Page 76 of Fault Lines
When we spilled out of the ride, my cheeks ached from smiling. I’d always been scared of rides like that, but something inside me had shifted; I wanted more.
We walked for a while, soaking in the sights, until Nate paused in front of a shooting game booth. The man in charge must have stepped straight out of some carnival cartoon, complete with handlebar mustache.
“Step right up, folks!” he bellowed. “That pretty little lady deserves a big prize. Impress her, son!”
Nate grinned shamelessly as he paid for a chance at the water gun game. He flashed me his dimple just before the round started, then zeroed in on the blinking targets, fingers quick and sure. A handful of seconds and he’d outshot all the competition, three games in a row.
“Ladies and gentlemen, tonight’s big winner!” the carnie crowed. “What’ll it be?”
Nate pointed at the largest black-and-purple unicorn on the rack. I snuggled the plush close to my chest, unable to suppress a burst of laughter.
“I love it!” I told him.
His eyes sparkled. “It’s magical, like you.”
I carried the unicorn like a trophy as Nate swept through game after game, somehow dominating every single one.
“How are you this good?” I demanded, slurping lemonade from a paper cup. “I thought these were rigged.”
He shrugged. “Some of them are. But I worked the fair as a teenager. Learned the tricks.”
“Did they pay well?”
He snorted. “Not even a little. But you got free food and rides, and plenty of practice at the games. Plus”—he shot me a lopsided grin, almost shy—“the girls liked it. Met my first girlfriend running the Ferris wheel. She kept coming back ‘til she confessed she had a crush.”
We paused by a food truck, where Nate paid for my lemonade before I could argue. “You just started dating her?” I asked.
He nodded. “She was hot, I was a nerd—it worked. Until college. We drifted.”
“How long did you date?”
He thought about it. “About two years. We met when I was a junior.”
I grimaced at my lemonade. “Sour,” I muttered.
“Speaking of Ferris wheels…” Nate gestured at the huge silhouetted wheel nearby. “Want to go for a spin?”
I nodded and followed him. The line was mercifully short, and we ended up with a car all to ourselves, the doors closing us off from the rest of the world.
As the gondola rose into the night, I found myself oddly content. “I’m glad I came out with you tonight,” I admitted. “It’s a lot of fun. Beats sitting home alone.”
He tucked a stray piece of hair behind my ear as we reached the top of the arc. The entire fair sprawled below us, glowing in miniature.
“It’s nice up here,” I breathed.
When I looked over, he wasn’t even looking at the view; he was watching me, his smile soft and unguarded. I felt an impulse, sharp as the first taste of sugar: if I leaned in, I could have closed that inch between us. But kissing was not part ofthe arrangement. I didn’t want to break any more rules than I already had.
My phone buzzed. I pulled back, fished it out, and glanced at the screen. Rachel.
Girl… where is Cam right now?
I frowned. I’d told her he had a business trip this weekend. In Las Vegas.
On his work trip. In Vegas. Why?
She responded immediately.
Because I’m in Las Vegas. And so is your husband. But it sure doesn’t look like he’s on a work trip to me.
