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I scream, my stomach shooting straight into my throat as the ride twists and turns. Rowan’s rough exterior cracks as he laughs, his eyes focused more on me than the ride. I’m not sure what to make of it. Based on the way my chest feels, maybe I need to pop a Tums too.
The next drop steals my attention away, and I yell as we are thrown upside down and through a corkscrew motion. This is one of the best rides in all of Dreamland.
My heart doesn’t stop racing until the coaster cart comes to a halt right outside the unloading station.
I turn to face Rowan, wondering what he thought of the ride. “What did you think?”
“I think you popped my eardrums.” His eyes are stuck on me, darkening as he licks his bottom lip. His hand reaches out and brushes my crazy waves down.
My once steady heart picks up its pace again, pounding harder in my chest than a minute earlier. “I could ride this over and over again and never get sick of it.”
He lifts a brow. “Over and over again?”
“Yes! Doesn’t it make you feel alive?”
Our cart pulls into the undocking station. Rowan makes some fancy hand-twirling motion, and our safety harnesses remain locked in place.
“Umm. What’s happening?” The passengers all step off the cart, but we remain seated. Rowan does another hand signal, and the cart takes off again, empty except for us.
“Why are we doing this again?” I speak louder over the cranking gears.
He looks over at me, his face flat. “You said you wanted to do it again.”
“Yeah, but I didn’t exactly expect us to.”
“Well, here we are.”
The cart moves forward, cranking up the volcano again.
“Why are you really spending so much time with me? Don’t you have other things to do and people to torment?”
He offers a noncommittal shrug. “Maybe I enjoy hearing your screams.”
“Freak.”
I’m surprised Rowan doesn’t send me straight into cardiac arrest when hewinks.My heart thuds in my chest, and my skin tingles in response.
26
Rowan
I’m not sure what the hell I was planning on doing once I found Zahra in the park but joining her on this bizarre day was the last idea on my mind. Yet here I am, a helpless bystander, desperate to be a part of her orbit in any way I can.
Today, I was more than willing to wait in a few long lines with Zahra because she said I needed to experience how the rest of the world lives. I’ve thrown off my entire diet by eating through half of Dreamland with her. I even agreed to walk through the House of Presidents, also known as Dreamland’s most boring fucking attraction, all because Zahra wanted to.
Everything I do today is for Zahra’s sweet smiles and soft laughs. She has the magnetism of the Bermuda Triangle, and I’m a lost plane desperate to land.
With the sun fading away, our day is slowly coming to an end. The idea of going back to my office fills me with dread.
“Hurry up!” Zahra yells at me. She takes off toward the German-inspired Christmas village set up in a corner of the park for the holiday season. Dreamland takes advantage of Christmas enthusiasts as soon as Halloween ends. It might only be the first day of November, but the park doesn’t miss an opportunity to profit off the holiday spirit.
With massive Christmas trees surrounding the plaza, it’s as if guests are transported to a different country.
“Come on!” She checks the time on her phone. “We’re going to miss it if we don’t pick up the pace.” She leads us toward the town square. I swipe two cups of hot chocolate from one of the stations and pass one to Zahra.
She smiles down at the tiny marshmallows swimming at the top of the cup. “How’d you know I like hot chocolate?”
“Because everyone likes hot chocolate.”
