“Amelia,” he said suddenly, breaking the silence. “You’re not scared, are you?”
“Scared? Of what?” I shot back.
“Of heights,” he replied, a teasing edge to his voice.
“Please. I’m not scared,” I said, but the truth was, I felt a knot tightening in my stomach. I hated how easily he could provoke me, how he still made me feel like that scared girl from school, the one who had wanted to disappear.
As the ride reached the top, I felt the wind whipping through my hair, and for a moment, I closed my eyes, letting the thrill wash over me. The world below faded away, and I tried to focus on the exhilaration of the moment.
As we began our descent, the carnival lights blurring into a kaleidoscope of color, Caiden’s gaze returned, and he smiled at me, his eyes holding the same softness as when he was admiring the view.
My heart leapt. It was just him and me, sitting here beneath the sky, our eyes were lost in each other.
But the magic of the moment shattered as the Ferris wheel shuddered to a halt. The carnival's cacophony returned, halting the intimate silence that fluttered between us.
He offered a hand as we stepped out, his touch lingering a fraction too long. The warmth of it lingered on my skin.
“That was so great!” I heard Sabrina tell Shane as she clung onto him, they walked ahead of us, Sydney following, while Caiden, Alex, and I followed at the back.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been on one of those things.” Alex slowed his pace until he was walking next to me. “Did you enjoy it?
Still staring at Caiden’s back as we walked, I nodded. “Yeah, I loved the view from the top. I don’t go to many carnivals either, so I know what you mean.”
Alex playfully bumped his shoulder into mine. “I’ll have to brush up on my carnival game skills to win you something.”
Heat rose to my cheeks as I blushed, flattered by the comment. A nervous laugh escaped my lips. "Oh, you don't have to do that," I mumbled, suddenly self-conscious under his playful gaze.
The bright lights of the Tilt-A-Whirl reflected in his eyes, making them sparkle. He grinned, a mischievous glint in his gaze. "Challenge accepted," he declared. The path ahead was illuminated not just by the carnival lights, and we kept following the group to the next activity.
Caiden turned his head and tossed Alex and me an irritated glance. I glared at him right back. If he wanted to act like he didn’t know what he wanted, then so be it.
As we approached various game booths, Alex and I wandered to a booth where you had to shoot water at targets. He walked up to the stand and showed the employee his wristband.
“Alright, young man, when the timer starts, just start shooting. Good luck!”
Alex picked up the gun and began to shoot the targets. He got one, missed another, and another. “Damn, this is embarrassing.” He chuckled, but I could see he was distraught with himself.
“It’s okay, you really don’t need to win me anything.” I tried to give him a convincing smile, but he persisted.
“No, I’ll keep trying. For you.” He grinned and kept shooting, but kept missing, only hitting a small amount.
Trying to lighten the mood, I chuckled at the pitiful attempt. “Looks like you need to take target practice lessons.”
He laughed with me. “Yeah, I overestimated myself.”
There was a sensation that somebody was staring, and when I turned, Caiden was standing near Shane, watching us.Just when I locked eyes with him, the timer beeped, and Alex stepped back.
“Darn. Maybe I’ll try a different game.” Alex set the gun down and began to look around at the different booths. Just when he was about to start moving, Caiden walked towards us, his face hardened.
“Alright, let me try.” He pushed past Alex and showed the employee his wrist, then picked up the gun.
“Don’t be too bothered when you lose, man. Shooting these targets was harder than I thought.” Alex approached Caiden, who responded with a shrug and a bored look.
“Unlike some people, I’ve got experience in target hitting.” He smirked, a flash of something in his eyes.
The timer started, and Caiden's movements were fluid, precise. Each shot found its mark; a steady stream of water hitting the targets with almost unnerving accuracy. He finished with a success.
A smug grin replaced the bored expression. Alex stared, momentarily speechless, then let out a low whistle. "Show off," he muttered, good-naturedly, but the underlying challenge hung in the air.
