“Hey, we had fun.”
I remember being pissed at Allison for suggesting that I bring them to the amusement park, especially since I was supposed to hang out with my friends. But then, my friends had agreed to go to the park with us.
Even I couldn’t deny that. It was true, and we had fun together. I still couldn’t believe that I thought of Fiona as nothing more than my sister’s best friend back then.
“Oh, I understand how it was fun for you. You were all over me. How couldn’t I tell back then that you had a crush on me.”
Fiona tried to move away from my arms, but I held on tighter to her, laughing the more she struggled. The couple in front of us turned around to look at Fiona, who moved back into me with her head bowed. She muttered an apology, and the couple were quick to accept.
“I can’t believe you liked dumb old me.”
“You weren’t dumb.”
I was going to reply to her, but it was our turn to get on the Ferris wheel. We took our seats and got buckled in.
“This is so exciting.”
I nodded in agreement.
After a while, the Ferris Wheel rose to the sky, and I looked down at the world beneath us. I wanted to make tonight memorable for her, so I cleared my throat. Fiona looked at me with raised brows.
“I love you,” I said, and the blush that took over her would make anyone think it was the first time I was saying the words to her. She looked down at her hands, in a desperate attempt to calm herself down.
When she looked back at me, I brought my face closer to hers. Fiona blinked, and I smiled at her.
“Be my girlfriend,” I said to her, and her eyes grew wide. Quickly, she nodded, and I took the opportunity to press my lips to her. It was nothing like I imagined it to be. Her lips were soft, and her hand clung lightly to my shirt.
When I pulled back, her eyes were still closed. I took the chance to kiss her again, pressing my lips to hers. This time, I moved my lips, and Fiona kissed me back. She moved closer to me, as close as the belts strapping us would allow.
“Come home with me,” I asked, and Fiona nodded again before kissing me this time.
I grinned into the kiss because this might just be the happiest I’ve ever been, and the woman of my dreams was in my arms, kissing me. It felt like I was on top of the world, and the butterflies in my stomach took the chance to be a stampede of elephants.
Chapter Twenty-One
Fiona
“When are you going on a date?” I asked Allison with a smile on my face.
Her immediate look of horror filled me with satisfaction and turned my grin into a smile. Allison opened her mouth and closed it several times, and I regretted the fact that I was witnessing this behind a screen.
It looked like the type of event that would thrill you if you were to witness it up, close and personal. I picked up the phone from the kitchen counter where I had it leaning on the salt and pepper shakers and made my way back to my bedroom with a glass of water in my hand.
I had no idea how long the phone calls had lasted, but I didn’t exactly mind. Talking with Allison has taken my mind off a lot of things like it always did. I was beyond grateful for her and hoped she understood how much.
But that didn’t stop me from teasing her about her dating life. With my crush on Christian finally blooming into something other than a distant affection displayed by longing eyes and slightly opened jaw - Allison’s description of the events (I disagreed, of course) - I figured it was high time we got her back into the dating scene.
“What are you talking about?” Allison said finally, pretending not to have heard or understood me.
“Think about it, I’m in a relationship now, and it would be even better if you were in one too,” I explained to her, the smile on my face hidden this time when I took a sip of my water.
Allison scoffed at this declaration. “I think it’s a pity that you’re an only child. If you had a brother, he would have made a move long ago.”
“I apologize for being an only child and hogging all of my mother’s attention.”
“As you should.”
We both fell into fits of giggles. It was a new joke that had settled between us since Christian and I got together. The more I brought up the prospects of her dating someone, the more she reminded me of my lack of a sibling, and how her having one had made sure I didn’t waste time looking for love.
Which was ideal if your boyfriend’s mother didn’t spend the majority of her time looking at you like you stole something from her. I thought it was pretty impressive how consistently she made me feel unwelcome.
“How are things with my mother? Are there any improvements?” Allison asked when we’d both come down from our laughter-induced high.
I let out a sigh and shook my head. “It’s like she hates me more with each passing day. I would have walked away a long time ago if I hadn’t been in love with Christian. I mean, I knew she didn’t like me, but it’s like she has amped it up a whole lot.”
“Has she done anything crazy?”
“I mean, she keeps inviting us to these dinners where she spends all the time between first hello, and last bite telling Christian she has all these women lined up if he ever decides to come to his senses.”
“And you both keep going to these dinners because?”
I rolled my eyes at Allison. “You know why. She’s his mother, and I’d hate to be the reason why they don’t see each other.”
“Come on, Fiona. We’re talking about my mother here. She won’t just back away if she thinks she has the upper hand. You have to put your foot down eventually.”
***
I didn’t put my foot down immediately because I had a date with Christian. What I did instead was get ready for it in hopes that when he picked me up, his jaw would be on the floor. Every girl’s dream, really.
