The Ending I Want(40)

He flips me the bird. I laugh.

He exhales through his nose, which makes him sound like an angry bull. That makes me laugh harder.

Ignoring me, he pivots and sets up to throw his last ball.

He’s managed to knock the top two off, so he only has seven more cans to go.

Seven cans and one ball. I don’t see it happening, but if he manages to knock the next three off, he’ll win a prize—meaning, I win a prize.

Thing is, he only has one ball left, and his aim is appalling.

Sheer concentration is on his face.

Leaning over, I tilt my head to the side in front of him.

“What?” he grumbles without looking at me.

“You’re totally pulling your sex face right now.”

He frowns. “I don’t have a sex face.”

“You so do. Just as you’re coming, your face looks…well, just like it does right now.” I gesture a hand to his face.

“Stop trying to put me off with sex talk. Back the f*ck off, Boston, and let me throw my ball.”

I splutter out a laugh. He almost cracks a smile.

“Sorry. Please continue.” I flutter a hand at him and move away.

His sex face is back. I stifle a giggle.

Liam draws his arm back and throws.

And misses.

I clamp my hand over my face to stop from laughing.

He’s scowling at me. “That was your fault.”

I move my hand from my mouth. “How was that my fault?”

“You talk about sex, and I get distracted.”

“Okay.” I give a contrite look. “Have another turn. My treat.”

“So, you can take the piss out of me. No thanks.”

“Aw, come on. I want a stuffed animal.”

“I’ll buy you one.”

I give him a look of disgust. “You can’t bring a girl to a carnival and then buy her a stuffed animal. You have to win it.”

“For f*ck’s sake,” he growls. He sticks his hand in his pocket and slaps a bill on the counter. “Another go,” he tells the guy behind the stall, who is only happy to take Liam’s money.

The guy picks up the bill and places three balls on the counter in front of Liam.

“I said I’d pay.” I frown.

He won’t let me pay for anything. It’s seriously annoying.

“You pay for the game, and it’s like you’re winning the prize yourself.”

Fair point.

“So, you are actually going to win me a stuffed animal?”

He ignores me, which oddly makes me smile.

I put the last of my cotton candy in my mouth and deposit the wrapper in a nearby bin. Then, I go sit up on the counter beside where Liam is standing, angling my body, so that I can watch him throw the balls.

Liam picks up his first ball and gets read to throw. His sex face is back on—sorry, his face of concentration. I hold in a laugh and watch him throw it.

He knocks off the top two.

“Yay!” I clap my hands although I don’t know why I’m excited because he managed that last time.

He picks up his second ball, and wasting no time, he throws. He knocks off two of the three cans on the second row.

My cheer is louder this time.

He looks at me, a prideful glint in his eyes.

Picking up his last ball, he takes aim and throws.

He manages to knock off the last can on the second row.

“Any prize off this bottom row,” the guy tells us, walking away to a waiting customer.

“You did it!” I jump down off the counter and wrap my arms around his neck. “You won me a prize!”

“Thank f*ck.” His arms wrap around me. “I was starting to worry for a moment there. Felt like I was losing my man card.”

I reach up on my tiptoes and kiss his lips. “Never. And thank you.” I tip my head back to look into his face.

His hands slide down my back to my ass, and he gives it a squeeze. “Go pick your prize, Boston.”

Leaving Liam, I head back to the counter and lean over, looking at the bottom row of prizes. I see all kinds of crap here, including really cheap-looking stuffed animals and dolls.

I definitely do not want a doll. They freak me out.

Then, I spy this sad-looking odd toy. Reaching over, I grab it.

Liam comes up behind me as I right myself. His chest is pressed to my back. “Is that a…f*cking knitted jellyfish?”

I turn my head to look up at him. He’s squinting at the toy I’ve picked up.

I look back down at it in my hands, and I think he’s right. It is a knitted jellyfish toy. “I think so.”

It’s white and pink and looks like a little princess jellyfish. And the more I look at it, the cuter it becomes…in a weird knitted jellyfish way.

“She looks like a jellyfish princess,” I say.

“It looks like a piece of shit.”

“Hey! You’ll hurt her feelings.” I jab him in the arm. Then, I hug her. “I shall call her Squishy, and she shall be mine.” I laugh, meeting Liam’s blank expression. “Finding Nemo? No?” I say.

Liam slowly shakes his head, looking at me like I’ve lost my mind.

“Okay, makes sense. You were probably too old to watch it when it first came out—you know, when I was still in diapers and you were out serenading teenage girls with the Backstreet Boys—hey!” I squeal when he digs me in the ribs with his fingers. “We’ll watch Nemo later, and then you’ll get the reference.”