We lurched upwards a notch and I let out a squeal. Caeden grabbed my hand and with his other cupped my cheek. “Sophie, it’s going to be okay. It’s too late to get off now.”
“I can’t do this, I can’t do this, I can’t do this,” I muttered under my breath.
Caeden bit his lip and I knew he was trying really hard not to laugh at me. I appreciated the effort.
“Here,” Caeden said, wiggling around in the rickety seat.
I screamed. “Stop! Don’t do that!”
“Sorry,” Caeden said. “I just thought you might feel better if you tucked your face into my shoulder.”
“That might be better,” I let him put his arm around me. The seat shook again and I screamed.
Someone said, “Shut that girl up!”
Caeden growled and nothing else was said.
“Sophie, why didn’t you tell me you’re afraid of heights?”
I stiffened in his arms. “Because, it’s a silly fear,” I mumbled into his shirt.
“No, it’s not,” he said, rubbing soothing circles on my back.
“It is,” I said. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize,” he said and kissed the top of my head. “Silly girl, you have nothing to be sorry for.”
The seat continued to lurch upward and shake. “This wouldn’t be so bad if it would just stop
shaking!
”
Caeden couldn’t contain his laughter any longer and his body began to shake which then shook the seat and me.
I screamed again and bit down on my fist to muffle the sound.
“Sophie, I’m so sorry,” he said.
“Not your fault,” I said into his shirt, which muffled my voice.
“Yeah it is. I should’ve known.”
“And I should’ve said something. That makes me the dumbass. Not you.”
“That may be true,” he said and even though I couldn’t see his face I knew his lips were quirked at the corners.
Time seemed to go on forever before my feet touched the ground. “Oh thank God!” I cried and held onto Caeden’s arm as a wave of dizziness overtook me.
“Why don’t we head somewhere safe?” he pointed to a food stand.
“That’s probably the best idea,” I said and tried to quell the queasiness in my stomach. I
did not
want to throw up all over Caeden.
Caeden sat me down at a table and came back with
a ginger
ale and caramel popcorn. I opened the can and stuck in a straw. “Sip this,” he said, “it’ll make you feel better.”
I took the can from him and did as he said. Within minutes my stomach had settled. “Thanks,” I smiled.
He leaned over, putting his hand on my face, and tracing my cheek with his thumb. “I will
always
take care of you.”
“I’ve never doubted that for a second.”
He was leaning in to kiss me when Bryce showed up.
“Hey ya’ll, you’ll never believe what I just heard! Apparently some girl totally flipped out on the Ferris wheel.”
I paled.
“Oh God, it was you wasn’t it?” he looked at me and busted out laughing. “It figures.”
Charlotte sat down beside me and in her quiet voice said, “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” I said.
Bryce was still bent over in laughter so Caeden kicked his knee, knocking him to ground. Bryce fussed, “What was that for?”
“What do you think?”
“It was
funny
,” Bryce cried.
“You know what else will be funny?” Caeden smiled charmingly.
“What?” Bryce asked and his eyes narrowed.
“When you show up to school on Monday with a black eye.”
“You wouldn’t,” Bryce said.
“Oh I would,” Caeden grinned and leaned back in his seat, his hands behind his head.
“You suck! I swear, I’m never allowed to have any fun around you! Fun sucker that’s what you are!”
“Dramatic much?”
Caeden quirked a brow.
“You always did look like a girl as a baby. Is there something you’d like to let me know?”
“I did not look like a girl,” Bryce said between gritted teeth. “I just had luscious hair, don’t be
hatin
’.” Bryce sat down next to Charlotte and took her hand in his. She looked up at him and for the first time I could truly see the love between them. It was sweet.
“Want some?” Caeden offered me the bag of caramel popcorn.
“Sure,” I took a handful. Yum.
As I was munching Caeden said, “Are you going to name the panda?”
I looked over at the panda sitting in a chair next to him. I shrugged. “You should name him, you’re the one that won him.”
Caeden pondered. “Perry.”
“Perry? Perry the Panda?”
“See? It has a nice ring to it.”
Bryce snorted and stood. “Charlotte and I are going
to go on one of the rides before you make me ill.”
I laughed. “You should hear some of the stuff that comes out of your mouth that makes
me
ill.”
Bryce shook his head. “Pure
awesomness
is what comes out of my mouth. I just have a way with words.”
Charlotte shook her head, her red hair flaming around her. She gave me a look that said, ‘See what I have to deal with?’
I smiled and twirled my straw around the can.
“Hey!” Caeden called to someone over my shoulder. He waved them over. I turned and saw Logan.
Logan sat down and said, “What’s up with you guys?”
“Nothing much,” I said.
“Did you hear about the girl-
”
I held up my hand to stop him. “It was
me
.” Then, I added under my breath, “Man, news travels fast around here.”
“Small town,” Logan said. “Everybody knows everything.”
“I wouldn’t say everything,” smiled Caeden. “So, how’ve you been? We haven’t seen you around much,” he clapped Logan on the back.
Logan shrugged. “I’ve just been…”
“Dealing?” I sent him a sympathetic glance. After all, only a few months ago I’d been in his position and I was far from being over it. I tried to put on a brave face and act like it didn’t affect me but that wasn’t the case. I fingered my scar.
Liar.
Caeden was unaware of the nightmares that haunted me. The vision of Travis looming
over me and Peter draining my blood until there
was nothing left. All I could do was deal with it.
“Yeah,” Logan said, looking at me through long pale blond eyelashes. His green eyes were paler than usual with dark circles underneath. His pale skin was lighter than
normal too.
I reached out and patted his hand. He snatched it back as soon as my skin touched his. “So
rry,” he said. “I didn’t mean t
o. I know you-”
“It’s okay,” I held up a hand, “believe me, I understand.”
“Yeah, I guess you do,” he picked at the frayed knee of his jeans. “
You’ve
handled everything a lot better than I am.” He swallowed and glanced at the darkening sky.
“I had Caeden,” I shrugged. “If I hadn’t had him I don’t know how I’d act. I certainly wouldn’t have handled it as well.
”
Caeden reached across the table and took my hand. We were both reliving memories that haunted us.
“Well, I’m alone,”
Logan
said. “Always alone.”
“No you’re not,” I
cried. “You have us.
Your pack.
Your sister.
You can talk to us Logan. Especially me, I understand.”
He ran his hand over his face. “It just sucks because they’re right.”
“About what?” I raised an eyebrow.
“I am an abomination.”
“No you’re not,” I said with conviction.
“They kill gays,” Logan’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “I’m just going to end up dead.”
I wanted to smack Logan over the head for his pessimistic attitude.
“Caeden and I will never let that happen. Neither will Bentley, Bryce, Charlotte, and Christian. We love you Logan.”
Logan’s eyebrows
raised
. “I don’t see how you can love me. I’m not exactly the nicest person.”
“That may be true,” I shrugged and then gasped when Caeden kicked me under the table. I sent him a glare. “But we do love you.”
His lips lifted in a small smile. It was the biggest smile I’d ever seen him give. “I’ll try to be nicer,” he said.
I laughed. “I don’t care if you’re nice or not. I just want you to be
you
. No more pretending. I think it’s time we all got to know the real Logan
Lyke
.”
“What if I don’t know
who
the real me is?” he asked.
“Then I guess you better find yourself,” I smiled.
“Find myself,” he murmured. He smacked his hand on the table and stood, smiling. This was a real smile and I found myself smiling back. “I’ll see ya’ll later,” he said and melted into the crowd.
I looked over at Caeden. “This is turning out to be some night,” I said.
He laughed. “And it’s not over yet.” He picked up Perry and said, “I think we should drop this thing off at the car and walk around. No more Ferris wheel, I promise.”
“Sounds good,” I stood and stretched. “But don’t call him a thing. His name is Perry.”
Caeden shook his head, laughing at me. He grabbed Perry and tossed the panda over his shoulder.
“Car’s this way,” he nodded when I headed in the opposite direction.
“Oh right. Sorry,” I blushed.
Caeden put Perry in the driver’s seat of Stella Jr. and went as far as to buckle him up.
“If Bryce gets mad and rips Perry to pieces I’m going to rip
you
to pieces,” I smiled.