He held the elephant out to me with both hands, expression mock-solemn. "For you. My lady. As promised."
I took in the lopsided creature. Its stitched smile pulled unevenly. Its trunk curved at a questionable angle.
I loved it immediately.
"Thank you," I said, taking it from him. "I'll treasure her always."
"You better. I worked hard for her."
"You missed nine shots," I teased.
"I made three." He slung an arm over my shoulder, steering me towards the next game. "That's a thirty-three percent success rate. In baseball, that'd make me a star."
"This isn't baseball."
"Fair rules. Different standards."
Emma and Damien were already there.
"I want it," she whined, stomping her foot playfully, pointing at a stuffed crocodile. "I've already named it Chomps."
"It's rigged," Damien said, exasperated. "The rim is smaller than regulation. The ball is overinflated. It's designed to make you lose."
"So you're saying you can't do it?" she challenged.
His eyes narrowed.
Sebastian leaned close to my ear. "Oh, she's good."
Damien rolled up his sleeves, pulled out his wallet—then promptly lost fifty bucks.
Fifteen minutes and another forty dollars later, Emma was clutching a three foot stuffed crocodile, beaming from ear to ear.
"You manipulated me," Damien said, looking simultaneously annoyed and impressed.
"I motivated you." She rose on her toes and kissed his cheek. "There's a difference."
"Fair rules," Sebastian cut in. "Different definitions."
"Shut up," I snorted.
Damien glared. Emma laughed. The sky behind her had gone fully dark, the fair now a maze of lights and shadow.
We drifted past game booths and food stalls, teenagers pausing for selfies under the neon glow.
Sebastian's hand slipped into mine between the funnel cake stand and the haunted house.
I didn't pull away.
"Hey." He slowed his steps until Emma and Damien moved ahead. "You doing okay?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"You just seem..." He searched for the word. "Quiet."
"I'm always quiet."
He laughed, loud and vibrant. "No you're not. You're witty and sharp and you talk shit about everything." He bumped his shoulder against mine. "Quiet is different."
