Total pages in book: 138
Estimated words: 130307 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 652(@200wpm)___ 521(@250wpm)___ 434(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 130307 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 652(@200wpm)___ 521(@250wpm)___ 434(@300wpm)
The only disappointment I felt was when I thought about the shower after, when I wished for Will to tell me something he already told me he never would.
Sex was different with him — but that was all it was. Just sex.
As much as I was happy to agree to that, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t long to know him better, to curl up next to him after what we’d done and fall asleep in his arms, to wake up in his bed and see his crooked smile that wasn’t ever really a smile.
I tried to head the warnings and advice of the experts on Reddit, the ones who reminded me time and time again to lock up my feelings after we fooled around. Don’t ask questions and don’t stick around, they said. Don’t open up, and don’t mistake the way he touches you for anything more than lust.
But they weren’t there.
They didn’t see his heavy eyes drinking me in, or feel how his touch turned tender the moment we both found our release. They didn’t witness how those filthy words turned to gentle hands washing me in the shower, didn’t hear the way his voice trembled a bit as he asked if I was okay afterward.
It was all so confusing, I couldn’t even pretend I wasn’t in way over my head.
So, I chose to ignore it all and just live in whatever moment was right in front of me.
Presently, that was the opportunity to teach Will’s daughter how to get the most out of the teacup ride — and watch her father squirm in the process.
“See this table?” I said, ignoring Will’s groan of frustration as I showed Ava what to do. “Once we get going, this table will control how much and how fast we spin. We can go and go and go in one direction and then switch it to the other — like this.”
I demonstrated with my hands, showing how to spin one direction and then the other.
Ava bounced in her seat, the pigtails I’d wrangled her hair into that morning honestly too cute to handle in that moment. I knew now from the many photos of Jenny that Will had scrounged up that Ava had her mother’s eyes. They were bright green and full of curiosity.
“You ready?” I asked her as the ride began.
“Ready!”
“We really don’t have to— ergh!”
Will’s rebuttal was cut short by the first spin, and his hands flew to the table Ava and I were turning as fast as our little hands would let us.
The ride started slow at first, and then it picked up speed, our teacup rotating us so quickly, the world blurred. Ava fought against the force of gravity to hold onto the table, spinning and giggling as her little face turned red.
“Change, change!” I chanted, and Ava and I grabbed the wheel as hard as we could, the teacup lurching to a stop before we began swiveling the other way.
Will looked green, his hands jutting out to stop us from turning the table more. “Alright, that’s enough.”
“Come on, Daddy! Spin! Spin!”
Just as I suspected, Will couldn’t resist his daughter — not when she was having what I was pretty sure was the best day of her life.
Reluctantly, and with a dramatic growl, Will used his massive grip to help us pivot the table. The teacup swirled with more speed and intensity than it had with just me and Ava spinning it, and eventually, Ava threw her hands up in the air and let out the sweetest peal of laughter.
It was the kind of moment that stuck in your mind like glue, a core memory of an innocent child without an ounce of stress or worry on her shoulders. She was free. She was living.
She was happy.
The corner of Will’s mouth tilted up, and we shared a look across the teacup.
As if the world wasn’t already blurred beyond us, the look he gave me made it feel as if there was no world at all outside of this three-foot circumference. His honey eyes held fast to mine, questions and declarations unsaid.
Time slowed, Ava’s laugh ringing out loud and lovely in the background as Will swallowed, his brows furrowing together.
Just as soon as the moment had come, it was zapped away, the ride slowing to a halt while Ava panted and clapped and demanded to go again.
We toppled off the ride in a dizzy daze, Ava and me laughing as we walked side to side in our attempt to make it back to where Chef Patel and Juan were waiting for us without falling over.
“How was it?” Chef asked, handing Ava her Dumbo toy.
“Amazing!” Ava and I answered at the same time Will said, “I think I’m going to be sick.”
That earned a laugh from Juan and a wrinkled nose from Arushi, and then we all regrouped and headed on our merry way.