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"Are you okay, Izzy?" Ava asks from beside me.
"Yeah, I just thought I saw someone I used to know," I reply, still looking around.
A few seconds later, I feel the horse wobble as someone grabs hold of the golden beam above me. I look up, ready to complain, but instead I'm rendered speechless. I’m looking straight into the eyes I've been dreaming about since I was a child.
"Hello Bella, did you miss me?" Nathaniel smirks, sounding so smooth, sexy, and confident. His voice now has a soft but masculine rasp to it. Before I can even open my mouth to speak, he leans down and presses a gentle kiss to the top of my head. "Because I've sure missed you," he murmurs softly.
I move backwards in surprise, and he takes this as a signal to get on my horse. Given his size, I'm surprised he even manages to fit on it, but he does it so quickly and effortlessly.
He manages to maneuver himself so that he's sitting with his back against the bar but facing me directly. My breath hitches as I find myself staring straight into those beautiful blue eyes. His strong arms wrap around my waist, pulling me closer. Our bodies naturally fit together comfortably, as if this is how they were made to be. Even after all these years, being locked in his embrace feels like home. Yet somehow, it is so different. Gone is the small, frail child I once knew. In his place sits an absolute god. Even through his t-shirt, I can feel the muscles threatening to spill out and how firm his abdomen feels against my own. Without thinking, I lean in and take a deep breath, allowing his manly scent to overtake my already heightened senses.
Tearing my eyes away from his body and my desire to reach out and touch it, I glance up and wow, he’s tall. As children, we were almost the same height;he was barely a few inches taller than me. Now, even sitting, he seems to tower over me, causing me to have to tilt my head to make eye contact.
As soon as my eyes reach his face, the butterflies already causing havoc in my tummy go into overdrive.If I wasn't already sitting, I may have lost my balance, as I go weak at the knees.His once slender face has filled out over time, But it is more beautiful than ever.And those eyes… Wow, they’re somehow even more captivating than before.My hand instinctively reaches out to caress his cheek, if nothing else, just to make sure he’s real.
"Nathaniel, is it really you?I thought… How did you? I. . ."What should I tell him? That I'm glad to see him? That I hated him all those years for leaving, and yet I thought about him almost every day?I can't choose, so I simply settle for whispering, "I’ve missed you every day."
He leans down to me, pulls me even tighter against him, and, like a scene from my favorite romance novel, softly says, “and I've thought about doing this every day since you left.”
His strong hand grips my cheek as his lips connect with mine. It starts out so gentle and sweet. Our lips barely touch at first, but soon it becomes passionate and desperate. His tongue invades my mouth, and I make no attempt to stop it. My heart is racing, and my palms get clammy as I continue to hold my body close against his. My hands take on a life of their own as they find their way into his perfect hair. He doesn't seem to mind; if anything, from the way he leans into them, it seems like he enjoys it. His hands wander to the back of my neck as he holds my head in place and pulls me even closer as our tongues continue to merge with each other. My heart pounds with excitement as I begin to feel dizzy with the overwhelming sensation of his mouth on mine, something I have dreamed about for years.
We stay like that, locked in each other's embrace, until I feel the ride stop and we hear Ava say, "Daamnn girl, that's fucking hot."
We both look up and realize the ride is over, and we have an audience. While my cheeks burn with embarrassment, I can't help but notice the grin on Nathaniel's face. We quickly get off and follow the girls. I see Ava rush over to a guy, who, by the way, she’s holding on to him, I assume is her boyfriend. "Guess you found who you were looking for." The guy laughs and pats Nathaniel on the back.
"Yep, I most certainly did," Nathaniel replies happily. "Guys, this is Bella."
"Bella?" asks Ava, "I thought her name was Izzy."
"My name is Isabella," I reply, "but everyone just calls me Izzy."
"I don’t," I hear Nathaniel mutter in an oddly possessive tone.
"Izzy? Bella? Whatever your name is, who is this guy, and how do I get Tucker to kiss me like that?" Ava jokes, fanning herself for dramatic effect.
"I told you the carousel was romantic," she complains, playfully nudging the guy.
"Yeah, thanks for that, bro," the guy jokes back as he nudges Nathaniel.
"So, this is Tucker, his girlfriend Ava, and her friend Harper," Nathaniel says, introducing me to the group even though I already know Harper pretty well. "And I'm Riley, Harper's twin sister; what's YOUR name, handsome?" interrupts Riley, pushing herself closer to Nathaniel and making me feel a little jealous.
"Um, my name is Nate," he replies, suddenly sounding shy.
"So now that we've all introduced ourselves, how about we go exploring? I don't know about you guys, but this is my first time here, and I want to see and experience everything before my pops comes to collect me at six," I say excitedly. As I look around the carnival, searching for the next place I want to visit.
I know Nathaniel and I need to discuss everything that happened between us, and I need to find out why he just abandoned me for no reason, but I would rather not ruin this moment. This could be the first and last time I see him again, so I want to remember it as the fairy-tale reunion I've hoped for so many times.
We all head out and spend the next few hours as a group. We eat toffee apples, ride the roller coasters, and Nathaniel even wins me a little dog holding a heart in one of the shooting games. I’m having so much fun, until my phone beeps.
Nana:Afternoon, Izzy; it's almost 5:30 p.m.. We haven't heard from you yet, so I assume you're having a good time. Do you still want me to send Pops to pick you up at 6:00?
I can feel myself panicking because I'm not ready for this evening to end. Not only am I surrounded by a wonderful group of friends, but I'm also back with Nathaniel, holding hands and laughing like we used to when we were kids. I decide it's best if I just call her now.
"Nana, it's me, sorry for not getting back to you. I completely forgot. I'm still here with Harper, Riley, and a group of others. Do you mind if I stay out for a while longer and come home later? I'm safe and in a big group," I say, hoping that it reassures her because even though I'm almost an adult, I'm pretty sure she still thinks of me as her little girl.
"Not at all, my dear. Have fun. Do you have enough money?"
"Yes, I'm fine. I've got my purse and cards with me. Thank you so much, Nana. I also have some exciting news to tell you when I get home. I'll see you soon. I love you both."
