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“I’m scared,” I admit, loathing the way my voice shakes.
“I get that.” He tips my chin. “But know that whatever happens…I got you.”
I know he does.
And that’s the scariest part of all.
I trust Oakley with everything I have in me.
Somehow, he’s broken all my locks and climbed all my walls.
I vaguely recall what he said before. “You mentioned something about making a deal earlier?”
He fishes a small piece of paper out of his pocket. “I wrote something.” I go to snatch it, but he holds it out of my reach. “But you can’t read it until after the ride is over.”
That’s not fair.
He knows how much I’m dying to read whatever he wrote.
“Fine,” I begrudgingly concede. “Let’s go.”
He interlaces his fingers with mine and I let him lead me to the Ferris wheel of doom.
My knees buckle as we wait in line, and by the time it’s our turn I almost chicken out again, but Oakley squeezes my hand.
And he doesn’t let go.
The moment the ride starts moving I close my eyes, latching on to the safety bar for dear life with one hand and his with my other.
My stomach churns with every stop and I say a silent prayer the ride ends quickly.
His rough voice touches my ear. “Open your eyes.”
I give my head a stubborn shake.
His bottom lip trails along my cheekbone. “For me.”
Dammit. He’s not playing fair.
Hesitantly, I do.
I instantly regret it the moment I realize we’re stuck at the top.
My belly does a weird, panicked lurch.
Oakley juts his chin. “You see that?”
Nope. I refuse to look at anything other than him.
“See what? That we could plunge to our deaths at any moment?”
I expect him to laugh at my dramatic antics, but his expression grows serious.
“No.” His gaze locks on mine. “That’s the world, baby girl.” The look he gives me steals my breath. “And you’re in it for a reason.”
A sharp twist goes through my chest as I take in the bright lights and the gorgeous view of the town below us.
I’ve been so scared of dying…I haven’t been living.
Because I’ve been too busy missing them.
It’s like my life stopped the day my mother’s did.
And then when Liam died, it broke whatever was left of me.
I honestly can’t remember the last time I took a breath without the weight of my grief pulling me under. Or the last time I looked at something beautiful and didn’t immediately wish they were here to witness it with me.
But maybe—just maybe—it’s okay to smile and enjoy life once in a while.
I couldn’t save them—and it’s something I’ll always feel guilty about.
But I can still save me.
Reaching into the pocket of my jacket, I pull out the paper Oakley gave me.
A soul as black as the night sky.
Lips as red as the blood she’s out for.
The girl who leaves them ru She's a beautiful nightmare. “You were supposed to read that after the ride,” Oakley reminds me, but I ignore him because I’m too fixated on the words he wrote. Words he wrote for me. It’s so hauntingly gorgeous it cuts straight into my heart. “Kiss me,” I whisper, because I want Oakley’s lips on mine more than my next breath. I want us…whatever this is. Gripping the back of my neck, he kisses me long and deep… As if he needs this as much as I do.