The Ice Cream Pact

Chapter Nine

"You paid for the apple and the cotton candy, I got it," she replied, and then flinched as we started to get lifted up. I chuckled at her startled reaction, and she playfully shoved me for it.

I noticed then how nice of a night out it was. Not too muggy and not too cold. There was a soft breeze that floated around us calmly, gently floating her hair one way and the other. It was almost as beautiful as she was.

Holy shit.. was this what Ashton meant when he would always complain about Crystal turning him cheesy?? If so, I didn't like it.

"So, tell me something," she turned to look at me, and I couldn't help but smile at her bright, almost magnetic expression. It honestly felt like my soul was just constantly being drawn to hers.

"About what?"

"Anything," she chuckled, and I gave her a slightly weird look.

"Okay, well, um," I paused to think, "I'm afraid of heights." I admitted, looking around at the ground below, which was getting farther and farther away.

"What? Really? You're not afraid of getting beat up at all but you're afraid of heights?"

"Totally. You can defend yourself against people, but you can't do anything against gravity," I pointed out, and she nodded at my reasoning. "Now you tell me something."

"About what?"

"Anything. Me, if you want," I replied, and she looked to be in thought for a moment, before turning a weary gaze up at me, a small grin playing on her lips.

"About you?" She grinned, and I nodded. She looked down, and when she met my eyes again, she seemed slightly more serious, but in a friendly, inviting sort of way. "Sorry if this sounds weird," she smiled again, "but I feel safe with you."

I didn't really know how to react to that one.

"And I don't know why, because half the time I see you, you either have busted knuckles or a target on your back," she laughed again, and I let myself, too. "But alas, I do. And there aren't very many guys that I would trust to be alone in a Ferris wheel seat with, or get in a car with," she added, and I smiled softly at her.

However, it faltered slightly when I realized that something might have happened to her in the past that made her so glad to feel this way. I was well aware of how terrible a lot of guys could be, but no girl had ever outright pointed out that they felt safe with me before. I guess I just figured that feeling safe should have been a given.

"Well, I'm glad. I feel safe with you, too," I said, feeling for some reason that it was the right thing to say. And her sincere smile made me think that it had been the right response.

She looked back down to the fair below us, and I couldn't stop myself from just looking over all of her beautiful features in the multi-colored lighting. She looked so goddamn gorgeous.

I wanted to just lean in and kiss her, but I wasn't going to let myself ruin this moment. Not for one second. She almost had a glow radiating around her, and I hoped that she didn't look over at me, because I wouldn't have been able to cover up my awe fast enough.

She shivered a little, and I noticed that she was in short sleeves. I offered my jacket, but she said it was fine, so instead I mustered up all the courage I could find in my pathetic self, and put my arm around her. I prayed that she couldn't feel my heart as it was hammering at 100 mph in my chest, or see my face as it heated up beyond belief.

At first, she had flinched away, but after a few moments, she leaned into me. I knew that Crystal had gone through some traumatic experiences that made her flinch away as reflex even till this day, and I hoped with all of my heart that that wasn't the case with Denise. I could have just startled her a little bit.