Page 48 of Fairground

He brushes his thumb along my jaw, eyes still holding mine like he’s taking his time with me.

“It’s that I’ve never once looked at you and thought any of those things. Not one. I look at you, and all I see is perfect.”

Chapter 19: Rae

“You can’t say stuff like that, Cash,” I whisper.?

“Why not?”

“Because… I don’t know. I just told you about all of my insecurities and then you say that. It doesn’t feel genuine. It feels like you're just trying to make me feel better because I was spiraling.”

He huffs, leaning closer. “Fuck if it’s not genuine—I mean it. Was planning on saying it before you started saying all that shit that isn’t true about yourself.”

“Well, we’re rivals,” I counter, folding my arms just enough to put a little space between our chests and my heart.

His thumb strokes my chin again as he continues to hold my face tenderly in his big, worn palms. “That the only reason you don't want me saying how I really feel, Rae?”

“No… I just… I don’t know.”

“Hm. Is it because you don’t think I’m handsome?”

“God, Cash, I’m not going to tell you you’re handsome. You’re already full of it and you know how good you look because this whole town is constantly telling you that.”

He smirks—that maddening, self-assured grin that flips something low in my stomach. It’s not cocky, not exactly. It’s just… knowing. Like he’s well aware of the effect he has on me. On everyone. That easy charm, the warm brown eyes, the drawl that sounds like honey and whiskey. I’m sure that smile’s been the beginning of a whole lot of bad decisions for the women in this town. Or maybe they were good ones. I’d bet money it’s how most of them ended up in his bed.

“Why do I get the feeling you’re refusing to believe me?”

“Because… I don’t know.”I exhale, shaking my head, trying to find the words.“It’s not that I think I’m hideous or anything. I know I’m pretty. But I also know there are parts of me that just… aren’t.”

“You’re wrong,”he says, voice steady and certain.“Every part of you is beautiful.”

“I don’t need you to tell me that.”

“I know you don’t.”

“Okay…”

He chuckles and drops my face then rests his big palms behind him on the cool earth.

“Rae, I’m not a shy guy. You know that. And I’m not going to sit here and watch you get in your head all night because you had a bite of pie, so here it is.” He scoots in closer, fully facing me now. His long legs squeeze tighter until they circle my entire body in some sort of trap. I don’t even realize I’ve turned to face him too until I look down at how he’s sitting like he’s trying to keep me from escaping.

“Really?”

He smirks. “Look, I can’t sit cross legged—doesn’t work for my thighs.”

I snort, rolling my eyes. “You sure you didn’t want to say it’s because your big cock would be in the way?”

He winks. “I was going to say that, but I thought it’d ruin the nice moment that we’re having.”

I let out a snort as he shoots me a wink. “You’ll find out some day.”

“I think not.”

His grin widens. “Look, that first day I saw you at the bar, I was drawn to you.”

“Hm.” I try to play it cool, but my heartbeat picks up a bit at that.

He nods like he’s reading my mind. “You looked like a little emoKylo Ren.”

---