Page 76 of Stick Around,
Enzo shifted slightly beside me, reaching into his pocket. “I have something for you.”
He pulled out a small paper bag, neatly folded at the top. His fingers trembled the tiniest amount as he placed it in my hand. It was a vulnerability I wouldn’t have noticed if we weren’t sitting so close in our own little bubble. The paper was warm from being tucked against him, and I cradled it between my palms like something precious before I’d even seen what was inside.
“I’m not usually good at this kind of thing.” Enzo’s voice was softer than I’d ever heard it, almost lost beneath the distant carnival music and noise floating up from below.
I carefully unfolded the top of the bag and tipped the contents into my hand. The delicate silver bracelet with a tiny horse charm I’d been looking at in the exhibition hall slid out, catching the colored lights from the ride.
My breath caught in my throat as I ran my finger over the perfect miniature horse. The fact that he’d seen me admiring it and bought it on the spot put me at a loss for words.
He took the bracelet from my palm and fastened it around my wrist, his fingers tickling my skin. I tried not to shiver at the contact. “I thought you might want something to remember tonight by.”
“What, you think I’d forget my first Ferris wheel ride with three cowboys?” I forced lightness into my voice, falling back on humor to mask the sudden ache in my chest. “Pretty sure that’s going in my autobiography. Chapter Seven: ‘That Time I Rode More Than Just Horses.’“
Enzo’s eyebrows shot up, and a laugh escaped him. “That’s a terrible title.”
“I know, I know. My publisher will hate it.” I twisted my wrist, watching the horse charm catch the light. “Thank you. I love it.”
With the ride fully loaded, we began our repeated circle of suspension between earth and sky. The car rocked gently, and the fair was a kaleidoscope of color and movement.
“You seem nervous tonight.” Enzo spoke carefully, like he wasn’t sure how much to push. “You ready to talk about it?”
I fiddled with my bracelet. “I’m fine.”
“Hmm... the universal tell that a woman is not in fact fine and you’re using your teacher voice.”
I met his gaze, startled. “My what?” Heat crawled up my neck. Was I that transparent? Or worse, had he been paying such close attention to me that he’d catalogued my different tones like they were something worth studying?
“Your teacher voice. The one you use when a kid asks if you’re mad, and you say ‘I’m not mad, just disappointed.’“ Enzo’s eyes held mine. “So I guess the question should be what is disappointing you?”
The Ferris wheel began its descent, but it felt like my stomach remained at the top, suspended somewhere between the truth and what I was willing to admit. I turned to lookout at the fairground, buying myself time while my thoughts scrambled like the colored lights below us.
What was disappointing me? Oh, just the small matter of falling for someone when I’d promised myself I wouldn’t. Just the terrifying realization that a silver bracelet with a horse charm meant more to me than a diamond engagement ring ever had.
“I’ve never done this before.” The words tumbled out before I could bite them back.
“A Ferris wheel?” Enzo’s confusion was evident in his voice.
“No. This. Whatever this is with you three. I don’t know what I’m doing. I don’t know what I’m supposed to be feeling.”
The car swayed as we continued downward, and Enzo’s arm came around me. “I don’t think there’s a rulebook for this, Quinn.”
“There should be.” I twisted my hands in my lap. “I like knowing what comes next. And everything about this is uncharted territory.”
Enzo was quiet for a moment, his fingers tracing circles on my arm. “Does it scare you?”
“Yes.” I met his eyes honestly, holding his gaze despite a flutter of anxiety. The lights of the fair painted shadows across his face, highlighting the angles of his cheekbones in ways that made it hard to look away. “And also no. It’s terrifying and exhilarating all at once.”
The Ferris wheel began its final rotation, bringing us back toward solid ground. Enzo’s arm remained around me, and I leaned into him for comfort.
“We’re all figuring this out as we go.” His breath tickled my ear. “Me, Reid, Kellan... none of us expected you, or this. But I’m not afraid of something unfamiliar if it feels right.”
Our car swayed as it reached the loading platform. The attendant raised the safety bar, and Enzo stepped out first,offering me his hand. I took it, feeling a strange sense of stability as my feet touched the ground again.
Kellan bounded toward us with Reid following behind. “How was it? Did our girl scream?”
I nudged him with my shoulder. “At least I got on it, unlike some people.”
Kellan clutched his chest dramatically. “Low blow, Porter. Low blow.”
