I stop dead in my tracks. It'sthatride. The death trap. The spinning, scream-extracting machine of suffering that he made me get on two months ago when we had our first solo outing.
He knows what that ride did to me. He knows I sounded like a pterodactyl giving birth that night.
"No." I shake my head, "absolutelynot."
"Rava…" he says, dragging it out, hands clasped together dramatically. "Please?"
"Not again. No. I value my life. My soul. My vocal cords." I gesture toward a fish-themed game next to us. "Look, we can just go there instead! Win a prize! Maybe take home a little goldfish! Very wholesome! Very non-lethal." He tilts his head. "Oh, so now you're not a fan of dangerous things…even though five minutes ago you were on your knees—"
"We are doing the damn ride." I turn around. March toward the line. I don't look back. Behind me, I hear him laugh. He jogsto catch up, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. "Wow. That worked better than I thought."
"Shut up." I'm blushing. I can feel it. He kisses the top of my head as we get in line. And I let him. Because honestly, I'd scream myself hoarse a thousand times to hear him laugh like that again.
We're in line. And by "in line" I mean waiting to die.
I watch the ride spin with demonic energy, people screaming. I grip Gio's arm tighter. He glances at me, grinning. Rubs slow circles on my back.
"Breathe. I got you. I'll even get you a goldfish after, baby. Swear to God. You deserve your goldfish." I open my mouth to answer but someone covers my eyes from behind.
"GUESS WHO, BITCH."
I flinch. Gio's already laughing. I turn. Lorenzo.
Wearing sunglasses. Inside a semi-covered ride zone. With an unbuttoned floral shirt. Next to him, Daisy.
Her crop top matching the chaotic colors of Lorenzo's shirt, hair up. And then…Marco.
Our Tree Guy.
Standing silently, holding a plush…cockroach. An actual cockroach teddy bear the size of a newborn. I blink at it.
He holds it out to me, proudly but kinda shy. "Rava, dude," he says solemnly. "I met you late. But I feel you. You're my guy. Take this cockroach."
I take it with both hands. I feel like a knight accepting a cursed relic. "Thank you, Tree Guy. I'm hanging this above my bed." He nods. "Good. That's where she belongs."
Lorenzo claps his hands. "Right. Tonight is your night. Your farewell. Your chaos coronation. We are here to humiliate you with love, one last time."
"NEXT GROUP."
Fuck me.
We walk up the metal stairs. Lorenzo's doing a shoulder-shimmy to Happy Birthday by El Alfa blaring from the speakers. He slaps the rail with the beat.
Daisy's filming him and mouthing "I love this man so much but he's mentally gone." We sit. My hands are shaking. Gio helps me buckle the harness. Leans in close, and shouts over the song.
"Inhale! You got this, baby!" I turn, wide-eyed. "If I survive, you owe me eight blowjobs! Back to back! I want to pass out!"
He grins. "Deal!"
I face forward, barely breathing. Marco's next to me, calm. Acting like he's getting a facial, not about to be catapulted into the stratosphere.
He nods toward my arm. "That's a sick tattoo! Did you get that here in Italy?"
I light up. Finally, something I'm not scared of.
"Nah, Canada. My best friend did it! His name's Noah! He's insanely good." I shout back. Marco's head tilts. He raises an eyebrow. "Noah? Wait—Lorenzo never shuts up about a Noah guy. Same dude?"
I smirk. "Yep. That's him." Marco stares ahead. Serious. "Tell that Noah guy I'm gonna touch him."
