Page 105 of Mark my Words

“Now, Sam. I don’t want to miss our time slot because they won’t let us on otherwise.”

“But...”

“Put your lightsaber back in your pants and move it, Langley.” His eyes widened as he nodded and followed close, his hand gripping my hip as I darted between people. It’d been a few years since I’d been in a theme park and almost a decade since I’d been to Disneyland, but I wasn’t wasting time gawking at some cool spaceship replicas when I could be enjoying what we came here for. The rides.

We were panting as I pulled up the virtual queue on my phone, heading toward the entrance.

The setup reminded me of the old Great Movie Ride—sadly closed since I’d ridden it as a child—at Disney World’s Hollywood Studios, but as we entered the immersive environment of the ride, I grasped Sam’s hand tightly, reveling in the way he quietly took it all in. I should have known he’d be a Star Wars nerd, but seeing him enjoying the same things I did pleased me.

“What’s next, fearless leader?” he laughed as we spilled out the exit, heading back into Galaxy’s Edge.

“Stick with me, kid,” I winked as I tugged him behind me, ready to cram in all the thrill-seeking we could for the next several hours.

“Wow,” Chase laughed as she watched Sam follow me into the restaurant where we’d agreed to reconvene before returning to our hotel. “I didn’t expect to see you two here on time.”

Sam stepped forward, dropping into a seat next to Evan, leaving me with two options—sit on his lap or stand awkwardly beside the table. Unfortunately, my stubborn ass chose the latter, watching Sam stare at me expectantly, daring me to make a move.

The next few hours were torturous, watching Chase and Evan flirt with Sam only a few paces behind me. They were shameless as she took every opportunity to engage in PDA she could get, Evan looking flustered as a result.

Sam kept a carefully calculated distance, innocently brushing against me or tracing the outside of my hand as we sat beside each other on rides, purposely not touching. A quiet resentment of myself built as the night went on, wishing I were brave enough to reach out and grasp his hand.

When we finally decided to head back to the hotel, it was dark, and my avoidant behavior had trampled my excitement from earlier in the day. I could see why Sam was so frustrated with me. I didn’t even like myself half the time.

“Oh, look!” Chase clapped as we paused near Sleeping Beauty’s castle, pointing toward the walkway.

Sam stepped in behind me, close enough that his chest was brushing my back, but he kept his hands to himself as we watched the scene unfold. “What’s going on...oh! Well, that’s public!”

The hairs on my neck stood on end as we watched the marriage proposal unfold.

“I wonder what he’s saying,” Sam mused quietly behind me. I could feel his eyes on me, but I refused to look back, opting for snark instead.

“Probably something super cheesy and romantic.”

Chase and Evan were in their own little world, wrapped up in each other as I stubbornly refused to lean back into Sam. I could tell they weren’t listening as he leaned toward my ear.

“If you’d let your guard down a little, you’d see sometimes a little romance isn’t such a terrible thing.” His fingers grazed my palm before he stepped back, putting distance between our bodies. My hands clenched into fists as I forced myself not to react, knowing he was right.

The following evening, my manuscripts were submitted, and I was about to explode if I had to spend the night alone in a hotel room.

My anxiety had been building the longer the tour went on, and my resistance to Sam was starting to crumble before my eyes.

When my phone vibrated with a text message, I jumped on it like a rabid animal, unlocking it and sighing with relief when I saw Chase’s text message.

Chase: You up for a night out? Diana was offered passes to a new club at our signing today.

Kristine: I’m in. What time?

Chase: Really?

Kristine: Don’t act so surprised. I’ll go ask Sam.

Chase: Yay! Meet us downstairs in an hour, and we can ride together.

Kristine: Evan alright with this?

I knew he’d been anxious about the crowds at Disney, so I didn’t know how he’d handle a crowded club.

Chase: VIP passes. Sometimes it pays to be important-ish.

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