Page 50 of Carnival Obsession

“I’m not going anywhere,” I murmur, my lips brushing against hers. “And neither are you.”

26

ALICE

My mind is whirling as this afternoon’s argument with Lars has replayed like a broken record.

Tomorrow, I’m supposed to leave with him. Pack my shit up and just leave. And now I find out he’s a fucking drug runner. That this entire carnival is a front for supplying drugs to dealers.

“Alice!” Lily’s voice pulls me out of my thoughts, and I smile.

I called her to meet me as I seriously might leave tomorrow. So, I have to tell her my plans. Hell, I have to tell her about Lars, whom I’ve kept a complete secret.

Lily greets me with a warm hug. Her smile is bright and cheerful, as always.

“Hey, girl! It’s so good to see you!” I return the embrace.

We walk toward the carnival, and I link arms with her, wondering if I can leave her. She went through shit growing up, moving from foster home to foster home, and ever since she arrived here, I’ve kind of taken care of her.

“What’ve you been doing then with your time off?” Lily asks, adjusting the strap of her purse.

Heat floods my cheeks. “I met someone,” I breathe.

Lily jerks me to a stop abruptly. “What? There’s no one in this town we don’t know! Who is it?”

“One of the carnival workers,” I admit, knowing how hypocritical I am, considering I gave Lily a hard time over Cade. Granted, Lars didn’t break into my home, masturbate over my bathroom door, leave a fucking bullet in my apartment, and generally act like a psychopath. Having said that, he has done some pretty unhinged things.

Lily’s brow hitches up. “So, we’re both hooking up with one then?”

I can’t stifle the laugh. “Yeah, I guess so.” My heart hammers erratically as the words are on the tip of my tongue. It’s best to just rip the band-aid off. “The thing is, he’s asked me to go with him tomorrow. And…"

“You’re not seriously considering it?”Lily asks.

I shrug, despite knowing that Lars isn’t going to give me a choice anyway. He’s made that crystal clear. “Maybe. Has Cade asked you to go with him?”

The look on Lily’s face answers for me before she speaks. “No. He hasn’t mentioned it at all.”

I can’t help but feel disappointed. Leaving with Lars would be ten times better if Lily was coming, too. “Oh, I had this silly notion we could have both gone together. Strike out on a new adventure away from this shitty town.”

Lily gives me a sad smile. “You’re right, this town isn’t much. But it’s familiar. And going off with a near stranger...” She trails off, and it’s clear she’s in two minds about the idea, just like I am.

We arrive at the fairground entrance, greeted by dazzling illumination and intoxicating aromas. Lily’s attention is immediately drawn to Cade, who stands by their admission booth.

“There’s your man,” I point out. “Go talk to him. I’ll catch up in a bit.”

Lily doesn’t have to be asked twice as she heads toward him.

Ding!

My phone vibrates in my pocket, and I quickly pull it out. A text from Lars lights up the screen:

Meet me in the parking lot. Now.

My heart skips a beat at his commanding tone. Despite my lingering doubts, a thrill runs through me at the prospect of seeing him again. I take a deep breath and slip my phone back into my pocket, leaving the apartment.

The evening air is cool against my skin as I cross the lot toward Lars’s motorcycle. He’s leaning against it, helmets in hand, looking every bit the rugged bad boy I can’t seem to resist. As I approach, he holds one out to me without a word.

“What’s this about?” I ask, unable to mask the slight tremor in my voice.

---