someone had pressed the mute button, the world
came to life again. People were laughing and chatting happily. The safety lifted
up, and Victoria finally looked at the man sitting next to her. Pure excitement
had settled into his blue eyes.
He jumped off his seat and screamed, “Wow, that was .
. . Let’s do this again!”
The adrenaline had wiped the panic away and replaced
it with a bubbly feeling of freedom and joy. Victoria just gazed at him, unable
to move. Ian sensed her uneasiness. “Do you need help?”
She shook her head. Ian stepped closer. “What’s
wrong?” A growing concern seeped through his voice. She made an effort to get
up, but her wobbly feet betrayed her. Fast like a lightning bolt, he lunged
forward and supported her weight. “Jesus, V, let me get you out of here.”
Her body shivered when his hands wrapped around her
waist, and a deep sigh escaped her lips. He looked at her out of the corner of
his eye, and something told him that the damn ride wasn’t the reason for her
sickness. His grip tightened. Suddenly the noise surrounding them had become
deafening. He wanted nothing more than to be alone with her, to kiss her pale
face and make her feel better.
The heat radiating from his body made her
uncomfortable. “Let me go,” she managed to say with a meek voice. He ignored
the request. “Ian,” she repeated, “please.”
Making his way through the crowd, Ian finally reached
the exit, took a quick look at the surroundings, and headed to a nearby bench.
He made her sit, and turned away. “I’ll bring some water. Don’t move!”
Victoria stared blankly at his back. A flash of anger
rose deep inside her. A madness. She had sacrificed her love with the hope to
keep their friendship intact. Why was he playing around? Why was he setting booby
traps? Now, one wrong word or gesture was capable of destroying everything they
had built. She saw him running toward her, and her heart jumped.
“Here, drink!” He shoved a plastic bottle in her face.
She frowned, avoiding his eyes, but took the water and gulped the cold liquid.
The moment of the clash had come. She opened her eyes and looked firmly at him.
Ian’s face was worried, gentle, a bit tense, but his eyes sparkled with ill-conceived
anticipation. He kneeled in front of her and touched her thighs. “Feeling
better?”
The compassion in his voice almost melted her
determination away. Victoria nodded. She couldn’t speak, not yet. He sat next
to her and pulled her into a tight embrace. “You scared me.” His words came
muffled through her hair. Her body stiffened, and he pulled away. “What’s
wrong?”
It might have been a simple question, but the answer
was not. She looked at him and let all of the emotions boiling in her heart to
the surface. Love, fear, insecurity, and passion mixed with a pinch of anger
flashed in her deep-green eyes. He gazed at her, mesmerized, slowly taking her
expression in.
A sudden realization made him jump. “Oh. My. God.” He
stood up and made several steps in the opposite direction before walking back.
“It wasn’t the ride that made you sick, was it? It was me; what I said.” He sat
next to her once more, avoiding her eyes. After several long seconds, he faced
her with a sheepish expression. “I kind of hoped for a better reaction. You are
the first woman that I made feel sick. My ego is officially wounded.” He smiled
insecurely.
Victoria blinked, surprised by his humor. “Please
don’t make jokes out of it.”
Ian grabbed her hands. “We don’t have to do this right
now,” he pleaded. “We can talk at home. Why not enjoy the rest of the day?”
“You cannot drop a bomb and then walk away without
consequences.”
Ian sighed. The park was full of people who didn’t pay
much attention to both of them, but still, he felt overexposed. He looked
around, searching for a solution. He knew Victoria well enough to recognize the
stubborn look on her face. He stood up. “Fine. Come with
came to life again. People were laughing and chatting happily. The safety lifted
up, and Victoria finally looked at the man sitting next to her. Pure excitement
had settled into his blue eyes.
He jumped off his seat and screamed, “Wow, that was .
. . Let’s do this again!”
The adrenaline had wiped the panic away and replaced
it with a bubbly feeling of freedom and joy. Victoria just gazed at him, unable
to move. Ian sensed her uneasiness. “Do you need help?”
She shook her head. Ian stepped closer. “What’s
wrong?” A growing concern seeped through his voice. She made an effort to get
up, but her wobbly feet betrayed her. Fast like a lightning bolt, he lunged
forward and supported her weight. “Jesus, V, let me get you out of here.”
Her body shivered when his hands wrapped around her
waist, and a deep sigh escaped her lips. He looked at her out of the corner of
his eye, and something told him that the damn ride wasn’t the reason for her
sickness. His grip tightened. Suddenly the noise surrounding them had become
deafening. He wanted nothing more than to be alone with her, to kiss her pale
face and make her feel better.
The heat radiating from his body made her
uncomfortable. “Let me go,” she managed to say with a meek voice. He ignored
the request. “Ian,” she repeated, “please.”
Making his way through the crowd, Ian finally reached
the exit, took a quick look at the surroundings, and headed to a nearby bench.
He made her sit, and turned away. “I’ll bring some water. Don’t move!”
Victoria stared blankly at his back. A flash of anger
rose deep inside her. A madness. She had sacrificed her love with the hope to
keep their friendship intact. Why was he playing around? Why was he setting booby
traps? Now, one wrong word or gesture was capable of destroying everything they
had built. She saw him running toward her, and her heart jumped.
“Here, drink!” He shoved a plastic bottle in her face.
She frowned, avoiding his eyes, but took the water and gulped the cold liquid.
The moment of the clash had come. She opened her eyes and looked firmly at him.
Ian’s face was worried, gentle, a bit tense, but his eyes sparkled with ill-conceived
anticipation. He kneeled in front of her and touched her thighs. “Feeling
better?”
The compassion in his voice almost melted her
determination away. Victoria nodded. She couldn’t speak, not yet. He sat next
to her and pulled her into a tight embrace. “You scared me.” His words came
muffled through her hair. Her body stiffened, and he pulled away. “What’s
wrong?”
It might have been a simple question, but the answer
was not. She looked at him and let all of the emotions boiling in her heart to
the surface. Love, fear, insecurity, and passion mixed with a pinch of anger
flashed in her deep-green eyes. He gazed at her, mesmerized, slowly taking her
expression in.
A sudden realization made him jump. “Oh. My. God.” He
stood up and made several steps in the opposite direction before walking back.
“It wasn’t the ride that made you sick, was it? It was me; what I said.” He sat
next to her once more, avoiding her eyes. After several long seconds, he faced
her with a sheepish expression. “I kind of hoped for a better reaction. You are
the first woman that I made feel sick. My ego is officially wounded.” He smiled
insecurely.
Victoria blinked, surprised by his humor. “Please
don’t make jokes out of it.”
Ian grabbed her hands. “We don’t have to do this right
now,” he pleaded. “We can talk at home. Why not enjoy the rest of the day?”
“You cannot drop a bomb and then walk away without
consequences.”
Ian sighed. The park was full of people who didn’t pay
much attention to both of them, but still, he felt overexposed. He looked
around, searching for a solution. He knew Victoria well enough to recognize the
stubborn look on her face. He stood up. “Fine. Come with
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