23. Chapter Twenty-Three #2
Allie shrugs. “I brought a book. You guys know I don’t really like roller coasters.”
“I can sit with her,” I offer and everyone’s eyes flick to me, skeptical eyebrows raised.
“Oh, you don’t have to do that,” Allie says, but her eyes say otherwise.
I shrug easily. “Honestly? That thing scares the shit out of me,” I say with a chuckle.
“Alright, so it’s settled.” Ana claps her hands together. “Jax and Allie are going to sit on the bench while the rest of us have fun.”
“Fuck yeah!” James shouts, pumping his fist in the air.
When everyone starts barreling inside, I lead Allie to an empty bench, right in front of the perfect view of the mile-high drop.
“Not a fan of screaming metal death traps, huh?” I tease.
She shakes her head. “I don’t like the way it makes my anxiety skyrocket and my stomach drop. All while being barely buckled into a seat going ninety miles an hour,” she admits, laughing awkwardly.
I nod. “Fair point.”
She slides down the bench until her thigh is pressed against mine, and my whole body heats. Just feeling her beside me lately has been exactly what I need to stay grounded.
“Did you get to talk to the girls yesterday?” I ask, turning to face her.
Her face drops slightly before she shakes her head. “Nope. I called and texted, but Trevor said they were napping. Told me I could try again tonight,” she says, but there’s something in her voice that doesn’t sit right with me.
“I’m sorry,” I say genuinely.
“Don’t be.” She flashes me a quick smile, but it’s not quite enough to convince me. “It’s not your fault. I just wish he’d take the time to text or call me so I’m not always playing phone tag at the worst times.”
“I’d think that’d be a lot easier on the both of you.”
She nods. “I’m sorry I’m complaining. It just feels like he’s trying to pull something at this point.”
My eyebrows knit together. “Is that something he would do?”
“I wouldn’t think so,” she says with a shrug. “I mean, he barely saw them for two years and just barely got his own place. It’s just… weird.”
I place my hand on her back, rubbing gentle circles. “I’m sorry.”
She leans her head on my shoulder. “Don’t be. It’s not your fault.”
We sit like that for a few minutes, her head on my shoulder, my hand still resting on her back like it’s the most normal thing in the world. And I love every second of it.
Then the wind hits just right, sending her perfume swirling around me, and I inhale deeply. Immediately feeling lighter, I close my eyes and just breathe it in.
Now would be a perfect time to tell her how I feel since we’re alone, but how ? How exactly can I even put into words what it is I want when it sounds impossible?
“There’s actually something I’ve been wanting to talk to you about,” I finally admit, already feeling the anxiety creep in.
She lifts her head, turning on the bench to face me when her mouth tugs downward. “What is it?”
“I don’t think I can—”
Suddenly, the sounds of screaming cut me off when the roller coaster barrels down the ramp. Our heads whip toward it just in time to see it zoom past and disappear into the underground tunnel.
And now I’m glad I skipped it.
When it’s quiet again, her gaze returns to mine. The disappointment swimming in her eyes while she searches mine crushes me. And I can’t help but wonder if she’d still wear that same expression if I told her how I really feel.
“I… don’t think I can go on any rides today,” I say instead.
Idiot .
Is it really that hard to just say I want more? Or that she’s been the only thing I want for the last three and a half weeks since we met?
Stupid question because yes, it is.
Her bright-blue eyes soften, and she smiles. “God, you scared me,” she says, playfully swatting my arm.
“I’m sorry,” I say through a smirk, looking down at the ground.
In all honesty, I scare myself sometimes, too.
A few minutes later, everyone is running out of the exit, rushing toward us.
“Oh my god, that was insane!” Nora exclaims, not completely walking straight.
“Yeah, that thing is nuts ,” James agrees, hiking a thumb over his shoulder.
“Alright, losers,” Ana says, marching past us. “To the water park.”
I am so glad I came already wearing my trunks.
It’s taken the rest of the crew a solid ten minutes just to change, and another ten to find a free locker.
When Allie rounds the corner, my eyes zero in on her bikini. The pink material holds everything in place perfectly, and I’m definitely not the only one noticing.
A few heads turn to watch her while she walks toward me, throwing her hair into a high bun.
“You ready?” she asks, using her hand to shield her eyes from the sun.
I’m already nearly sweating, but I can’t tell if it’s from the heat… or from her.
I nod slowly, raking my eyes from her head to her toes. Honestly I don’t care who sees at this point.
I can look, I just can’t touch.
“Will you wear that next time?” I ask quietly, with a wide grin.
She blushes, nodding before she walks by, heading toward the park.
“Aye, we should go on that ,” Gareth says, pointing toward a tall water slide.
“Race ya there,” Ana announces, already blowing past us.
When we reach the top of the slide, which took an entire five minutes just to climb the stairs, we realize the rafts only fit two at a time.
“That’s not a big deal,” Nora says, shrugging. “Gareth can go with me, then James and Jax can go, and Ana and Allie can go after.”
Yeah, because James sitting in between my legs sounds like a glorious time.
“Or I have a better idea. I’ll go with James, and Allie can go with Jax,” she suggests, linking her arm with James’s. “No offense, Allie.”
Allie forces a laugh, shaking her head. “Man, it’s like nobody wants me.”
Bite your tongue, Jax.
Nora and Gareth go first, and all you can hear are her screams echoing through the tunnel, the sound carrying further and further away. The second they come out on the other side, the lifeguard waves Allie and me over.
“Okay, you’re going to sit in first, hands on these side rails,” he explains, tugging on the plastic around the side. “Then we’ll have her slide in between your legs.”
Sounds fucking good to me.
I drop myself into the raft, gripping the handles while I wait for Allie to position herself perfectly between my thighs.
“You ready, love? It’s going to be fast,” I warn near her ear.
She takes a deep breath and nods slowly. I can feel her body tense between my legs as she white knuckles the handles.
Then the lifeguard gives us a quick push, and suddenly, we’re flying down the slide.
We quickly enter the dark part of the tunnel, the wind rushing past us, and I feel her body press into my already growing erection from the way she’s pushing into me.
And I can’t take it anymore.
I carefully remove one hand from the rail while the other grips the handle tighter. Then, my fingers brush through Allie’s hair, winding her ponytail tight around my fist. I gently pull her head back and lean closer.
“Hold on tight,” I warn in her ear.
I swiftly yank her head back, pressing my lips hard against hers. Her soft, wet lips press against mine as they eagerly part, and I quickly dart my tongue inside, sweeping across hers to get even just a quick taste to hold me over.
Our lips separate, and my hand quickly finds the rail again. I hear her let out a sharp breath right before we hit the final drop. Her back presses up against me once more, and I swear she’s doing it on purpose now. I close my eyes, trying to steady myself when the sun starts to filter in.
The splash of water hits my face, then the sounds of rushing water comes as we quickly submerge.
We stand at the same time, her body close enough for me to see the little droplets of water lining her gorgeous blue eyes.
She wipes her hair off her forehead when she points a finger at me.
“If you want me to wear this next time,” she says, her voice low, before she takes a steadying breath. “You better do that again.”
I bow my head with a growing smug smirk. “You have my word.”
The way she stands there, in the middle of the pool with the corners of her mouth turned up, and her eyes on mine filled with so much need… something clicks inside me.
And I realize I don’t want this to be a secret anymore. I don’t want her to go back home, and be just another memory I have to carry with me without knowing what we could have been.