Page 32 of Not the Puck Bunny

The car stopped at the very top of the rollercoaster.

Chapter Thirteen

Andi

“Well…shit.”I looked straight down into the deep blue water.

We were a long way up. I hoped like hell they didn't expect us to climb out and jump. I wasn't sure if I could. I was trying to grab life by the horns and enjoy it, but this was too big a leap, literally and figuratively.

“At least we're not hanging upside down,” Cam remarked. He peered past me, into the water.

“That makes me feel a little bit better,” I admitted.

“Only a little bit?” He gave me a slight smile, broad enough to pop a dimple in his cheek.

I told myself my racing heart was due to beingstuck here, on a bright green carriage at the top of a rollercoaster neither of us had ridden.

I quickly realized why I'd never been on the ride before now. I was held back by my perfectly rational fear of being stuck at the top of a rollercoaster. It was the universe telling me not to take risks. I should have opted for the cotton candy and a giant teddy bear.

A few minutes on the ground with a friend should have been enough. I was furious with my mother and that led me to do something irrational. Something I was now starting to regret.

“I mean, we're still stuck here,” I said. “I've seen videos of people who were stuck for hours. What if that happens now? We could be up here all night.” My voice rose higher with every word.

“The view is stunning.” He gestured around us, but his gaze was on me. “The sun is setting. We'll have a bird’s eye view of a beautiful sunset.”

“I'm more worried we'll have a bird’s eye view of a beautifulsunrise,” I said.

The plastic seat wouldn't be comfortable all night. Sooner or later, we'd get hungry and thirsty. And need to pee.

“We won't be up here that long. Right now,they're working on a way to get us down.” He sounded sure of that.

I leaned against him and tried to ignore the way the carriage rocked in the breeze. “Can I tell you something?”

“Of course.” He put his arm around me and cupped my shoulder with his big hand. “Anything. Right now, you have my undivided attention.”

I snorted softly. “It's not like you can get up and walk away.”

“That's true,” he said. “You might as well spill.”

“This might come as a surprise to you,” I said dryly, “but I don't really like not being in control. Sitting here and waiting for help, it's…" I shook my head.

“Difficult?” he offered. “Slightly helpless? I feel all of that too. But you know what, I'm just going to enjoy this. How often do you get to sit out here over the ocean? The air smells clean up here. There's no hustle and bustle of people. No coach to yell at me. No one wanting to take a selfie with me.”

“So if I ask for a selfie, the answer is no?” I couldn't help asking.

“If you want to take a selfie, the answer is yes,” he said. “But you'renot?—"

“A puck bunny,” I finished for him. “What if I was?”

“I wouldn't be up here with you if you were,” he said. His voice was suddenly tighter. Guarded.

“What happened?” I asked softly. I guessed he got burned, but I didn't know why or by whom.

“You still haven't googled me?” he asked.

“No, should I have?” I asked.

He pulled his phone out of his back pocket, turned on the screen and entered his name into a search engine. Without a word, he handed me the phone.

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