Room for You(29)

“Touché.” Brody smirked and looked out the window.

We rode the last ten minutes in silence, not awkward silence where you feel uncomfortable just being together; it was content silence. I knew he was thinking about me, and he knew I was thinking about him. That silence was louder than any words we could have spoken.

His hand never did leave my knee, and I liked it.





We walked through the fair gates, and the scent of cotton candy and funnel cakes filled the air.

“Wow! Crowded today, everyone stay together,” Lauren said, aiming her attention at the girls.

“I’m gonna go grab tickets, be right back.” Brody’s hand grazed the small of my back as he walked by, sending shivers up my spine like another hit in my bloodstream.

“Hey Tommy, can you take the girls over and get them some water before we start with the rides?” Lauren asked.

Tommy grabbed Molly’s hand, which was already linked up with Lucy and Piper and off they went.

“What. The. Hell?” Lauren blurted out, spinning to face me. “I’ve been dying to get you alone. When did this start? Why didn’t you tell me yesterday?”

I laughed. “There’s nothing to tell, Lauren. We’re friends.”

“Yeah, okay, whatever. Seriously, what’s going on with you two? Hurry, before he comes back.”

I looked over toward the ticket booth at Brody who had been stopped by a small group of teenage boys. He was signing autographs and taking pictures, giving each kid a turn with his undivided attention.

“Really, there’s nothing going on. He showed up last weekend when he couldn’t get through town because of the flooding at the bridge, and we became friends. That’s all.”

“I’m not an idiot, Kacie. In that kitchen I watched him, watching you. Tommy would never look at me like that, except maybe if I were walking toward him butt naked carrying a heaping plate of bacon.”

“We’ve talked about this, Lauren. You know what I’m looking for. He doesn’t exactly fit the mold, ya know? I’m playing it safe.”

“Screw your mold, Kacie. Make a new one. He’s completely smitten with you, and you are with him.”

I sighed, growing frustrated. “Can we just not talk about feelings and futures and any of that crap today? I just want to have fun with everyone and give my brain a rest for a few hours. Fighting with yourself is exhausting.”

She didn’t have time to argue again because Brody jogged back over.

“What did you buy?” I exclaimed, gaping at the sheets of tickets in his hand.

“Uh … like thirty sheets of tickets? Think that’s enough?”

Lauren’s mouth hung open. “That’s like six hundred tickets!”

“We better get moving then.” Brody reached down and grabbed my hand, pulling me toward Tommy and the girls.



We spent the next six hours filling up on hot dogs and nachos and riding every single ride there … twice. I wasn’t a big fan of fair rides, not the high ones anyway. I had a crippling fear of heights that kept me grounded the entire day. I was perfectly content sitting on a bench while those crazies spun and flipped their day away.



“Okay guys, one more ride and then I think it’s time to call it a day. Auntie Lauren isn’t used to all this. I need a bubble bath and a bottle of Tylenol.” Lauren plopped on the bench next to me.

“Whose idea was it to wear the cute wedges to a fair, knucklehead?” I shoulder bumped her.

“Can we do that one again?” Lucy pointed to a bizarre contraption that took them up in the air in a car-looking thing and spun them for four minutes. I would rather have a root canal.

“You guys do whatever you want, I’ll be here.” I pulled Lucy onto my lap, kissing her cheek.

“Come on, guys!” She hopped off my lap and sprinted toward the ride with Piper and Molly right behind.

Lauren took off after them. Tommy turned to Brody. “You coming?”

“No thanks, I’m gonna sit this one out.”

“See you guys in a minute.” Tommy jogged to catch up with the others.

Brody sat down next to me on the bench. “You having fun?”

I looked over and smiled. “Yeah, I am. It’s been a great day. I’m glad you came.”

Brody stared off into space, his eyebrows pulled together, deep in thought.

My curiosity got the better of me. “What?”

“Do you trust me?”

I stared at him nervously out of the corner of my eye, the hair on the back of my neck standing up. I hesitated answering.

“Do you?” He repeated, leaning forward, his eyes concentrating on mine.

“Yes.”

He took a hold of my hand tightly and stood up, nodding to his right. “Follow me.”

We walked behind the snow cone trailer and I realized we were walking straight toward the Ferris Wheel of Death. Okay, that wasn’t really the name, but it should have been.

I pulled my hand from his, stopping dead in my tracks.

“No way, Brody.” All of the cells in my body went hypersensitive and my arms and legs started tingling. My chest felt tight and I couldn’t take a full breath.

He turned to face me, grasping my shoulders gently. “Kacie, look at me. You can do this, trust me.”