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Blake takes my hand and gives it a gentle squeeze. I bite the inside of my lip, disquiet eating me from the inside.
“I’m right here with you,” he murmurs, leaning close. “It’ll be okay. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.” I shake my head, giving him silent permission to take the lead. “Mia isn’t feeling well, so we’re gonna hit up the food stalls. You have fun in there, Jennifer.”
“You can call me Jen, you know.” She giggles, disappointment barely a flicker on her face. “And don’t worry—I’ll tell you all about my experience with the Madame!”
He gives her a wave before leading me to the food stands. We walk in silence for a few minutes until we reach the stalls, where the smell of grease and sugar greets us. The array of fried foods and baked goods makes my stomach grumble in anticipation.
He turns to me, a bright smile on his face. “There are plenty of options. I’ll buy whatever you want.”
Overwhelmed by the choices, I pause for a couple of beats before finally pointing at the cotton candy. I stick by him, afraid the growing crowd will swallow me up as he goes up to the counter.
“Two bags, please,” he says to the teenage attendant. “Pink and blue.”
I watch as she makes the cotton candy, spinning the confection in perfect circles and wrapping each one individually. She hands us two full bags ready to burst, each tied with a cute ribbon, and he gives her a few bills. Once he has his change, he pockets it and holds out the bags.
“Lady’s choice.”
I select the blue one—it was always my favorite—and he presses the bag into my hand. We move away from the crowd and over to a picnic table. We sit down next to each other, and I don’t waste any time opening up my bag and stuffing my face with blue, fluffy goodness.
The sweet, sticky flavor fills my mouth as I look around at all the laughter and fun. Everywhere, people are playing games, conversing with others, and savoring treats—just living in the moment. I envy their carefree lives.
“You okay?” Blake asks.
I nod, even though I’m not really okay. I’m still rattled and unable to settle down. My stalker is out there somewhere, maybe even right here now. Watching me. “Just thinking,” I reply, a breezy lie.
He gives me a comforting smile. “I know things seem hard right now. But remember that you aren’t alone. I’m always here for you.” He slings an arm around me, giving me a hug.
Warmth radiates from him, my fears briefly a distant memory as I lean into his embrace. “Thank you,” I whisper, relief washing over me.
We get our fill of cotton candy and then get up to walk around. Everywhere I look, I see people laughing and smiling. For a moment, my worries seem miles away. We pass by the house of mirrors, and I glimpse my reflection—and something else.
It’s him!
I spin around, but there’s no one there except for Blake. Was it just a trick of the light, or am I losing my mind? Are the hallucinations getting worse?
Blake notices something is wrong and stops me. “Hey, are you okay?” he asks, his gaze searching mine for an answer as he squeezes my arm gently in support. “You look spooked.”
I force an apologetic smile. “I’m fine, I just thought I saw someone that …” I trail off. How can I explain it to him? He doesn’t know the entire story, and I don’t want to burden him with the knowledge. I take a deep breath and focus back on the here and now—the sounds, the smells, Blake’s reassuring presence. “It was nothing. It’s getting late, so let’s go grab some funnel cake before they’re out. For the road.”
He grins in response. As we go together into the throng of people, I look around for the figure I thought I saw—just in case it really wasn’t just my imagination. But all I see is Blake, anchoring me in reality with every step. We walk in comfortable silence before he abruptly halts.
“Wanna play a game?” he asks, pointing to the nearest booth. “It’s been a while since I’ve tried one of these.”
“Sure, why not?” I reply, eager for the distraction.
He goes over to the balloon darts and speaks to the attendant. “For two, please.”
The older gentleman takes the money and sits out the darts as we take our places on opposite ends of the booth. Each of us has a set of brightly colored balloons to pop. Blake tosses his first dart and it hits the side of the board, eliciting laughter from both of us. His second dart fares a bit better, popping it. Finally, he tosses the third dart with perfect aim.
He turns to me with a mischievous grin. “Your turn.”
I take aim, squinting my eyes, remembering how my father used to do it. The first dart hits home, but the second veers off to the side. Blake chuckles as I sigh. I toss the third dart, but it falls just short of the balloon.
He gives me a high five. “You did good!” We share a laugh as he turns to the attendant to collect his prize. “This is for you,” he says, proudly holding out a stuffed animal—a fuckingpenguin,of all things!
My dear Gwen, I hear my father say. My little Penguin.
I swallow thickly and take his gift. “Thank you, Blake. It’s adorable.” I stare at the stuffed penguin, with its little polka-dotted bowtie, lost in my head.
