Just Pretend

Chapter 19 - Churros & Ferris Wheels

Noah takes off his hoodie and hands it to me.

"Here, wear this. It's heavier than your dress." He tells me.

"But you'll be cold." I reply.

"I'll be fine baby, just wear the hoodie."

"But-"

"Please." He asks and I begrudgingly pull the hoodie over my head. It's way too big on me, even bigger than my dress. Noah pulls the hood down and smooths the top of my head then quickly pulls me into him kissing the side of my head.

"Thank you." I smile up at him. The small gestures he makes never go unnoticed. "I love you." A smile spreads on Noah's lips.

"I love you. Let's go find some churros, that way we'll find Nick too." Noah laughs and we make our way to the churro stand. Sure enough Nick is standing next to the stand waiting on his order.

"You guys getting churros too?" Nick asks as he's handed his churro.

"Seems that way." I reply and Noah gets our churros for us.

"They slap." Nick tells me as he starts to eat his. The smell reminds me of back home when my grandparents would take me on holiday to a beach town in the summer and we would get fresh donuts. Noah hands me my churro and takes a bite of his.

"Thank you." I say as we make our way around the pier taking in our surroundings, munching on our churros.

"What's the verdict?" Noah asks me once I've finished eating.

"They remind me of childhood. They're hella yummy." I reply and we stop at the ferris wheel. "Can we go on?" I ask them, neither object so we join the line for the wheel.

"I don't know if I wanna be trapped in a box, in the air with you guys." Nick says as we approach the front of the line.

"Well I don't know if I wanna be trapped in a box with you and Noah but here we are. I'll take my chances." I smirk back at Nick who puts his hands to where his heart is pretending to be wounded.

"Ouch." He mumbles just as I turn to pay for the wheel and we make our way to our carriage. Noah and I take one side and Nick sits on the other. He has a glint in his eye and is looking around to see if the other carriages are full.

"Don't you fucking dare." I warn Nick and he scoffs. "I don't know what you're thinking but don't." I continue.

"You two are like children." Noah laughs just as our carriage starts to lift.

"Aren't you glad we get along?" Nick asks.

"Yeah it's great. You know I value your opinion." Noah says to Nick making him smile.

"Did you guys talk about me before we went official?" I ask Noah and Nick nods.

"Ofcourse, he's my best friend." A smile plays on my lips. I like that they spoke about me, it makes me wonder if they spoke about me the same way I spoke to Cassidy about Noah. With excitement of what might be, with a knowing feeling that it was the start of something good. Noah's hand finds mine and our fingers lace together just as the carriage lifts even higher, finally stopping at the top of the wheel.

"This is unreal." The boys nod, probably thinking that I'm talking about the view but I'm not.

It's unreal that this right here is my life. I feel euphoric. I left my shit town, I made it to California with the help of Noah letting me stay with him. I'm living the dream I wanted since I was a child. I've got published work selling in stores. I'm writing a new novel the way I always wanted to. I've made new friends amongst meeting Noah and I have the most wonderful relationship.

"I love you." I whisper to Noah and quickly kiss him.

"I love you too." He gently replies and Nick pretends to vomit.

"love you too Nicholas." I sarcastically say and Nick smirks.

"Love ya too. You won't love me in a second Mar." Nick says his smirk still planted on his face as he begins to rock the carriage.

"Told you we'd be babysitting." Noah laughs, Nick still rocking the carriage.

"Ay!" One of the workers shouts up at us finally making Nick stop.

"Boring." Nick stops rocking the carriage looking genuinely really disappointed that his fun has been put to a stop. We take photos at the top of the wheel and I'm a little sad once we're back on the ground.

"That was fun." I say taking Noah's hand as he helps me out of the carriage.

"Where to next?" Nick asks and I shrug.

"Arcade?" Noah suggests, Nick nods almost instantly.

"Sounds good, maybe I'll finally get that third round of air hockey." I smile.

"It's on Margo." Noah smiles back at me as we head towards the arcade.

*

We're in the car going back home "Play God" by Sam Fender blasts through the speakers. I again beat Noah at air hockey and Nick, although Noah did beat Nick when they played against each other. Noah won me a stuffed black cat with a red heart for a nose in the claw machine. Then we played a couple classic arcade games before we decided to leave.

"That was so fun, I wanna go back already." I say making Noah and Nick laugh.

"We will." Noah tells me and gently squeezes my thigh.

"I have a date tonight so pick up the pace." Nick says from the back seat. My head whips round to look at him.

"Thats so exciting! Who is it?" I can't help going all girly on him, Noah chuckles next to me but keeps his eyes on the road. Nick stares at me like he's cautious he'll overshare.

"Just some chick he keeps hooking up with but won't commit to." Noah quickly looks up to the mirror and even though he's got his sunglasses on you can tell he's glaring at Nick.

"I like her but we went on tour. It made it hard. Now I'm back we'll see what happens." Nick replies matter of fact.

"Yeah, sure." Noah's eyes now firmly back on the road.

"You guys do love to give relationship advice to each other." I joke and Nick nods.

"Nick should follow his own advice." Noah says as "Lighthouse" by Mallory Knox starts to play.

"Are you scared of commitment?" I ask Nick making him frown slightly.

"I don't know what it is... it's like I panic. It's easier to keep people at arms length so you don't disappoint them when they get too close." Nick sighs.

"You like her though right?" Nick nods to my question. "Look, I bet she likes you too. Especially if she's still wanting to see you after you've been away. You're a pretty cool guy, she'd be lucky to have you. You can't run from the things you're scared of. If you don't try you'll never know how amazing it could be." Nick nods again.

I guess... but that's easy for you to say. You and Noah are basically made for each other. You guys are almost perfect."

"Nick, Noah and I haven't even been together properly for a month. Ofcourse we seem almost perfect. It's called the honeymoon phase. We haven't really had to deal with any big issues."

"Apart from Noah not telling you who he was, a fucking ocean and being sabotaged by a friend." Nick reminds me.

"Well yeah..." I quietly say.

"We made it work though. Nick we want this so we make it work. If you want something you go for it and you make it fucking work. FYI I think we are perfect." Noah takes my hand, lifts it to his lips and gently kisses it.

"Well let's just see how tonight goes. Then I can take it from there. Thanks guy. Today was fun we should do it again sometime." Nick says as we pull up to the house. We all make our way inside and Nick heads straight upstairs to go get ready for his date.

"So we're home alone." Noah wiggles his eyebrows at me.

"Looks like we will be in an hour or so." I reply with a wink.

"Can't. Fucking. Wait."