Page 88 of Crash into me
I place my hand underneath my chin; he already knows he impresses me by just being himself. “Basketball?”
“Besides basketball.” A crooked grin lays on his face. “I’m good at riding and playing guitar, but sports were never my thing.”
“Okay … balloons?”
He nods, pulling me towards them. “Perfect.”
He has to be lying about sucking at sports because he throws all ten darts and pops a balloon every time.
“You can have anything you want.” The man gestures around.
“You pick,” I tell Foster, blushing. I’ve always wanted this moment. Where a boy takes me to a fair or something and wins me a bear that I’ll cherish forever. “She’ll take the big ass shark.” Foster grins, pointing up to a great white that dangles above the man’s head.
“No, I will not!” I cringe. He knows I hate them but God, do I love him.
Foster pats the stuffed shark’s head. “It will help you get over your fear.”
“I mean …” I look into the beady little eyes. “He’s kinda cute.”
We stop for hot dogs and candied pecans before Foster comes to a halt near a giant, ancient Ferris wheel with a hopeful gleam in his eyes.
I cringe away. “No freaking way.” I chew the last bite of my meal, suddenly wishing I had another one so I had an excuse to not get on this ancient monster.
He laughs. “So you’ll get on the back of a motorcycle …” He shakes his head. “Scratch that, you’ll literally race on a fucking motorcycle, but you’re scared of a little Ferris wheel?” He gestures up, up, up.
I stick my tongue out at him. “Well for someone freakishly tall like you, it’s not scary since you can just casually step off from the top.”
The wheel rolls around, letting off a woman with beautiful dark hair. She’s holding the hand of a little girl with matching hair.
“Was it terrifying?” I ask her.
She shakes her head. “I thought the same thing the first time I rode it.” She laughs to herself, a far-off memory making her cheeks flush. Her eyes roam over Foster, and a smile overtakes her face. “It’s perfect for date night.”
“Hey!” The little girl shouts to get my attention, and I look down at her. “My name’s Issa!”
“Hey there, Issa.” I grin.
Her mom extends her hand, “And I’m Scarlett.”
“Skyler.” I respond, grinning at the two of them.
Issa places her hands on her hips. “You should ride it. I’m not scared of it!”
The mother rolls her eyes at of sight of her daughter, and from the look of her glossy eyes, I can tell she got a little scared up there. “You’re so brave!” I tell her.
She grips a fluffy pink teddy bear and smiles up at me. “I know.”
The little girl eased my fears a tiny bit but as I peel my eyes up the massive ride, my stomach lurches. “I don’t know. It looks kind of”—I gulp—“scary.”
“It’s worth it,” the woman promises as she holds the hand of her little girl.
A tall man, with ink adorning his skin that matches his dark hair, walks out from an ice cream shop. “There’s Pierce.” She smiles at him as he walks beside a boy who’s a little older than Issa.
The little girl twirls around, catching sight of her big brother. “Ruben!” she exclaims, running toward him.
Scarlett gives me an apologetic smile. “Sorry!” She chases after her kids and runs up to give her husband a kiss.
“Wanna do this?” Foster turns to me, nodding towards the rickety Ferris wheel.