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Chapter 11
Mikel
Holding Remy’s soft small hand in his as they walked into the carnival gave him a feeling of pride. This girl was all his for the night. After an afternoon of taking turns trying to make Jaz laugh and bring her out of whatever funk she was in, he’d thought he couldn’t appreciate Remy more. The way Remy was quick to carry the conversation when he was lost for words was just one of the many reasons he was starting to care more deeply than he’d thought his dilapidated heart was capable of.
“I love carnivals.” She smiled and it went straight through his chest like an arrow. Why did she affect him so much? Fear crept in, winding up his spine like a snake waiting to strike.
He looped his arm around her waist, pulling her small body against his large frame. Those tiny cutoff shorts she wore drew all his attention to her naked thighs. “Wanted to do something different. Show off my dart skills.”
“As long as I get a candy apple, I don’t care what we do.” She laughed.
“It’s a deal.” He paid at the ticket counter before guiding her around the grounds. Bright colors swirled beyond them as paper lanterns of all hues hung on lines above. Other couples and families milled about, playing games and eating the greasy fried food that the food trucks supplied.
A live band performed from the small stage, doing popular covers from an array of musicians as Remy and Mikel made their way from game to game. Mikel’s skin tingled like someone was watching them. He surveyed the crowd. No familiar faces stuck out to him; only a few people’s stares lingered longer than was polite.
“Let’s do the Ferris wheel,” Remy said, pulling him towards the line for the old metal contraption.
“You sure?” He eyed the rust. “Looks like it’s older than your gramma.”
“They wouldn’t let people ride it if it wasn’t safe,” she teased.
So trusting.Didn’t she know how dangerous blind faith was?
He gave the attendant the tickets and climbed on as the metal creaked. Nerves twisted his stomach with worry.
“Hey, at least if we die, we go together.” Remy smiled.
“If you’re trying to make me feel better, that sure as fuck didn’t work.”
Her grin faded a little.
Why did it feel like a sucker punch to the chest? He was screwing this up. He placed his arm around her and pulled her close. “I’m not scared of dying, honey. I’m worried about you. There’s no way I’d ever let anything happen to you.”
She leaned in and kissed him. Soft and sweet. Like she knew just what he needed to feel at peace. The tension in his shoulders eased as he relaxed onto the metal seat. His hand moved up and down her shoulder, her closeness grounding him.
The sun was setting, casting the sky in cotton candy colors as they rotated on the ride.
“The view is so beautiful up here,” she said, snuggling into his chest.
He studied the curves of her face, her long dark eyelashes, and button nose. “Absolutely stunning,” he agreed.
If he could freeze time and stay trapped in a moment forever, this would be that one. Up here, he could forget everything else and just be. Remy did that for him better than any drug he’d ever tried. He’d never be able to let her go now.
“Sometimes you gotta take risks to enjoy the beauty.” Remy sighed.
“Since when did you become a risk-taker?” He chuckled.
“Hmm … since that first night at The Shipwreck. It paid off, so I’ve decided to take a gamble every now and then.”
She meant him. He’d been her reward. Gratitude and pure adoration battered against his rib cage. She thought he was worth something. It didn’t matter if she was wrong. He’d soak up the warm feeling that wrapped around him like a hug.
“Have you learned anything new lately?” she asked after a beat of silence.
He told her about the video he’d watched and how he’d been able to enhance the efficiency of his and Andre’s building process.
“Working smarter, not harder, huh?”
“Something like that. We’re hoping we can fit more contracts in and be able to hire a crew, eventually branch out into bigger projects like homes.”
