“Kinda.”
I am tempted to take her straight to the Ferris Wheel, so she’ll hopefully stay closer to me, but I don’t. “We’ll do the bumper cars first.”
“I’m a terrible driver,” she confesses.
I chuckle, and we get in line.
Audrey wasn’t kidding. She can’t drive for shit but the smile she wears while she keeps getting hit from all sides says she is taking it all in stride. I attempted to come to her aide a few times, but those middle school aged kids were brutal. I think it was their way of flirting with her and I can’t say that I blame them.
“I think you have a fan club,” I tell her as I help her from her car, nodding my head toward the group of giggling boys starting at us.
“Doubtful They are probably buzzing about my terrible driving skills.”
I want to tell her it is because she is so beautiful but refrain.
We make our rounds, riding the spider, the tilter whirl, and finally the Ferris Wheel.
“I don’t know if I can do this. That looks really high.” She stares up as the wheel rotates as people get off and new ones get on. “Will we be stopped up top like that?” Her face looks a little green.
“Possibly, but I’ll protect you.” I wink, and she blushes.
It’s our turn to get on and Audrey grabs my hand in her shaky clammy one. “Hey, we don’t have to if you’re scared,” I tell her in all seriousness.
She lets out a deep breath. “No, I want to.”
We sit on the bucket seats and Audre clings to me when we move forward, and our bucket starts to rock.
“Should it be moving like this?” She stares deep into my eyes and I wonder what she’d do if I kissed her? I can feel her breath on my neck as she leans into me. I hug her body closer to mine as we make our way back and around as the rest of the seats are filled.
We are stopped at the top looking out over the fair. All the lights and the noise would normally bother me but focusing on Audrey is keeping me in control.
“Wow.” She breathes the word out softly. “This is kinda incredible, isn’t it?” The wonderment of a child shines in her eyes and I am mesmerized by only her in this moment.
I tilt her chin in my direction, staring deeply in her eyes. “Thank you…for this.”
“No thanks needed.”
“It’s just I feel sorta weird.” Audrey turns away and the ride starts up. “For the first time since everything that happened, I’ve been able to get my mind off it and we are having such a good time…I feel…”
“Guilty,” I finish for her.
“Yeah,” she replies and the moment between us is lost.
“You ever had a funnel cake?” I ask once the ride is over.
“No.”
“Come on. You haven’t truly experienced the fair until you’ve eaten one and won a stuffed animal.”
We continue the night laughing, eating junk food, and playing games. I won her a fish in a bowl but being on my bike we have no way of getting it home. There’s a young girl trying desperately to win one for her little brother and I can’t help but grin when Audrey gives them ours.
“You have to promise me, you’ll take care of him,” she tells the pair going into a spiel about the proper care. One day she will make a great mother.
All the talk my family put into my head about Audrey keeps creeping its way in, worming a hole in my heart that can only be filled by her.
I shouldn’t want her, but I do.
The ride home is quiet, and I wish I knew what she is thinking.