11. Romeo
Romeo
She came back. Keeping the rings with me was a shitty thing to do, but it got her back here, and I finally got to see her as High Jynx again.
After the disastrous encounter at the corn maze, I was convinced that Ivy Jade would be too scared to actually come back to the Scare Park.
And to her credit, she made the effort to conquer her fears for the sake of her brother's wedding.
I had to applaud her for it, and though she was still a little feisty, she seemed to mellow out a little more…
well, sorta—in her own Ivy Jade kind of way.
I couldn’t help but be disarmed by how attentive she was to me and how easy it was to talk to her as my alter ego.
If anything, being High Jynx made me braver, funnier, more…
I guess likable to Ivy Jade, which was strange.
You’d think she’d hate me, being a “scary” clown who accidentally ran her into a ditch.
Still, it almost seemed like the mission of finding her missing rings took precedence over whatever animosity she had.
I was actually able to help her... which was fucked up, considering I was part of the problem, but I just wanted more time to get closer.
Was that so bad? It was our fun little meet-cute that we could laugh about later.
Get a fucking grip, Ro. There is no later for us, especially after she learns the truth.
This can’t last. Especially after telling me the story about her tattoo, and how her mother was super controlling.
She may have been a bratty rich girl, but her life wasn't as perfect as I thought. And if all that was happening at home, was I just as much of a problem? It felt cruel to keep her in the dark like that. Why can’t I tell her? Such a fucking coward, as always…
I shook my head, trying to dislodge that thought, as I guided her toward the mirror funhouse.
“Let’s start here,” I suggested, wanting an opportunity to get us close, to “protect” her from all the scary things happening around us.
Maybe it was the sense of anticipation she gave off, but there was something addictive about her heightened emotions, her excitement intoxicating.
There was this slow and creeping heat rising in my chest. Being next to her like this felt so fun.
It couldn’t just be the physical proximity; there was something else.
I guess, maybe, I realized how much I enjoyed being around her.
And in turn, I finally got to be myself around her too, and would you look at that—she actually seemed to tolerate me.
Or, at the very least, not hate me.
“What about the ditch?” she asked, looking confused.
“Not a good time to go there.”
“Why not?”
“Because the ditch you fell in wasn’t really a ditch. It was a hole that maintenance dug up to fix a broken water line. Why do you think there was mud?”
“Broken water line!” she squeaked. “What if the rings washed away? What if they sank into the mud?”
“I’ll talk to the guys! They won’t wash away, I promise…”
“I don’t know what a promise means from you yet,” she sighed, looking around.
“Would you rather start there then? I can get us some shovels, and we can get knee-deep in dirty water.”
Ivy Jade looked at me like I suggested we roll around in the Porta Potties. I thought she was going to get sick.
“Haven’t I suffered enough?” she asked, mouth wide open.
“I think we both have.” I rolled my eyes.
“I’ll touch base with the workers first thing in the morning.
If we don’t find your rings in the fun house, come back tomorrow night, and I’ll let you know whether the workers found your beloved rings.
Worst-case scenario, I’ll have them dig up more of the ditch to look around. ”
“You can do that?” she asked, skeptical.
“Of course I can,” I said, giving her a smirk. “This is my kingdom…”
We finally approached the funhouse, the bright blinking lights flashing above the entrance. Couples were walking in and out; kids were screaming and running down the street. Ivy Jade got closer to me.
“Oh god, I can’t believe I have to go in here again,” she groaned, her brows knitting together with worry as I glanced down at her.
I bumped into her shoulder lightly. “It’s okay. You have your own personal escort, remember?”
I held my arm out so she could hook hers around mine. Her worried expression turned to skepticism as she slowly linked her arm with mine.
"I'm ready," she said warily. "But don't try any funny business, clown. I swear I'll smack you."
"The irony of saying that to a clown is beyond substantial."
"Focus! I need you on full alert," she scolded, looking around like a terrified detective.
I couldn’t help but grin as I guided us in.
Her grip tightened immediately as we went farther in, darkness enveloping the space.
There were random flashes of swaying lights which lit our reflections in the mirror, along with neon purple lights lining the ceiling above.
In the distance, we could hear a maniacal laugh followed by a shrill scream.
“I don’t understand how people like this!” she squealed, her body inching even closer now.
“Hey, now,” I defended lightly, feigning outrage. “Don’t yuck someone else’s yum.”
"This isn't yum. This is barf. No shade..." she said, absolutely cringing. "Sorry. I'm sure you're having the time of your life."
The swaying lights flickered on and off, and I stopped, letting my eyes drop to hers. “With you?” I leaned closer, dropping my chin. “Yeah, I am.”
Ivy Jade's eyes flickered up at me like a cat, searching mine, interpreting what I said with some fraction of disbelief that washed over her face. Her mouth parted slightly, and I wasn’t sure if she wanted to say something or if she was waiting for me to make a move.
I considered leaning down to kiss her. I wanted it, needed it.
But then—someone let out a shrill scream just behind us, and Ivy Jade jumped and gasped.
She pressed her body close to mine, her small hands gripping my shirt like her life depended on it.
My arms instinctively wrapped around her, one hand resting at her lower back, the other between her shoulder blades.
“It’s okay,” I said soothingly, dropping my voice slightly. “You’re okay,” I repeated, rubbing small circles on her back.
I could feel her tense body ease below my touch as she pulled away slightly to look up at me.
Her big, round eyes searched mine, and her quick breaths faltered slightly, then slowed.
Her full lips slightly quivered, perhaps from the adrenaline or maybe—hopefully—from being in my arms. With her so close, my heart sped like I had just ran a marathon, and I could feel the way my body leaned slightly closer, narrowing the distance between us once again.
If there were any perfect moment to kiss her, that would’ve been it.
But then the same shrill scream startled both of us, and Ivy Jade tensed again before letting go, letting out a little laugh.
“Fuck,” I laughed along with her, lifting my chin, and just like that, the moment passed.
I looked around, biting the side of my lip, pissed at that annoying fucking screamer killing my vibe. “See anything so far?” I asked as we turned, continuing our search as we inched further in.
She let out a small sigh. “I can barely see anything!”
We stopped at a dead end, bumping straight into our reflections. Honestly, I knew the way to get out of the funhouse, but I may or may not have been leading us the wrong way because I was enjoying the way she held onto me in the semi-darkness like this.
“How do you even end up doing something like this?” she asked curiously as we turned, looking down at our feet.
“What, getting stuck in a funhouse with a beautiful girl?” I teased, deflecting.
I looked at her reflection, and she was shaking her head. “You know what I mean, clown.”
I was a little thrown off by her question. I hadn’t expected her to actually want to get to know me.
“Well, um…” I started. “One day, a few months back, I quit a shitty corporate job where I was terribly unhappy and decided to chase this crazy dream of being a performer that I’ve had for… years.”
From the corner of my eye, I could see her looking up at me, maybe trying to understand.
“You just quit? With no plan or anything?” she asked carefully.
Uh-oh. Was this a turn-off? An aimless performer with no concrete plans for the future? Now that I was explaining it out loud, it didn’t sound so great.
“I just…” I inhaled deeply. “I couldn’t live another day being stuck in a place where I couldn’t be myself.
You know what I mean?” I asked, not sure if she could relate.
“Constantly having someone tell me what to do, what to think—fulfilling their deadlines and expectations—sucked the life out of me. I didn’t want to spend sixty hours a week behind a computer.
I want to be in front of people. Any of them.
All of them. And it’s not just about dressing up as a character or scaring strangers…
It’s about being in front of another human—exchanging an experience, sharing reactions and emotions.
It does something for me. It gives me purpose when before, my purpose was someone else’s dream. ”
She stopped and looked up at me, unhooking her arm from mine. Her eyes were soft, but her expression was more serious than I had ever seen before. “I totally understand,” she said firmly, nodding. “That’s actually really brave of you…”
I blinked, taken aback. I didn’t know how to respond.
I had only told a few people about my career change, but none of them commented on my bravery.
Stupidity? Sure. But bravery? Fuck no. Was that really true?
All I ever heard was Megan’s voice on repeat in my head, calling me a deadbeat, and I was starting to believe it.
But looking down at Ivy Jade, seeing that admiration in her eyes? Maybe I was starting to think otherwise.
“Yeah?” I asked, running my hand through my hair. She was getting me all sorts of flustered. “Thank you.”
“Sure…” she said, cocking her head. “I mean, being a clown is kinda nerdy, but also, you’re sorta like Roman Knight in a way…”
I paused. Did I just hear her right? An ‘Unmasking My Bright Knight’ reference?
I tried not to smile.
Fuck it.
I smiled like an idiot.
“So I’m the sexy hero here to save a princess?” I arched a brow, not mad at the comparison.
She rolled her eyes, and her face turned pink.
“No, dork… not like that. I mean? Well—” flustered, she shook her head, trying to collect her words.
“What I meant to say was that Roman leaves his job as a blacksmith to chase his dream of being a knight. He sacrificed a lot to do something he believes in… he stood up for himself. It’s actually really cool,” she said, looking down at her tattoo, making sure it was still covered up.
I couldn’t help but stare, her beautiful eyes gazing intently into mine. She looked away for a moment, biting her lip, before glancing back up at me. What was she thinking?
“High Jynx,” she said, then shook her head with a smile. “Wait. What’s your real name?”
Fuck. I can’t tell her, not now, not like this. But suddenly, another scream filled the room, and Ivy Jade gasped and jumped, throwing her body onto mine. I wrapped my arms around her, rubbing her back gently, calming her. She fit so perfectly in my arms.
“Let's get out of here,” she said with a hesitant laugh, letting go.
I turned, beginning to lead the way out, but her shoulder brushed against me as she casually slid her hand into mine, as if she had done it a hundred times.
Fuck. I could get used to this.
But that small voice kept repeating in the back of my mind—this can’t last.