Total pages in book: 140
Estimated words: 135652 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 678(@200wpm)___ 543(@250wpm)___ 452(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 135652 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 678(@200wpm)___ 543(@250wpm)___ 452(@300wpm)
“I hate ring toss.”
“That’s because you suck at it.”
He pretends to be insulted, “I do not.” Determination comes across his features. “I guarantee I’ll beat you.”
“You couldn’t beat a rug.”
“Why would I want to?”
Good point. “Ring toss.”
“Dispose of the cloud of sugar,” he holds the pink candyfloss out to me. I take it, have another bite and throw the rest into a nearby rubbish bin. “Donut.”
“I’m not throwing away the donuts,” I gasp in feigned horror that he could even think about doing that. Donuts are the king food of carnivals. Well, it’s either donuts or hotdogs.
“No,” he taps his mouth.
“Oh,” I pick another from the bag and hold it to his mouth. He takes a bite, his eyes on mine.
“Thanks.”
“No problem.” I close the bag after giving him two more bites and popping the last piece into my mouth. He seems to shudder so I give him a pointed look. “What?”
“My mouth has touched that, yet you still eat it.”
I shrug and tuck the bag of donuts into my jacket pocket, “Do you have some kind of horrific virus I might contract?”
“No,” he pulls a face to show how genuinely disgusted he is at the thought.
“Then I’m sure I’ll survive. Now stop delaying the inevitable and watch me kick your arse at ring toss.”
He lets out a snort that makes me snort and to the ring toss we go.
******
“I had the disadvantage,” I grumble, glaring at the ground as I walk.
“Oh yeah? What’s that?” Nathan smiles looking far too proud of himself.
“The belly,” I pat my swollen stomach. “I can’t swing my hips during the toss like I used to.”
“Excuses.”
My mouth drops open, I refuse to take that, “It is a legitimate excuse.”
“In your world I believe it is,” he slides his hand down my arm, his hand stopping to circle my wrist. That’s weird. Not uncomfortable, but definitely weird. Is this his version of holding hands? Or is his arm aching from the ring toss, meaning he can’t be bothered to hold onto my bicep? “Ferris Wheel?”
“Will I be allowed?”
He shrugs, “Only one way to find out.”
We stand in the queue for fifteen minutes before we make it to the front. The guy looks at me, looks at my belly and opens the chain to let me through. Yay.
We sit in the not too sturdy looking metal seat and click the bar in place. I laugh when Nathan wipes at it with a napkin after squirting the metal with his hand sanitizer.
With us both in one car the fit is tight, or at least this is how I rationalise his arm around my shoulder. We start ascending slowly, the chill gets cooler the higher we get but I don’t mind. The arm around my shoulders is serving a purpose other than making me feel uncomfortable.
“I like the direction they’ve faced this. It’s beautiful, even in the dark,” I comment, looking out over the large fields that curve on the horizon. It’s not amazingly high, only sixty feet at best but it’s high enough for me to truly appreciate everything within viewing distance.
“I feel like a child up here,” he doesn’t say this with disdain, more like awe.
“Me too. Everything just vanished.”
“What vanished?” He turns to look at me as we finally reach the top.
I look into his beautiful light browns, for once not recognising them as Caleb’s but recognising them as Nathan’s, “Everything that we left down there.”
His eyes sparkle and his lips twitch, “You’re so strange.”
“Shut up,” The seat rocks slightly as I turn away from him and rest my head back against his shoulder. “Let’s just stay up here for an hour.”
“Too late, we’re descending,” he whispers and rests his chin on top of my head.
“Actually, that’s not such a bad thing. My bladder is chewing on itself.”
“Nice.”
“I thought so.”
He helps me off as soon as we reach the platform. By this point I’m bouncing continuously on the spot.
“I’ll just be over here,” Nathan says and points towards the main area. Whatever, too full in the bladder to care.
The ladies queuing push me to the front which is a relief, by the time I’d made it to the toilet I would have peed myself. Gross but true.
Now… where is he? Ah… what’s that he’s tucking into his jacket? Where’s my Superman bear?
“Where’s my bear?” I frown.
“Right, wait here,” he says and paces back to the Ferris wheel. I’m relieved to see him return with the bear, I don’t remember him leaving it there when we took our turn, but to be honest I was far too excited to pay attention. “Here,” he shoves the thing in my arms and grips my wrist again. “Let’s go.”
“But…”
“It’s late.”
“We’ve been here for an hour.”
He pinches the bridge of his nose and I know he’s had enough.
“Okay, let’s go.”
His soft eyes come to mine, “I’m sorry. I’m exhausted, I’ve been awake since midnight.”