47. Chapter 47

47

Hope

His lips are on mine before I can think, and maybe that's a good thing. I don't want to think when it comes to Heath Travon. My hands move to the back of his head, and I play with his hair.

He cups the side of my neck and angles my face to one side, making it easier for him to kiss me deeper.

Butterflies fly with wildfire in my stomach this time. Even though the air is chilly, I'm sweltering hot, and buzzing with the energy of a vibrating atom.

We pull away, and he gives me a moment to breathe, but then he kisses me again. I smile against his lips, and he squeezes my waist.

The sound of a camera capturing a picture breaks us apart.

We both turn our heads and find Marie holding her phone while Sebastian is smiling hard.

My skin burns with a flush.

I scramble away from Heath who's glaring at his best friends.

"Delete that photo right now." Heath stalks over to Marie and tries taking her phone but she slips it in her cleavage.

"Do it yourself."

Heath stares at her deadpan. His hands curl into fists.

"I can't get the phone," he grits out.

Marie smirks. "I know."

"You're the most annoying person on the planet, Blondie."

"I love you too."

I stifle my laughter.

Marie looks at me. "Want to get cotton candy?"

At the stall Marie and Sebastian split and pay for everyone except for Heath who doesn't like sweet things. I'm not sure that's the case since he ate chocolate off my mouth just fine.

My body heats up. Right . That scene still makes me hot and bothered.

We pass the arcade, but it's filled with teenagers. We have no chance of stepping inside let alone for Marie and Sebastian to test out every machine and make new high scores.

As we stroll further, I look at Heath who discreetly eyes my blue raspberry cotton candy.

"Here, take a bite." I hold out the stick in front of him.

"I don't eat sweet things."

I roll my eyes. "That's not true. You ate the chocolate cake."

"Because it was on you."

I blush hard as I pluck a tiny piece of cotton candy and press it against his lips. "Try it."

Heath reluctantly opens his mouth and takes it. I drop my hand and watch him chew it and then gulp it down painfully slow. His throat moves sensually.

It's the last thing that should be sensual, but it's Heath. Everything about him is sensual.

"It's good," he says. Eyes fixed on me.

"You can have more." I try to hand him the stick, but he only plucks a little bit.

On our walk to the Ferris wheel, Heath eats half of the cotton candy. I pretend that I don't notice, but it's hard not to. I just smile and let it be.

For the first time, I'm happy. These three people have suddenly become the most important people in my life. I'm beginning to love them. I always thought it was better to be alone. At least that's what I fed myself because something was wrong with me. Now I realize that nothing is wrong with me. I just didn't find my group of people. And now that I have, I don't ever want to let go of them.

I can't imagine my life without them. I hope I don't have to.

We get to the Ferris wheel and buy the tickets. Marie and Sebastian go first, and then it's our turn.

The sound of the door closing makes me shiver in both excitement and fear.

I seek Heath who's sitting opposite me and has already his eyes on me.

"You'll be fine," he assures me.

"I think I will be. I mean I've never seen someone die on a Ferris wheel, or have they? I don't think I've heard the news. There would be if something like that ever happened. Wait. I think I remember—"

Heath shuts me up by kissing me.

The cabin starts moving up and my heart goes down.

I reach for him, and my hand lands over his chest where his steady heartbeats drum under my palm.

Suddenly, he's all I can focus on.

He tucks my hair behind my ear. "You're safe with me, Rose."

"I know," I say.

"There's nothing I wouldn't do to protect you."

A silly thought crosses my mind. "But I can't protect you."

The Ferris wheel is going up but I'm too engrossed in our conversation to look out.

"You don't have to protect me. I can do it myself. However, you can tend to my wounds."

"I can do that."

"Yeah."

Our gazes lock, and in his eyes, I see everything I wanted to see. Lights, people, town, and the sky. There is everything.

"You're so beautiful," I whisper.

His breathing gets deeper.

I touch his face with my finger and trace his cheek, lips, nose, and forehead. There's no flaw.

"So very beautiful." My finger stops at his lower lip.

I lean forward and peck his lips which taste like cotton candy and warmth.

"Look out," he says.

I stare down and my heart dives into my stomach.

We're so high up that everything looks small. I take in the sky and the stars. In the distance, the hills stand tall and hidden in darkness. It's all so beautiful from up here. I can't believe it.

When our cabin goes down, gravity lurches for my heart. I quickly grab Heath.

"Did you feel the fall?" I ask.

When he doesn't reply I find him staring at me with a dark look that has my insides melting into liquid.

He looks bewitched by me. As if he looks away from me he won't be able to breathe.

No guy has ever looked at me like he's looking at me right now.

I don't want there to be another guy. I want it to be him. Always and only him.

The ride ends and we're the first to get out.

On the sidelines, we wait for Marie and Sebastian who are the last ones.

Sebastian hunches over a trash can while Marie rubs his back.

"Are you okay? Here, drink water." She holds the bottle to his mouth, all the while rubbing his back.

He washes his mouth before saying, "Fuck! I hate it. Why do they have to spin me like that?"

"Come here, babe." Marie wraps him in her arms. Tucking his head in her hair he relaxes.

"The fireworks are about to start. Let's all sit somewhere," Marie suggests.

Every bench is occupied by families or groups of friends. So instead, we settle on the ground, away from the eyes of our classmates.

I yawn and try to find something to lean against but there's nothing.

"Come here," Heath whispers against my temple.

Opening his legs, he helps me sit between them. I lean against him. My head is over his shoulder and my back is against his hard chest.

I sigh in relief and close my eyes. "I get it now."

"What?"

"Why people come here. I never had so much fun." I yawn and try to hide it, but my arms are noodles.

"Sleep, Rose."

"I don't want to kiss the fireworks."

"You can't kiss the fireworks."

"I meant miss. I don't want to miss the fireworks."

"You can barely keep your eyes open."

"Is that a challenge?"

He chuckles. "I'm getting convinced you have a split personality when you're tired and sleepy."

"I do not."

"You do."

"Challenge accepted. I won't miss the fireworks."

"I challenge you to sleep."

"Challenge rejected."

Heath laughs, making his chest shake against my back.

"When does it start?"

Just then the noise of the fireworks bursts through the air and a silence falls over the crowd.

I watch the kaleidoscope of bright colors fill the sky and brighten it up. It's a beautiful sight. I can't put it into words.

I further lean against Heath, and he wraps an arm around me.

When the last spark dies out, I turn my head. "Take me home."