I lean over and kiss him.
His lips are soft and wonderful. The touch makes my heart flutter. We come apart for a moment.
“Is this okay?” I ask gently.
“Yes,” Zach says with certainty and a little laugh.
Our lips join again but with more urgency this time. Our mouths open slightly, and I delicately explore with my tongue. But I take my time to savor the feeling. I lightly brush my tongue against his, and a pulse of electricity runs through me.
The world melts away, and only Zach and I are here. The heat of his breath, his soft lips, and the scent that is uniquely his fill my senses. This wave of emotion overtakes me, and I’m filled with euphoria. I never want this to end.
Then our kiss intensifies. Our lips separate and join again, both of us needing to kiss deeper and further, with a want and desire that’s been building for days. I grab the back of his head and pull us in closer. Zach’s soft moan through my lips drives me wild.
All around us, the Golden Gate Bridge sways back and forth, and the suspension cables snap. But we ignore it all, lost in bliss.
The car turns and goes through the exit doors of the ride, and we find ourselves in the late afternoon daylight. Only then do we separate, both breathing deeply.
Jo greets us, positively beaming. “You guys look like you had a fun time.”
“We did!” Zach says, recovering quickly and returning the smile. “Thanks so much for the work you did to get it running.”
“Thankyou, Zach and Aiden!”
I put my arm around Zach as we return to the Pirate’s Den. I give him another little kiss. He smiles and practically starts skipping along the path.
I have to admit, I’m very conflicted. This day with Zach has been like a dream. Maybe it’s the surrealism of the theme park creating this powerful nostalgia. If I squint my eyes, I can almost imagine the world is back to normal. I miss it and would love for it to last forever.
But the other part of me knows what I must do. This really is like a dream, and we’ll have to wake up from it sooner rather than later. The realities of the world will come crashing down on us. Every day I spend with Zach is another day I put him in mortal danger.
I may end up regretting that kiss. But for now, for this moment, I let my worry slide away, and I am blissfully happy with Zach by my side.
Chapter Twenty-One
Waking Up
ZACH
When Aiden kissed me, I could hardly believe it. Andwow. I’ve never been kissed with so much intensity and so much longing. Those powerful feelings almost scared me. I’ve wanted that since I first saw him stumble into Elk Springs, and here it is. But now what? What does this mean for us? Are we boyfriends? How do relationships work in a dangerous world when we’re on the run together?
Aiden’s affection continues throughout the evening with the occasional gentle touch, a small kiss on the cheek, and even the looks he gives me. But as the evening gets later, we don’t talk about the kiss and what it means. I want to, but I’m afraid to press the matter. Marcus still weighs on Aiden’s mind, and when I’ve pressed him before, it just pushed him away.
But since he kissed me, maybe things are different now. Maybe he’s ready to open up. Or perhaps the kiss meant nothing to him, and now he regrets it. It’s not hard to imagine with all the uncertainty in our lives. I’m so confused.
Later that evening, in the dormitory, Jo comes in with the battery jump starter. True to her word, she gives it to us in exchange for our help. I have a slight pang of guilt that maybe it’s not a fair trade, but it’s what Jo truly wants. We spend the evening organizing our backpacks. Jo also restocks some of our supplies. I try to turn her down, but she insists.
The following day, we head out at first light. Jo travels with us for the first part of the journey. She says it would be too hard to explain where the car is. We all head out of the park and down a wooded gravel trail for about a mile. We then meet up with a two-lane road and turn left on that. After a while, we reach a small bridge spanning a dried-out stream.
Jo takes a turn off the road and goes down the embankment. Underneath the bridge, sitting in the middle of the dry stream bed is an old Toyota Corolla. From the body style, I’d guess it’s from the mid-2000s.
Jo takes a set of keys out of her pocket and throws them at Aiden. “Hey, whenever you get done doing whatever it is you guys need to do, come visit me again some time, will you?”
“We will.” I run over and give Jo a big hug. She’s a little shocked initially but warms up to the hug and grins from ear to ear. Aiden joins in.
“I can’t even begin to thank you enough, Jo. You’re a good person,” Aiden says.
Jo blushes a bit. “Okay, gotta run before this gets too gushy.”
“Can we give you a ride back to the park?” I ask.
