Chapter 9
~Riley~
I’ve never had so much fun shopping with a guy before.
Actually, scratch that, I’ve never had so much fun shopping before, period.
I mean, most of what we’ve done at the mall doesn’t really qualify as shopping, but even in the department store, Hudson found a way to make looking for sheets fun.
He brings out a bold, playful side of me I barely even recognize, and there are times I can almost imagine this could be more than friendship.
Every laugh, every moment we shared today feels like a step forward, and I’m grateful for it even as part of me worries that I’m moving on too quickly. Trevor owned my heart for so long that I’m worried by severing the ties this fast, I’ll break something else.
It’s a ridiculous train of thought when Hudson hasn’t even given me any indication he sees me as more than a friend, but what’s the use in lying to myself? I like him, more than I expected to. Probably more than I should.
In any case, I’m not ready for the day to end, but he’s already given me so much of his time, it feels like it would be selfish to ask for even more.
Luckily for me, I forgot all about the amusement park.
When we reach the entrance to the park on the way back to the car, Hudson grabs the bag with my sheets and points me towards the restrooms. “Go and pee before we get on any rides. You sounded a little too knowledgeable about poor bladder control back in the store and I don’t want to take any chances. ”
My eyes roll but I can’t hide my grin. “Fine. Meet you back out here?”
“You bet. I’m just going to run these bags out to the car so we don’t have to worry about them. I’ll be right back.”
He takes off before I can protest, and I’m struck once again by what a nice guy he is.
We might not have known each other most of our lives like we’re pretending to, but I feel more comfortable around him than people I’ve known for years.
There’s a sense of ease between us I didn’t realize was missing in my life.
I’m not trying to prove myself to him or fighting for his attention. He gives it freely, without judgement or expectation.
The restroom line is longer than I thought it would be, and by the time I’m out, Hudson is already back.
His expression is bright as he looks around, a mix of excitement and nostalgia in his eyes.
The soft whirr of the rides fills the air, mingling with the laughter of children and the constant hum of conversations.
Bright lights overhead cast dancing shadows over the floors, and the scent of popcorn and sweet treats makes my mouth water.
“Where should we start?” he asks. “Are you a thrill seeker?”
Normally, I’d say no, but with Hudson, I feel like I could be a little more adventurous than usual. “Let’s work our way up. What’s your favourite mild ride?”
He leads me to the Flying Galleon, a ship that rocks back and forth, not too high, and seeing all the little kids in line bolsters my confidence that I can handle it.
As we wait, the neon lights above flash, and the sound of laughter and screams fills the space.
The whole place seems to pulse with energy.
Or maybe it’s simply because of the man next to me.
“They used to have another ship here too, one that went all the way around,” he tells me while we’re waiting for our turn. “It was pretty cool. You could look out the windows at the top of the building while you were upside down.”
I point to the lap bars barely holding people in place on the ride we’re about to get on. “I hope you had more than just a rail to keep you on it!”
Hudson’s warm chuckle feels almost like a hug, low and soothing. “It had the whole over-the-shoulders restraint thing. It was perfectly safe. People only died on the roller coaster.”
“What?!” The word comes out as a squeak as I gape up at him, not sure if this is another joke. “Did people really die?”
He nods solemnly, suddenly more serious than I’ve ever seen him. “Yeah, not that long after the park opened. My dad remembers when it happened. A total freak accident. One of the cars came off the tracks.”
A shudder works its way down my spine as my imagination runs rampant. I’ve always been a little too good at picturing things. “We’re definitely not riding that one.”
“Well, we can’t, actually. They closed it down.”
“I would hope so!”
A smile breaks free across his face, as if even those few moments of sombreness were too long for it to stay contained. “Oh, they didn’t close it because of the accident. It ran for another thirty years or so after that.”
Perplexed, I wait for any sign he’s joking, but there isn’t any. “Seriously?”
He shrugs. “They put extra safety measures in place to make sure nothing like that could ever happen again, and apparently it worked because nothing ever did. It was a lot of fun every time I went on it.”
I shudder again, even stronger this time. “You actually went on it?”
“Sure.” He gives me a quizzical look, his head tilting to the side. “You ride on planes, right, even though people have died in accidents?”
“I suppose, but…”
I trail off, realizing he has a point. Some things are risky, but we take the chance anyway if the reward seems worthwhile.
Before I can finish that thought out loud, we’re called forward for the ride.
Hudson takes my hand, tugging me with him to the back row, which will go the highest once the ride starts moving.
When we sit down, he shuffles closer to me, close enough that our thighs are touching, and that flutter in my stomach starts up again.
I could pretend it’s because of nerves about the ride, but deep down, I know that’s not the only reason.
The Galleon starts calmly enough, the boat swinging gently from side to side as the little kids in front of us squeal in delight.
Soon, though, the motor kicks up a notch and propels us higher into the air.
My stomach flips with each rise, and the cool breeze brushes against my skin, heightening my awareness of how close we’re sitting.
Hudson’s arm brushes mine occasionally, the warmth from his body sending little shivers up my spine.
“Lift up your hands,” he encourages me, his white teeth gleaming as he grins. “Like this!”
We crest to the top of the swing, and he raises his arms high in the air, leaving only the not-very-tight lap bar to keep him from tumbling out of the ride.
“No way,” I refuse, shaking my head as my hands tighten their grip around the bar. “I’ll go flying off the seat!”
“Maybe a little,” he agrees with a twinkle in his eyes. “But I’ll catch you before you can fall.”
He sounds pretty sure of that, but I’m still not convinced. When we go up again, his arms point towards the ceiling but mine stay firmly connected to the bar.
“Come on,” he cajoles as we head back down again. “What if I hold onto you like this?”
An arm snakes around my waist, his hand placing a gentle downward pressure on my hip.
It does feel a lot more secure that way, and my heartbeat races.
We're still swinging through the air, but now, it’s his closeness that has my pulse thudding in my ears.
I can feel every inch of his body that’s touching mine, and it’s like the space between us has shrunk, the air charged with something more than just the motion of the ride.
“Please?” he begs as we head upwards again. “This is the last big swing. Last chance.”
Not wanting to disappoint him, I take a deep breath and lift my arms as we reach the peak of the swing. I let out a shriek that makes Hudson cackle, but his arm around my waist anchors me, his warmth seeping through the fabric of my sweater.
“I knew you could do it,” he whispers against my temple, and suddenly, I have the urge to thank him for helping me to forget all the crappiness of the last couple of weeks, at least for a few hours.
Without thinking too much about it, I lean up to place a kiss on his cheek.
At that exact moment, he turns his head to look down at me, and instead of my lips landing on his cheek, they press firmly against his mouth instead.
We both freeze as the boat beneath us continues to swing, but neither of us pulls away.
Long seconds pass, the ground literally rocking beneath us as my lips mold to his, our bodies pushed further together by the forces of gravity and motion, until finally, the ride begins to slow and I turn away, my cheeks flaming in embarrassment and shock.
“I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to…”
“Don’t apologize, I’m not upset…”
“I just wanted to…”
“You don’t have to…”
We’re both stumbling over our words, trying to diffuse the awkward moment until finally, Hudson takes my hands right as the ride comes to a stop.
“Riley, I could lie and say I haven’t been wanting to do that all day, but I don’t want to lie to you. I know it’s fast and I know you’re just coming out of a breakup, but I think there’s something here. If you feel the same, maybe we should do something about it.”