Page 143 of Things I Wish I Said
I clutch my phone in my hands, lifting it and snapping pictures as I direct Grayson to stand with the Ferris wheel at his back. “Come on. Just one,” I say when he groans.
I grin as he begrudgingly obliges, and smile as I snap a couple of him.
Once I’m finished, I pocket it and hook my arm in his, staring out at the scenery. “It’s like stepping into a postcard. Have you ever been?” I ask him, realizing I don’t know the answer.
“No. This is a first for me, too.”
“Well, come on.” I tug him forward.
We take our time strolling along the wooden planks, soaking in everything around us while I snap a couple more photos ofthe bustling boardwalk. We pass a street performer playing a lively tune on a saxophone, adding to the festive atmosphere, and I drop a couple dollars inside his case.
After an hour in the arcade, we eat lunch at Cha Cha Chicken, then spend some time in the aquarium where we see everything from the local sea life to bull sharks.
“We have to go on that,” I say, pointing to the Ferris wheel.
“Is this a bad time to tell you I don’t like heights?”
I snort out a laugh, sure he’s joking when I glance up to find him staring at the ride like it might explode. “Oh, you’re serious.”
A bubble of laughter bursts in my throat. “You’re really afraid, aren’t you?”
He eyes me warily. “Maybe.”
“Oh, now we’re definitely going on.”
I tug him forward and quickly buy our tickets while he does everything in his power to talk me out of it. “This is crazy. We can do anything while we’re here and you want to ride a Ferris wheel?”
“Yep,” I say, popping thep.
He groans, and when it’s our turn to board, I have to drag him on like his legs are filled with cement.
We board somewhere in the middle, and slowly rise as the wheel stops every couple of seconds for others to load. When it pauses at the top, we have a gorgeous view of the pier and beach below. “This view is incredible,” I say, staring down in awe.
Grayson grunts in reply.
I glance over at him to see him staring straight ahead, his face ashen.
I press my lips together so as not to laugh. “Relax and check out the view. You’ll feel better, I promise.”
“No way am I looking down on this thing.”
“But you’re missing out.”
He shakes his head, his hands gripping the rails on the cart until his knuckles turn white.
“Here let me sit beside you,” I say, rising.
“Don’t. Move,” he says between gritted teeth.
“Why?”
“You’re rocking the car.”
I roll my eyes and stifle a laugh as I shift to his side anyway. “It’s not like it’s gonna fall off,” I say, taking the seat beside him, only for the car to buck wildly.
“Oh shit.” Grayson tightens his grip, clinging to the railing like Spider-Man.
Reaching out, I loosen his white-knuckled grip and thread my fingers through his. “You weren’t kidding, were you? You’re terrified.”
