Page 51

After the sun finally went down, Ms. Sparrow and a couple of other techies relieved Lauryn and me, allowing us to wander around till Lauryn found the merry-go-round and tugged me on board. The carousel chimed and music began as it started spinning. Lauryn pretended her unicorn was a legit horse and bobbed up and down above the saddle while using a make-believe whip and shouting, “Giddyap!”

I laughed and looped my feet in the footholds, then leaned back and stared at the swirling colors above me while stretching out my arms.

But as the ride slowed down, I could feel someone staring at me from the nearby fence.

Reed stood alone, in a polo shirt that tightly hugged his biceps over a pair of khaki shorts. It was a very different look from his usual athletic shorts and a baseball tee, but it was a good look.

A really good one.

He gave me a small smile and wave, and without hesitating, I did the same.

“Excuse me.” A small kid tapped my sandal strap. “Are you done?”

Oh.

The music had stopped, and new ride-goers were already weaving in between the animals, picking their favorite.

When did the ride stop? And where was Lauryn?

“Sorry.” I swung my leg over and hopped down, sneaking a quick glance over my shoulder in what I hoped was the least obvious way possible, but the spot where Reed had stood a moment ago was now empty.

Some strange, new feeling settled into my stomach—a heaviness I couldn’t explain, couldn’t name.

Or one I wasn’t ready to name yet.

“There you are!” Lauryn shouted as I made my way through the exit. “I got tired of waiting for you, so I snagged us a couple fried Oreos.”

Bless.

I groaned after the first bite. “These are so good, they should be illegal.”

The outside batter was fried to perfection, leaving the inside just warm enough to not be gooey. Pure heaven in a cookie.

“So where to next?” Lauryn asked. She took a sip of a large sweet tea she had bought before offering it to me.

“Hoops?”

She smiled and flicked her braided pigtails over her shoulders. “Hoops.”

We took a quick detour near the fishbowl toss and lollipop tree, neither of us winning anything but we at least each walked away with a strawberry-flavored Dum-Dum.

The crowd grew heavier the closer we got to older games like hoops, the dunking booth, and the cup catapult toss. Thankfully, by the time we reached the basketball games, the lines weren’t nearly as long as the others.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the princess herself,” a voice snickered from behind me.

Ben gave a fake smile and lifted his hat before taking a pack of cigarettes out of his back pocket. Reed pushed his hand down and said something I couldn’t hear, but it made Ben roll his eyes and put the pack away.

“Eliza Crowley,” I said, sticking out my hand.

“I know.” He looked at it but kept his hands in his pockets. “Ben Talbot.”

Charmed.

“Didn’t realize you could play basketball too, Crowley,” Reed said, a smile pulling at the corner of his mouth, where his damn dimple was already on display.

“She dominates this game every summer,” Lauryn said, draping her arm around me.

“Does she?” Reed stepped out of line. “Wanna bet on it?”