Page 150 of Seeking Shadows

"No. Laura did."

"Then you don’t get points for effort."

Zane rolls his eyes, but there’s a flicker of amusement there. He waits patiently as I finish devouring the cupcake, and when I realize he’s still watching me, I raise an eyebrow.

"What’s the plan, husband?"

"Taking you somewhere. No worries, no problems. Today, there’s no past or future—only now."

I blink.

"Are you planning to kill me?"

He exhales a quiet laugh.

"If I were, you wouldn’t have gotten a cupcake first."

The parkis a chaotic mix of flashing lights, the scent of cotton candy, and excited screams, all blending with the sound of music. It's the kind of place that feels as though it exists outside of time. As soon as we enter, my eyes light up.

“I want to do it all,” I declare, spinning on my heels to take in every detail around me.

"You can do anything," Zane replies, his hands in his pockets, watching my excitement with a half-smile.

First destination: bumper cars.

Zane drives like he's navigating real traffic, dodging the other cars, while I slam my foot on the gas with a battle cry and crash into him.

"Mia."

"That's the purpose of the game!"

Zane lets out a resigned sigh, but the next round, he joins in, hitting me hard enough to spin me around. I yelp, then burst into laughter.

We head for the roller coaster, and I nearly lose my voice from all the screaming. Zane holds my hand the entire time, his eyes fixed on me more than the tracks ahead. When we get off, my legs are still a little shaky, and he steadies me by the waist.

"You survived," he taunts.

"I'm invincible," I retort.

Halfway through the tour, I discover corn dogs, and they quickly become my new obsession. The vendor gives me a look of disbelief when I order my fourth.

"This is not recommended for excessive consumption," he warns.

"I live on the edge," I reply, flashing him a victorious smile as I eat the dough.

Zane just nods beside me, but doesn’t try to stop me.

"If you throw up, don't come crying to me."

"I won't throw up. I have an iron stomach."

Zane doesn’t seem convinced.

The last stop of the night is the shooting gallery, where you have to aim water at little cars to make them move. Zane gives me a confident look. I glance at the boy next to us, probably our opponent, and his mother, who smiles kindly at me. I return the gesture.

"Do you want to win a prize?"

I narrow my eyes, suspicious.

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