Page 157 of Riding the Sugar High

“The valley.”

“Huh.” That’s the place Kyle wanted to take me to on my second night here. “Is it anactualvalley?”

“I guess. It’s a narrow strip of land between two hills.”

“And why is it special?” I ask. My boots sink in the mud, and with a grimace, I think of a much better question. Was a dinner date outside the realm of possibility?

“You ask too many questions, Barbie.”

“Will I even be able to see anything?” I insist. He’s only a step away, and I can’t see him—how does he expect me to enjoy this valley?

“Too many questions.”

“Fine.” I follow him for a while longer until he comes to a stop.

“Come.” He guides me closer, then settles both hands over my eyes. “We’re almost there.”

“I’d ask if my eyes need to be covered, but?—”

“Just walk.”

I amble along the uneven terrain until he tells me to stop, and I register a low buzzing in the background.

“Ready?”

Through the gaps in his fingers, I can see splashes of golden lights, and my heartbeat escalates as I try to identify the source. Fairy lights? Actual fairies? What the hell is going on? “Ready,” I say breathlessly.

When his warm fingers finally release me, I blink a few times, adjusting to the sudden light.

Then I see the breathtaking valley stretching before me, illuminated by countless twinkling, floating lights. Are those...“Fireflies?”

Logan nods, but I barely even notice the bob of his head. There must be thousands of them, flickering up and down, left and right. “They show up in spring, and they’re gone midway through the summer.”

My breath is suspended as I take it all in, my eyes filling with the sparkling and dancing movements of the magical creatures. “It’s like something out of a dream.”

“Hmm.” He walks closer and wraps both arms around me. I can’t look away from the fireflies but gently sink my fingers into his skin, anchoring myself to him. “I feel the same way when I look at you.”

With butterflies in my stomach, I twist to look up at him. “I love it. Thank you for showing it to me.”

“You’re welcome, Barbie.”

Turning back to the fireflies, I stand there, speechless, my eyes wide with wonder. Everything about this moment is perfect–almosttooromantic. It’s as if he brought me here to say those words—the ones he nearly said but then took back.

Though he has every right to take his time, I’ve been dying to hear them.

Logan clears his throat, his body tensing behind me, and my heart palpitates.

“Hey guys.”

I flinch as I turn to Kyle. Logan doesn’t seem surprised to see him, and at first, my shoulders slump. I thought he’d brought me here for something romantic, and he called his friend?

But then I notice he’s holding a cage, and with a gasp, I walk closer. “Oh my god! Are these—” I crouch, and Lola snorts as she saunters closer. “Itisyou! Hi, baby girl.” When Paco joins her side, I give them both a cuddle through the bars. “I missed you guys so much. You have no idea.”

I turn to Logan, who’s smiling fondly at me. “Come on! Come say hi.”

He lifts his chin in his friend’s direction, and with a wave, Kyle excuses himself and leaves.

Once Logan is kneeling beside me, he smiles down at the piglets. “Want to take them out?”

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