Page 76 of Just This Once

“What is it?” Emily looked around, still laughing and breathing hard from the intensity of our kiss.

Time seemed to stretch as I stood there, caught in the headlights of a realization that this game, this chase, had consequences beyond the fun house walls. The air thickened with a deafening silence, the carnival sounds now far off whispers.

Emily saw her father, and her eyes widened, mirroring the shock that gripped me. We had wanted to keep our date a secret, away from prying eyes, but now the secret was out, exposed in the dimly lit alley. Our energy had shifted from excitement to a tense uncertainty.

“Whip,” said the chief, his voice low and measured, cutting through the quiet like a knife. My name hung in the air, heavy with disapproval and an unspoken threat.

I took a step back, distancing myself from Emily, but the weight of the situation pressed on my shoulders. The carnival, with its flashing lights and spinning rides, seemed to dim around us. I searched for words, any words, to salvage the moment, but they eluded me like ghosts slipping through my fingers.

“Dad.” Emily smoothed her palms down her jeans as her father stepped forward, his expression a mix of anger and disappointment. “I thought you were at dinner. I––”

“Your mother wanted to see the carnival.”

My pulse throbbed in my ears, a discordant rhythm to the scene unfolding. The silence between us stretched.

“I thought I made myself clear,” he said, his voice now a controlled but seething force. I wasn’t sure if he was speaking to Emily or to me.

I struggled to find my voice, my mind racing to comprehend the depth of the situation. Emily stood beside me, her eyes pleading for understanding, for a way to defuse the impending storm. But the whirling lights and festive chaos had turned into a silent witness to our unraveling secrets.

“Sir, I...” My words faltered, and I felt the weight of Chief Martin’s gaze. The laughter in the background mocked me, a reminder of the freedom and joy we had sought in coming here.

The silence hung heavy, a thick fog enveloping us. Emily’s father took another step forward, and my instincts screamed at me to escape, to run from the storm. But my feet were rooted to the ground, entangled in a web of secrets and consequences.

And then, just as the tension reached its peak, the lights flickered, casting the alley into momentary darkness. In that fleeting obscurity, I glimpsed a knowing smile on Emily’s face.A glimmer of mischief danced in her eyes, and before the lights fully returned, she whispered, “Run.”

As if pulled by an invisible force, I broke into a sprint, gripping Emily’s hand. The energy surrounding me grew to a frantic pulse, urging me forward. I navigated through the twists and turns of the parked trailers, the darkness my ally in our unexpected escape.

The world around me blurred as I ran, the echoes of Emily’s laughter and her father’s stern voice fading into the night.

We spilled into the parking lot, vibrant lights welcoming us back into the whirlwind of the fun. My heart pounded, and I cast a quick glance over my shoulder, half expecting to see Emily’s father in pursuit. But the alley remained silent and empty.

Emily huffed and bent to catch her breath. “Oh my god. I can’t believe we did that!”

I held the sharp pain at my side, then pointed at her as I paced. “You... are trouble.”

She laughed and swatted a strand of hair from her face. “I don’t know what came over me. I just saw his face and freaked out. He lookedpissed.”

She was laughing.Why the hell was she laughing?

“It’s because hewaspissed,” I huffed.

And confused.

Betrayed.

The kaleidoscope of colors and dizzying rides had returned to their carefree facade. Yet the encounter in the alley lingered like a shadow, a reminder that secrets had real consequences, even in the midst of a night that was supposed to be fun.

The blinking lights and laughter were a bittersweet backdrop to the tumult of emotions swirling within me. The night had taken an unexpected turn, the highs of the fun house chase now tempered by the sobering reality of our less-than-secret rendezvous.

I planted my hands on my hips. “Why are you laughing?”

Emily sighed, and her face twisted in amusement. “Because it’s funny? Whip, we got caught kissing by my dad and weran.” She cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted into the night sky, “How’s that for checking something off my list, Dad?”

Emily chuckled again. “We ran like a bunch of teenagers.” Her deep sigh filled the air. “Oh my god, he was right. This feels so good. I haven’t had this much fun in forever.”

I couldn’t shake the image of Emily’s mischievous smile in the darkened alley and how fire sparked in her eyes when she whisperedrun. It was a smile that held promises of future adventures, of challenges yet to be faced.

“A King doesn’t run. We take our beatings with heads held high.” My jaw ticced.

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