finger over his ear. “Wait, what was that?”
He looks at the ground, trying harder to listen. “Dude, I can’t hear anything you’re saying.” He lowers the phone and says to me, “Wait here. I’m just going to walk away so I can hear him.”
“Okay.”
It’s a strange feeling as Parker walks away. Even though I have his friends around me, I feel alone. Like my security has been ripped away. I shift my weight, avoiding conversation with either girl. Kai and Lewis chat about something. I think it’s a sports game, but I’ve really got no clue.
Come on, Parker. Hurry back.
The line moves forward, and I walk on tippy toes, searching for Parker.
Yvette grabs my wrist, tugging me forward. “Come with us. He’ll catch up.”
And just like that, terror vortexes in the pit of my stomach. A cold sweat coats my back and arms, and I grow light-headed. I fling Yvette off me, and stumble backwards.
She frowns at me. “What are you doing?”
I press my lips together as the nausea grows. Sickened to my core, I uncontrollably shake my head.
Yvette’s expression sours and she boards the ride with Lewis. I press my hands into my stomach, watching them get into the same car as Tabitha and Kai. I blink hard, thinking about how Parker would want me to get between them. I shudder, petrified at the idea of being up there.
As the ride begins, I hug the stuffed bunny close, but it doesn’t give the same level of comfort as Parker’s presence. On the ride, the group cheers with raised arms. Their car spins, seemingly out of control, as the base of the ride spins in a different direction. I swallow the second-hand queasiness, looking away as it starts tilting.
“Hey, why aren’t you up there?” Parker asks, stepping toward me as he pockets his phone. “You didn’t have to wait.”
I open my mouth to speak to him, but the words clog in my throat.
Parker looks me up and down. “Kylie?”
Hugging the bunny, I wring my hands together. “I... I...”
Concern riddles Parker as he cups the sides of my face. “Hey, what happened?”
I shiver. “I don’t know. I just couldn’t do it.”
Parker peers over his shoulder and then back at me with unease. “You’ve done tougher stuff than this.”
My stomach flips and I sniff hard. “I don’t know. It felt different.”
He tilts his head, moving his hands down to my shoulders and stroking my arms. “You’re shivering. Are you okay?”
With the bunny between us, I hold onto his sides for stability. “Yeah. I feel better with you here.”
A nervous laugh murmurs out of him. “Really?”
“Yeah. You weren’t here to tell me I could do it.”
He brushes back my hair. “But you can do it. You can do anything.”
Tingles run down my spine. “I guess I still need to hear it from you.”
He smiles. “Okay, I won’t leave your side for the rest of the night.”
“Unless you get a chance with Yvie.”
“No, we’ll stick to us four. I know all these lights and sounds can be overwhelming.”
