Page 39 of Fall With Me
“Tell me, do you get sick on planes too or just car rides?” We buckle into our seats to head to Porcupine Pub & Grille. Maybe if I ask her enough questions, she’ll be too distracted to puke again.
“Just through canyons. I’m fine flying and on the freeway. What about you? Do you suffer from any type of motion sickness?”
Pulling onto the road, I say, “I can’t handle spinning rides at amusement parks.”
“So you won’t be my riding buddy on the Samurai at Lagoon?”
Hearing Lagoon, the name of the amusement park in Utah, I’m taken back to childhood when Mom would let me ride the bus with my friends to the park. We spent the entire day there, going on every ride and eating way too many churros. “How can you handle the Samurai? You’re twisting in two different directions.”
She shakes her head. “I actually can’t. I was testing your devotion.”
This woman. “I’m willing to do a lot for those I care about, but there’s nothing you can say that will sway me to get on that torture device.”
She smiles coyly at me. “Really, nothing?”
Her smile, while pretty, does nothing to deter me. “Absolutely nothing.”
“You know…I don’t have Frightmares at Lagoon listed as an option for the festival, but maybe we should look into pricing. Might be worth a field trip. What do you say?”
“Nah, I bet it’s way out of the budget. Let’s stick with what we have for right now. If they don’t work out,thenwe’ll consider other options. But not Lagoon.”
She chuckles. “You’re scared of me, aren’t you?”
From the moment I met her, nothing about Chloe has frightened me. Captivated me, sure, but nowhere near the spectrum of scary. “Not until this conversation.” Which is still an exaggeration. I’m sure if we ever go to Lagoon together, she’ll try to persuade me to ride every spinning ride there, but she’s half my width and a few inches shorter than me. I can take her, no problem.
“You should be scared.”
“I’m shaking in my boots,” I deadpan.
“Good. Stay that way. The adrenaline will keep you alert.”
I’m happy to see the drive down the canyon isn’t affecting Chloe like it did on the way up. The road takes all my concentration, but I catch glimpses of leaves changing colors. I can’t wait to come back when the mountains are glowing with vibrant hues. “Quick question.”
“Yeah?”
“Do your broom and cauldron come out October first, or do they stay out all year?”
“Excuse me?” Chloe says, acting offended. “Why do you assume I’m a witch?
I smile at her and shrug. “Because you’re threatening me and telling me I should be scared of you.”
“Well, Mr. Reed, why do you think I haven’t invited you to my place?”
I cock my head to the side. “Question. Do all witches eat children, or is that exclusive to movies?”
She smacks my shoulder with the back of her hand. “We’re not all barbarians.”
“So Finn’s safe with you?”
All teasing from her voice evaporates. “He is.”
“What about me?”
She lets out one short laugh. “Not at all.”
For so many reasons, I believe her.
I can’t tell if I’m thrilled or terrified. Maybe both?
