Page 60 of From the Courtroom to the Court
"No way," Emily pushes her away with a smile and closes the trunk. "I'm dying to know where you're taking me."
Leah smiles as she watches Emily climb into the passenger seat and buckle up, happy as a child.
"Where are we going?" Emily asks when Leah sits beside her.
"I already told you," she says, putting on her sunglasses. "You'll know when we get there, so don't insist."
Emily's suspense lasts for the two hours it takes them to reach Myrtle Beach, and even then, she's wrong. When they walk through the doors of a five-star hotel to check in, Emily thinks they're going to spend the day relaxing on the beach and frowns, thinking Leah could have told her to pack swimwear in her suitcase, though fortunately, she's always prepared and did so anyway.
"I love it," Emily says when they enter their room, dropping her suitcase to dive onto the bed.
Leah watches her while approaching the terrace and drawing back the curtain from the window.
"I've never been to this area. We'll have to buy sunscreen, I didn't bring any. Did you bring swim—"
"Shut up, Emily," Leah cuts her off, making her eyes widen in surprise, "and come here," she orders, opening the terrace door.
Emily blinks with curiosity and gets up from the bed. Leah takes her hand as they step outside together and shows her the view. In front of them, the sea; to their right, an immense amusement park.
"That's where we're going," Leah says, pointing to the park.
Emily turns abruptly, excited.
"Really?" she asks, but before Leah can answer, she jumps on her, wrapping her legs around Leah's waist and kissing her so many times that the tennis player can't stop laughing.
Once inside the park, Leah feels like she can't keep up with Emily. Every attraction catches her attention, and she pulls Leah to wait in line and ride them. Leah isn't a fan of these types of parks, not even for strolling around and spending the day, but she has to admit that just seeing Emily's excited face and hearing her scream with pure joy at each place makes the effort worthwhile.
They exit a water ride—the only ones Leah actually enjoys—soaking wet and refreshed from the stifling heat, and continue walking until Emily stops in front of a roller coaster. Leah's stomach twists when she looks at the attraction; she doesn't like heights or the speed at which these contraptions move, but when she sees the expectation with which Emily waits for their turn, she's unable to tell her she'd prefer not to ride.
"We'll definitely dry off here," Emily comments, hugging her and kissing her neck as they advance in line.
Leah shivers in her arms and tells herself she can do it, that she'll close her eyes and wait for it to pass. But Leah can't.
Her stomach contracts when she looks down and sees how people turn into tiny figures as the cart climbs up the ramp. Cold sweat runs down her back and her legs tremble uncontrollably under the harness.
"Are you okay?" Emily asks without erasing her smile.
Leah is unable to answer and closes her eyes, but this only intensifies the feeling of instability. She opens them again, fixing them on a distant point on the horizon, trying to ignore the dizzying height while cursing herself for being so stupid to think she could handle it.
When the cart reaches the top, Leah holds her breath. The world stops. And then, the fall. Her body lifts from the seat, held only by the safety bars. The scream gets trapped in her throat while the wind hits her face, preventing her from breathing. Tears spring involuntarily from her eyes. Each turn and loop intensifies the horrible sensation that she's about to plummet into the void, and dizziness takes over, turning the landscape into a blurry smear of unrecognizable colors and shapes.
When it finally stops, Leah trembles so much she can barely stand up. She doesn't even understand Emily when she speaks to her, nor is she aware of how they exit the ride and stop in a slightly shaded area where Leah doubles over and ends up vomiting.
"Are you better?" Emily asks, accompanying her to some nearby benches to sit down.
Leah nods, and the lawyer pulls out a packet of tissues from her fanny pack and hands her one.
"I'm going to buy you a bottle of water, I'll be right back," Emily says, pointing to one of the stands.
Leah raises her head and looks at the sign showing what they offer.
"I'd prefer a lemon slushie if you don't mind."
"Of course, the sugar will be good for you. I'll buy water too."
Five minutes later, Emily returns with both drinks, and Leah already looks better.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have gone on the ride," she says, managing a smile. "I have vertigo."
