Page 31 of Thanks for Coming Along
"Did you manage to do it?" Eden raised an eyebrow.
"Nope, just blew my entire allowance on that rigged game and walked away without the prize." He shook his head ruefully.
"Sounds like a scam. Though, I've never been to a carnival before." Eden shrugged. Her childhood had been pretty far from typical—no sleepovers, no bike rides. Instead, she spent a lot of time alone, listening to music on the radio or watching the buskers in Central Park.
"Seriously? Get your shoes," Ronan said as he stood from the table, quickly cleaning up the Scrabble pieces and neatly placing them in the box. Eden blinked in surprise.
"Really?" Her eyes followed his every move as he sealed the Scrabble box and then grabbed her shoes, laying them out in front of her.
"I don't joke about the ring toss," he asserted with a determined gleam in his eye. "This is my redemption arc."
Thirty minutes later, they found themselves strolling along the Santa Monica Pier boardwalk. The wooden planks beneath their feet gave a slight bounce as the sound of the ocean waves crashed below. The pier was lit up with colorful signs for rides and attractions, lighting up the night. The Ferris wheel's flashing lights cast a bright glow over the dark Pacific Ocean, and a roller coaster cart whizzed by, its passengers' screams filling the air. As they passed the food carts, the sweet smell of cotton candy and funnel cakes wafted toward them.
Ronan brought their walk to a halt, and Eden turned her head to look at him with a curious gaze.
"Games or rides?" Ronan asked simply, his green eyes glittering under the colorful lights.
"Rides first," Eden replied, bumping her shoulder against his. "Gotta make sure I don’t puke up the funnel cake you’re buying me."
"Good plan. Though you might still vomit after this ride," Ronan replied with a laugh.
He pointed to a huge ship with a dragon's head and glowing green LED eyes. The giant ship swung back and forth in a huge 180-degree arc, and Eden could hear the excited screams of the riders floating through the air toward her. The sign was lit up in neon:"The Sea Dragon."
Eden swallowed hard, her stomach doing a flip. The thought of being on that thing in a few minutes made her want to wretch.
"Scared?" Ronan asked with a grin, his eyebrows raised.
"Of course not," she replied, her voice steady.
But deep down, she was terrified. She’d never let herself show it.
She had made a decision: vulnerability outside of the interview would only lead to disaster, so she vowed to only show her soft underbelly on camera, where it felt safer to open up. She’d been hurt too many times to count, and the memory of it was etched in her mind.
When the ship finally slowed to a stop, people started getting off. Some were grinning, looking exhilarated and laughing, while others looked queasy, their faces drained of color.
"Are you sure we want to do this?" Eden asked as she watched a girl puking in a nearby trash can. Ronan nodded his head while watching the same girl with concern.
"You have to try it at least once. It's awful and exhilarating and freeing all rolled into one."
"They say the same thing about Meth," Eden muttered under her breath. "Is ‘The Sea Dragon’ a gateway drug?"
"Where do you think they got "Puff the Magic Dragon" from?" Ronan said and pointed to the green dragon ride as he waggled his eyebrows.
As they reached the front of the line, the operator signaled for them to take their seats. They found a bench near the back of the ship and fastened their lap bars. The operator gave them a reassuring smile and a thumbs-up before securing the last lap bar. Eden's fingers trembled slightly as she clutched the bar over her lap.
"Well, I’m petrified. Might need you to hold my hand," Ronan said with a casual shrug, his reassuring smile softening the words.
"Is that why you brought me here? So you could hold my hand? You know, you can just ask next time," Eden teased, her playful tone doing its best to mask her own nerves.
"Hmmm. Good to know, Percy," Ronan replied, a small smile tugging at his lips.
Eden smirked at him, but her joy quickly vanished as the Sea Dragon slowly creaked to life, and a sense of unease settled in her stomach. She clenched her fists, her knuckles turning white around the bar, holding her legs in place. The ship began its gentle swaying motion, back and forth, and Eden felt her heart rate quicken. Ronan stole a glance at her, his eyes looking at her hands. He placed his hand over hers. She was scared enough that she flipped her hand up and squeezed his hand with force.
"It's going to be okay," he whispered lowly in her ear as the wind whipped her hair. His voice calmed her, and she eased back against the bench.
As the swings became more pronounced, rising higher with each pass, her nervousness gave way to a rush of adrenaline. Eden's hesitant smile turned into laughter. Her fear transformed into pure exhilaration as they soared toward the sky and then plummeted back toward the sea.
The laughter and shouts of the other riders blended into the background, but all Eden could focus on was Ronan sitting next to her. With every swing of the ship, their shoulders bumped, their thighs grazed, and each little touch sent a spark up her spine. His hand in hers was something else entirely—more thrilling than the swooping motion of the ride or the wind rushing past her ears.
