Page 44 of Gone for You

When we make it to the front, we climb into the bucket and I pull her close, remembering that she didn’t come outright and say she was comfortable with heights during one of our phone calls. Or maybe it was a text conversation. I’m not sure anymore. They all kind of blend together in a blur of month-long blue balls on my part. It’s weird, but the time we spent apart actually brought us closer together. She’s intriguing to me and I’m finding myself falling even faster.

The Ferris wheel jerks and we begin to ascend. Her arms wrap around my waist, head rests on my shoulder. I’m grateful we’re in a glass cage and not out in the open weather. “This isn’t so bad.”

I kiss the top of her head, something I’ve done countless times these past few days. There’s something about having her close that brings me comfort and peace and I know I’ll miss it when I go back home tomorrow. Which I’m dreading. For the first time since I bought The Flying Goat, I wish I wasn’t a business owner. Sure, I can trust Rex and Penny to run the place while I’m gone but I left on a whim and we have a busy weekend ahead. It’s May, the weather is getting warmer, which means people are leaving their houses and getting back into the land of the living more.

Every year, we have a big event where we open our back patio for the warm months. We smoke a bunch of meat and the smell alone draws people in. It’s all hands-on deck for the entire weekend and I have to be there. But I also couldn’t stay away from Liv any longer.

The wheel turns slowly, the sun is setting in the distance, the view picture-worthy. It’s perfect and I’m glad I dragged her out of the apartment to experience this with her. It’s not hard to miss how easy our connection is physically, but we can spend time together outside the bedroom just as easily.

I don’t know what the future holds between us but I do know that I hope we can figure it out.

When we’re at the top of the wheel, it pauses. I lift her chin and kiss her. “I like this,” I murmur against her lips, letting my fingers fiddle with the ends of her hair.

“What?” she asks.

“Being with you.”

Her eyes soften and she answers by kissing me firmly, reaching a hand up to play with the back of my neck.

“Me, too. So much so that it’s a little scary.”

“Don’t be scared. No pressure, Liv. Let’s just let it happen how it’s gonna happen.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“I can do that.”

I hope I can, too.

Chapter 20

Ethan

“What are you watching?”

“Horrible Bosses.”

“Again?”

“Jason Bateman, Ethan. Jason. Freaking. Bateman.”

“You like him?”

“No. I love him.”

“Wow. I mean, I’ve heard of women having crushes on a lot of celebrities but never him.”

“More for me, then.”

“Oh my gosh. Now who’s the dork?”

“What can I say? You’re rubbing off on me,” she says laughing.

“I’d like to rub something on you.”

“Well this turned weird super-fast.”

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