Page 122 of Sweet Temptation

There was something so enchanting about Halloween, and the carnival didn’t disappoint with the spooky atmosphere it created. The sound of rides and squeals of delight rang through the air, and when we walked past a fortune-telling tent, I heard a witch-like cackle from within. Everyone had gone to so much effort, and if my mom was only going to attend one school event this year, I was glad it was this one.

We bumped into Lily and her roommate Amber not far from the entrance. The two girls were dressed as hippies, and their outfits looked more appropriate for Coachella than Halloween. Mom gushed over how cute they looked and insisted they join us for food. I was somewhat glad for the company because my mom and Matthew were so busy chatting that, without my friends there, I was sure I’d have felt like a third wheel.

“I hear the haunted house is amazing this year,” Lily said as we munched on corndogs Matthew had bought us.

“The haunted house?” Amber scoffed. “It’s nothing compared to the soccer team’s booth. I’ll probably spend most of my night standing there drooling.”

“What are they doing?” I asked.

“They have a dunking booth,” Amber said. “Which means shirtless soccer players. Need I say more?”

“Probably not.” I laughed. “I’m surprised Sawyer hasn’t been bragging about it all week. He loves attention, and I imagine he’d love nothing more than to show off his abs.”

“I mean, have you seen his abs? I’d want to show them off too if I were him,” Amber gushed. “We should go check it out after we finish these corndogs.”

I glanced at Mom and Matthew. She was laughing again at something he’d said. The two of them were in their own little world. She’d practically forgotten I was here, but I wasn’t annoyed. Mom rarely took time off work to relax or socialize, and I liked seeing her so happy. It was nice to see her getting along so well with Matthew. They were both going to be a part of my life now, and it could only be a good thing if they were on friendly terms.

“Hey, Mom,” I said. “I’m going to go visit a few booths with the girls. Do you mind if I catch up with you guys later?” I’d considered asking Mom and Matthew to join us, but after all the girls’ talk of checking out shirtless soccer players, I wasn’t sure it was an experience I particularly wanted to share with my parents. Besides, they looked so content spending time together, and I wouldn’t be gone for long. We had the rest of the evening to explore the carnival together.

Mom smiled and shook her head. “That’s totally fine, Iz. You have fun with your friends.”

“I will.” I flashed her and Matthew a smile before I walked off with Lily and Amber.

“Your mom and dad are so nice,” Lily said once we were out of earshot. “I thought you said they hadn’t seen each other since before you were born?”

“They haven’t,” I replied. “But they do seem pretty relaxed around each other.”

“Definitely,” Lily agreed. “I never would have guessed they weren’t a couple or at the very least close friends.”

“And they look so cute together,” Amber added. “Are you thinking of trying to parent trap them?”

“That’s the last thing on my mind. They’re very different people with very different lives. I don’t think they’d work out, even if they were interested in each other that way.”

“That’s a shame,” Lily said.

I shrugged as though I didn’t care either way, but that wasn’t really true. Until now, I hadn’t really thought much about my parents’ relationship and what it would be like when they saw each other again. Now that they were reunited, it was clear there was something between them. The slight glow of an ember from a fire that burned out long ago. I wondered if they had noticed it too. Even if they had, there was no denying I was right about them being different people from different worlds. Surely it couldn’t work, could it?

“Oh, is that the kissing booth?” Amber asked, saving me from my thoughts. I looked up as we rounded a corner and saw Cress’s booth up ahead. It looked amazing, and Sawyer’s sign was even more impressive when it was lit up at night.

“Yep, that’s it. Though they’ve called it a kiss or scare booth,” I said. “It’s pretty much a game of chance. You don’t know if you’re getting a kiss or something else.”

“Oh, sounds fun,” Amber replied. “We should give it a go, Lil.”

“Maybe later,” Lily said, refusing to meet Amber’s gaze. I didn’t blame her for being hesitant. Lots of people were standing around watching, and they burst into cheers and laughter when the blindfolded contestant spun the wheel and it landed on scare.

Cress was manning the booth, and she grinned as she pulled a guinea pig from a cage behind her and offered it out to the poor unsuspecting victim to kiss. The guy leaned forward and then flinched away when his lips brushed against fur. He pulled the blindfold off and burst out laughing when he saw what Cress was holding.

“Oh my gosh, is that Kaden?” Amber said. “Surely, he doesn’t need a kissing booth to get a girl to kiss him?”

Amber was right. I hadn’t recognized Kaden with the blindfold on. I smiled as I watched him talking with Cress. They were laughing nervously as Cress returned the guinea pig to its cage and Kaden pulled out another ticket. As he handed it to Cress, I swear I could see his hand shaking slightly, and her cheeks flushed prettily in response. She nodded toward the blindfold, but Kaden shook his head. Instead, he reached over and took her hand, placing a gentle kiss across the back of it. Cress almost fainted.

Kaden gave her one last smile before he got up from his seat and left the booth. Cress was frozen, her mouth hanging slightly open in shock as she watched Kaden walk away. Then she shook her head and got up from her seat before the next person in line could sit down. She beckoned to Anna to take her spot, and Anna happily obliged.

Cress was pacing back and forth at the side of the booth as we walked over to her.

“Oh my gosh, Isobel, did you see that?” she said as we approached. “Kaden just kissed my hand. He kissed it!”

She usually tried her best to act like she didn’t have a crush on Kaden, but she was totally failing right now.

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