Darling | All16 | ✔

TWENTY-SIX

"It's for her safety and you know it," Kevin reminds him.

"Yeah, yeah," Gabriel mutters.

"What? You don't think I look good with it on?" I say, sticking my bottom lip out slightly in a pout.

"Tuck that lip in right now, Trouble!" Gabriel yells.

Grinning at him, I stick my tongue out and smile towards where I know Marc is. Marc taught me to do that and told me I could get just about anything I wanted. Now, I wouldn't try that, taking advantage of people is wrong, but that doesn't mean I can't tease Gabriel every now and then.

Too soon, we are at the front of the line. The seats empty and Nathan pulls me beside him so I sit down next to him and Brandon who helps me buckle my seat properly. The top is a huge halter that makes me feel secure, but it also scares me. What kind of twists and turns does this ride have that it needs such a secure seat belt?

I squeeze Brandon and Nathan's hands tightly and soon we are off with a lurch. We dip down and turn around sharply and head up. Up and up.

"It's okay," Brandon assures me. "We're gonna go up and then drop."

"Here," Nathan offers. "I'll close my eyes too so we can have a similar experience."

"Okay," I squeak.

It feels like we are spending an eternity going up. The ride clicks and clicks and clicks. Soon we stop and I can feel the wind and the noise of the park is so quiet. I know we're at the top.

A scream erupts from my chest as I release Nathan and Brandon's arms to throw my hands up. The scream is equal parts terror and thrill.

The ride seems to go on for all eternity, yet it feels like it is only an instant. Like a lifetime experienced in a single second.

Soon, we are stopped and Brandon is helping me get out of my seat while Nathan hands me my hat back. I yank the hat on, ignoring Gabriel's wince and walk on unsteady legs as I follow them.

"Did you have fun, Sang?" Luke asks eagerly.

"Were you okay? Did the ride jerk you around at all? You're fine, right?" North demands, his voice growing in volume with each question.

"I'm fine, I'm fine!" I assure him hurriedly. "And yes, I did have fun, Luke. Thanks for asking."

"She had her hands up at the first drop!" Raven announces with a roaring laugh. "She was less scared than you, West!"

"From where I was sitting in the back," Axel informs us smoothly. "Sang was the first one out of everyone to put their hands up."

Nathan inserts, "I had my eyes closed the whole time, and, trust me, it makes it more intense because you don't know what's going to happen until you're all the sudden upside down."

I blush deeply under all the attention and shrink into Kevin's arms.

Out of all of them, Kevin is the hardest to figure out, I think. Sometimes, he acts like the others—warm, friendly, and extremely kind. Other times, though, he acts like... like Owen on that first day that I met him. Stiff and robotic. I don't know why he acts like this, but I'm determined to find out.

Apparently, Kevin is in a warm mood and he wraps his arms around me and rubs my back soothingly.

"Alright, you guys, let's give Sang her space," Owen directs. "How about we check out a couple more rides and then head to the carnival games?"

We all agree easily and head to another ride.

"This ride is milder," Sean informs me. "There's a couple corkscrew turns, but that's it."

"Well, and it does go up and down and has turns," Marc adds.

"Sounds good," I say with a grin before staring them down and saying lowly, "But don't think I don't know what you did."

"What?" Sean replies in a too innocent voice.

"Getting me on one of the scariest rides so all the others are easier and less scary to ride," I fire back, placing my hands on my hips.

"Busted!" Raven calls gleefully. "It was West's idea!"

"What?!! No, it wasn't and you know it!" North booms. "It was Kota's idea!"

"There you go, kitten," Raven says. "Now you know whose idea it was."

"That was a smart idea, Raven," I giggle.

"Well, what else would expect from a professional Russian?" Raven says smugly, pride filling his voice.

"What exactly is a professional Russian?" I ask, tilting my head like a confused cat.

Raven hesitates before saying, "Such things should not be uttered to such an innocent and beautiful woman."

My cheeks burn with a blush and I stiffen up, flustered.

"Come on, you guys!" Luke calls from ahead of us. "Quit playing Who Can Make Sang Blush the Hardest and let's go!"

"What?!" I exclaim. "That's a thing?!"