by Lexi Bissen
I smile at the memory. When you’re that young, a Ferris wheel is like going into space. You’re so high up, nothing can touch you. “Well, I had asked my parents, begged even, if we could go there one weekend. It was a traveling carnival, so they weren’t going to be in town for long. But every time I went to ask my parents, they said they were too busy to deal with me right then. For two weeks, I asked every day. My mom finally told me there was no way they would be able to take me since they had too much going on with my brothers.”
“That’s bullshit. I don’t care how busy your parents were with football or your brothers, you should be a priority too.” Gibson’s nostrils flare. He frowns and his grip on my leg tightens. I lean forward and place a kiss on the corner of his mouth.
“I know, but they never realized by giving all their time and attention to my brothers, they were neglecting their daughter,” I say, and take a deep breath before continuing. “The carnival was ending soon and I still wanted to go. I decided to take a bus and go on my own. This was after the summer, so I had lemonade and dog walking money saved up. It was a Saturday morning and everyone was sleeping in since Jerry had a football game the night before and Sean’s was that afternoon. I snuck out and walked to the bus stop. Hours later, I was staring up at the most beautiful place I had ever seen. Even though it was during the day and nothing was lit up, I was in love. There was so much going on between people screaming on rides and games going off when someone would win. My brain couldn’t take everything in at once.
“I did everything I could while I was there. Spent all of my money, only saving some for the bus ride home. Between the food, rides, and games, I was there for hours. After exhausting myself, I finally made the trip back home. I expected my parents to be angry about their thirteen-year-old daughter going off for the entire day by herself without saying anything, but the boys and my dad were in the living room watching the sports channel and Mom was in the kitchen making dinner, like every night. No one said anything to me when I got home. Neither of my parents yelled or asked where I was all day. The only thing my mom said was I made it home in time for dinner.” I shudder, thinking of the crushing feeling of my mother not noticing my absence for almost an entire day.
Gibson wipes his thumb across my cheek, removing tears I didn’t know were there. “I hate them and I don’t even know them, babe. They don’t realize what an awesome daughter they have. It’s their loss, you hear me?” I nod and lay my head on his shoulder, snuggling into the crook of his neck.
We sit there in comfortable silence for a while, Gibson still running his hand up and down my thigh and me playing with his hair, occasionally planting kisses on his neck. As much as I would love to stay in this position for the rest of the day, screams coming from the park pull my attention away from the warm body I’m resting on.
Patting my leg once, Gibson pulls away from me. “Let’s make this a fun day, babe. No more tears or sad memories, okay? I want to take away that bad memory and make this place a good one.”
I can’t get over how amazing this man is. He’s so sweet and thoughtful. “You better be careful with what you say. All this swooning may make me fall in love with you,” I joke.
Gibson winks, then goes to open the passenger door. “That’s been my plan all along.”
It’s official, coming to the carnival with someone else is way better than being alone. Having Gibson here has been one of the best experiences. He’s made sure we stop at everything: rides, food stands, and shows. Unfortunately, in that order. My stomach isn’t a huge fan of the greasy food combined with the jerking of some of the rides. Luckily, we’ve both eaten all we can, so that part of the date should be over.
We’re now walking around, taking in the lights and excitement since the sun has gone down, my arms filled with stuffed animals Gibson’s won for me. One by one we’ve been giving them away to little kids who have walked away from games empty handed. Now, I’m left with only two, and neither of them I want to part with. One is a stuffed guitar Gibson won in that “Guess My Weight!” game and the other is a stuffed princess. Gibson spent seventy dollars and an hour trying to knock down those stupid milk bottles that are obviously rigged, but he was determined to win the princess and the guy running the game wouldn’t just sell it to him.
It’s getting late and there’s only one ride we haven’t made it to yet: the Ferris wheel. Gibson wanted to save it for last so we could see all the lights from above. I couldn’t wait to get up there and experience it.
We make our way toward the Ferris wheel and my eyes grow larger and larger at the sight. During the day, this giant circle death trap doesn’t look so bad. But at night, right now, it looks pretty intimidating.
I start to slow down and Gibson continues walking forward, losing my hand he was holding in the process. He turns around and walks back to me. “What’s wrong?” he asks, sounding worried.
I can’t help but laugh. “Sorry. It’s just, the Ferris wheel is somehow more intimidating at night.”
Gibson laughs and walks up to me, wrapping his arms around my waist. “Don’t worry, princess, I’ll keep you safe up there.”
I pat the arm he leaves around my waist as we walk toward the line and smile up at him. “I’m sure you will, rock star.”
Why the fuck would anyone want to sit in a little cart five hundred feet in the air? First off, you have no idea if the person who constructed it knows what the hell they were doing. And second, there is no purpose. A rollercoaster I understand—you get the thrill of the speed and drops. But a Ferris wheel is nothing but a leisurely trip to your potential death.
Ronnie and I are going higher and higher, sweat tickling the back of my neck. We’re about halfway to the top, and while I’m nervous as fuck, Princess hasn’t stopped smiling and taking in all the lights and excitement going on below us. Seeing her face light up almost makes this experience worth it…almost.
I look over the edge and see the small people at the bottom, taking a deep breath, I sit back and try not to make too many movements. The ride has been going non-stop until we reach the top, making me jerk forward with the abrupt holt. I look down—and holy fuck, we’re high up. The fact that we are five-hundred feet in the air, a metal basket being our only savior, is momentarily set aside from my mind when I see the guy running this death trap arguing with another man wearing a matching uniform. The two of them point from the Ferris wheel to the booth he’s been sitting in. This can’t be good.
Ronnie looks over to where the two men are arguing below us. I’m trying to concentrate on not tossing the funnel cake I just ate all over the people safe on the ground. She looks over at me, her eyes wide. When she sees the look on my face, she sits up and moves in closer.
“Are you okay? You look sick, Gibson.” She rests the back of her hand against my forehead, moving to my cheeks. I capture her wrists and bring her hand to my lips, planting a kiss on the center of her palm.
“I’m good, babe, just not a huge fan of the height and then there’s the matter of something obviously not being right since we’re stopped and dumb and dumber are yelling down there.” I point down below us.
Ronnie looks over me, practically coming into my lap trying to see the men. “Hmm, I wonder what’s going on. I’m sure it’s fine, though. If we were in any danger, I’m sure there would be a rescue team here or something. They wouldn’t leave us stranded on the ride.” I know she’s saying that to try to reassure me, but the way her voice gets higher at the end tells me she’s nervous there’s something wrong too.
I grab Ronnie and pull her as close as the bar over our laps will allow. Burrowing my face into her neck, I inhale her sent. Holding her like this calms me almost instantly. Having her around and knowing she’s there always seems to make me feel better.
We sit like that for a while, waiting for whoever is in charge to fix the damn ride. At some point, one of the men yells up to us saying they’re having some technical difficulties. No shit, Sherlock.
Pullin
g Ronnie in as close as I can, I kiss the top of her head. I’ve only ever been this comfortable around two other people: Momma Mary and River. Those two are my family and I love them more than anything, and now Ronnie is added to that small list. The intense feelings I have for her are more than me just simply liking a girl. I love this one. I feel protective of her; I want to make her happy and put a smile on her face every day. She makes me happier than I’ve ever been and motivates me to be better.
Ronnie’s head rests on my chest while my arms wrap across her chest. I have to tell her, let her know how I feel. I start to move, which makes Ronnie sit up and turn to face me. Lifting my hands, I bring them to her face and cup her chilled cheeks. Taking in a deep breath, I let the words spill out in a whisper. “I love you.”
Ronnie’s jaw drops and her eyes widen. She recovers from the surprise, but then bites her lips and ducks her head down. “Are you sure?” she asks.
I can’t help but laugh at this beautiful, naïve girl sitting here with me right now. “Yes, princess, I’m sure. Though, by the worried look on your face and your question, I’m second guessing saying it.”
“No!” She sit’s up and grabs my hand. “I mean, no, don’t second guess saying it. I…I like that you said it.” She puts her head down, hiding her face from me. “Iloveyoutoo,” she rushes out.
I can’t hide the smile on my face. “Sorry, princess, what was that you said? You have to speak up a little, babe. Hell, scream it if you want!”
Her cheeks go red and she laughs. “I said I love you, too, you dork.”
Wrapping my arms around Ronnie and pulling her to me, I cover her face with wet, sloppy kisses. “Aw, babe, was that so hard to say?”
Ronnie pokes at my ribs, causing me to jump. “Don’t make fun of me, mister. I’ll start rocking this cart.”
I let go of her and raise my hands in surrender. “All right, all right. There’s no need for that. I’m done.” As soon as I finish my sentence, the Ferris wheel starts back up with a jerk. I may or may not have let out a high pitch sound. Looking over at my girl, I know she heard me, and she’ll be using that against me for sure.
I am in love. With Gibson. I haven’t been able to stop smiling since we left the Carnival. We are almost home now and my cheeks are starting to hurt. But none of that matters because I love Gibson, he loves me, and I couldn’t be happier. Who would have thought the new guy in town, the rock star’s son, would be the man I fall for? Not me, that’s for sure.
Driving into Freedom, I start to lose my happy feeling and my smile drops. I don’t want our night to be over. It’s only nine, so it’s not too late. Trying to think of a way we can continue our date, the perfect place comes to mind and instead of driving to Gibson’s, I head there.
It takes him just a few minutes to realize we aren’t headed to his house. I look over at him and smile. “I figured you wouldn’t be opposed to continuing our night? I don’t want to be away from you just yet.”
Shaking his head, Gibson lets out a laugh and squeezes my hand. “Not at all, princess. Drive to wherever you want to take us.”
I do just that, bringing us to our spot.
Parking the truck on the sand, I reach into the back and grab the blankets I leave back there for when I come to the beach and watch the stars. Gibson watches me get out of the truck with the blankets in hand and raises one of his dark eyebrows. I walk around to the bed and let down the tailgate, dumping the blankets and boosting myself up. Gibson’s door slam shut and he appears at the side of the bed, resting his arms on the ledge.
“Whatcha doing up there, beautiful?” he asks.
Unfolding one of the blankets and laying it across the bed of my truck, I look over to him. “I’m setting up the next portion of our date. We’re going to watch the stars,” I say to him.
“The stars?” Gibson asks, sounding confused. “What’s so fun about watching stars?”
Resting my hand on my hips, I cock one out when I face him. “Well, have you ever looked into the night before?”
Thinking about it, Gibson shakes his head no. “L.A. is too polluted to even see the stars at night. There’d be no point. All you would see is smog.”
I will never understand why city people live where they live. What’s so beautiful about smog and rush hour traffic? While I’m not a fan of small town living either, big cities aren’t on my list of places to visit. I’m much more of a suburban area kind of girl.
“I feel sad for you. Everyone should experience a clear night sky at least once in their life.” I begin opening the second blanket. “Don’t worry, babe, I’ll be extra careful with popping your stargazing cherry.” I wink at him before plopping myself down on the blanket and covering my legs up with the second one.
Laughter comes from the side and then I see him hoisting himself into the bed with me. In the moonlight, Gibson somehow looks even more beautiful. His dark hair and eyebrows look pitch black without the sun beating down on them and his green eyes stand out more against his light skin. He’s gorgeous, and he’s mine. That fact is still so strange to me—that I fell in love with this man so quickly and he feels the same way for me.
My thoughts must show on my face because when Gibson sits beside me, one of his brows is raised as he takes in my goofy expression. “You all right?” he asks.
Smiling, I scoot over to snuggle into his side. “Never better. I was just thinking about how happy I am. This was the perfect date, Gibson.”
He wraps his arms around me, pulling me tight into his side. “I told you it would be, baby. Never doubt me.”
Resting my head on his shoulder, I lift one hand and cover Gibson’s eyes. “All right, mister, I want you to get the full experience of a clear night sky. Lay back and close your eyes.” He does what I tell him, bringing me to lay with him. Once we’re both laying comfortably, I release my hand from his eyes and we both take in the beautiful, bright sky.
Gibson is quiet for a while. If you’ve never seen a clear sky before, it can be a lot to take in. I grew up with this being the norm and it still amazes me that something so beautiful can be seen right from my backyard.
“Isn’t it the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen?” I ask him, still staring at the night above us.
“Yes,” he says, his voice coming out strangled.
When I look up to him, he’s staring right at me with a hungry look in his eyes. Before I can ask what’s wrong, Gibson smashes his lips to mine, cutting off any thoughts I may have had.
This kiss is different from all the others we’ve shared. It’s just as hot, but there’s desperation in the way Gibson is kissing me. Like he can’t get close enough to me. He starts to lean forward, forcing me to go onto my back with half his body hovering above mine. I reach up and run my hands down Gibson’s chest, feeling every hard muscle while he explores my mouth with his tongue.
It all begins to be too much and I have to pull my away to catch my breath. Gibson continues down to my neck, biting and sucking as he goes. My body is hot all over, feeling Gibson at every inch of it. I clutch the back of his shirt, whether to pull him closer or push him farther, I’m not sure.
Gibson makes quick work of getting his short off and I begin working on his belt buckle. A pair of warm hands grab both of mine and pin them above my head. When I look up, Gibson is staring down at me. His eyes are darker and his nostrils flaring.
“Are you sure?” he asks.
Am I sure? I love this man above me, so of course I was sure about giving myself to him. Nothing would make me unsure about sleeping with Gibson. I could understand why he would want to make sure though. He’s been with a lot of women and I’ve only been with one other person, but that doesn’t matter to me. All I care about is what’s happening now, not about his past or my own.
Gibson rubs his thumb across my bottom lip, bringing my attention back to him. “Hey, it’s okay. We don’t have to do anything you aren’t comfortable with, okay? I’m perfectly fine with laying here and kissing you all nigh
t, or even laying here and staring at the stars. We don’t have to go any further than this.” He plants feather like kisses on my nose and goes to roll back over to where he was laying before, but I stop him, keeping him above me.
Biting my bottom lip, I decide to tell him what’s on my mind. “It’s not that I don’t want to, because trust me, I want you. It’s just…you’ve been with so many other women and I’m afraid I’ll disappoint you,” I tell him.
Gibson lays his body against mine, close this time, so I feel every part of him. “Do you feel that?” It takes me a second to realize what he’s talking about, but one flex of his hips and I know exactly what he means. “You do that to me, Ronnie. Fuck any other girl I’ve ever been with and fuck that douchebag Rodger. It’s me and you, princess.”
I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. “But…what if I’m not as good as them?”
He cuts me off with another hard, yet sweet kiss. “Princess, making love to you will be the most amazing experience of my life. Before you, it was only sex. A way to relieve the tension. Now, we have feelings mixed in with it. I love you, Ronnie, and I want to make love to you.”
This time, it’s me who grabs Gibson and brings his lips to mine. He’s right. What we have is different and special and I will not let any of the one’s before me take that away. We waste no time getting each other’s clothes off and before I know it, I’m down to my panties and Gibson is only in his boxer briefs, reaching into his pocket for his wallet. We are actually doing this. I’m about to make love to Gibson Mitchell.
Once Gibson comes back to me, with condom in hand, I can’t help but smile. His hair looks wild from me running my hands through it and his eyes are bright with excitement. He sheds himself of his last article of clothing before coming back to lay on top of me.
