Chapter 112: The "Surprise" That Almost Killed Me
Kayden
"So, where are we going next?" I asked as Rhys pulled over to a gravel lot.
I had been asking the same question ever since we left the aquarium, but Rhys’s replies had been short, as if he didn’t want me to find out.
"It’s a secret."
"Telling you will ruin the surprise."
Finally, when he pulled over, he turned towards me with a smile on his face. "We are here," he announced.
I looked around. "We are exploring the trees?" I asked him, raising an eyebrow.
"No, silly," he chuckled and climbed out of the car; then he walked to my side of the vehicle and opened my door. "Here, take my hand."
"Tell me," I persisted, even though I took his hand. "Where are we going?"
Rhys pulled me out of the car and into his arms, the afternoon light catching the sharp, handsome lines of his face. "I already told you that it’s a surprise," he murmured.
I let out a dramatic sigh, leaning back in his hold to look at the greenery in sight. "Oh wow, what a surprise! Trees and... more trees. Truly, Rhys, you’ve outdone yourself. Is the next part of the surprise teaching me how to forage for berries?"
Rhys just laughed, his eyes crinkling. "Patience," he said, his voice dropping into a teasing tone. "Don’t make me put you up a tree," he joked.
"Well, that will be a great surprise," I joked back, slapping my hand on his back.
Rhys laughed again but said nothing as he led me toward a hidden stone path.
As we walked, the dense trees began to thin out, opening up into a massive, hidden meadow.
The afternoon sun hit this spot perfectly, making the grass look like it was dusted in gold. "Beautiful," I said, pointing to the grass, but that wasn’t all.
At the entrance were two towering pillars of white marble. Suspended between the pillars was a beautiful, rustic wooden archway, and carved deep into the wood and painted in shimmering gold that caught the sunlight was a greeting that stared back at us.
"Welcome Rhys and Kayden"
There was a heart carved right beneath our names.
"Welcome to Iron City Private Amusement Park," Rhys announced.
"A park!" I screamed, pulling my hand from Rhys as I rushed towards the entrance. "OMG, Rhys... I have always wanted to go to the park as a kid, but I couldn’t because..." I didn’t finish because Rhys didn’t need to hear my sob stories, especially the unpleasant memories about my father.
"But I am here now with you!" I screamed, jumping excitedly like a kid experiencing his first time at the park—well, it was my first time.
Rhys chuckled as he walked behind me, but he didn’t say anything.
I didn’t wait for him to catch up with me, as the first thing my eyes locked onto was a heavy wooden swing set nearby.
I ran to it and sat down, gripping the ropes and looking up at him as he caught up. "So... how does this work? Do I just sit here?"
Rhys stopped in front of me, his expression softening into something so warm it made my chest ache. "Wait. This is a swing; you know what that is, right?"
I nodded.
"But you never learned how to swing?"
"Correct," I answered. "As crazy as it sounds, I never had that experience, and don’t ask me why. I just had a crazy experience growing up."
"Well, then," Rhys said, stepping behind me. He placed his hand on my back and leaned closer until I could feel the warmth of his breath on my neck. "It’s time you learned. Lean back, Kayden. I’ve got you. Let your boyfriend do his duty."
I smiled but didn’t say anything else.
"Lean back a little," he instructed. "I’m going to give you a push, and when you go forward, you kick your legs out. When you go back, you tuck them in. Got it?"
"Got it," I whispered, holding the ropes like my life depended on them.
"Alright, on the count of three: 1, 2, 3!" he shouted and gave me a gentle push.
I let out an exciting scream as I felt a rush of air against my face, that strange, weightless sensation in my stomach as I rose into the air.
"Now kick!" Rhys shouted.
I kicked my legs out, and the swing soared higher. "Wow!" I laughed out loud. "I did it! I am flying, Rhys!"
"Well, I am glad that you enjoyed that moment," Rhys said as he stopped pushing and just stood there, watching me with a look of pure satisfaction. "Good. You are doing well. Now let me join you," he said, and he hopped onto the swing right next to mine, pumping his legs with the practiced ease of a pro.
We both swung in perfect rhythm, our eyes locking as we looked into each other’s faces and laughed all over again. "This is amazing!" I shouted, closing my eyes tight as the cool afternoon wind brushed past my face, making me feel lighter than I ever had on the ice.
I felt like a little kid for the first time in my life, and it was all because of Rhys, and I knew right then and there that I had finally found my special one.
After a few more minutes of soaring through the air, we finally slowed the swings down, dragging our boots in the woodchips until we came to a stop.
"That," I paused, panting for breath as I tucked a strand of hair from my face. "That was interesting and a lovely moment for me."
"The swings were just the appetizer," Rhys said, standing up and brushing the dust off his pants. He pointed further into the private park, past a row of manicured hedges. "That’s the main course."
Rising up against the orange-and-pink backdrop of the late afternoon sky was a massive, vintage-style Ferris wheel with a white iron frame that looked elegant and passenger cars painted in deep, classic navy.
My stomach did a sudden, violent flip at the sight of it.
It wasn’t the good kind of flip.
"A Ferris wheel," I repeated, my voice dropping low, far from excitement. "Rhys. That is... very high."
Rhys caught the shift in my tone immediately. He turned to me with a slow, devilish smirk spreading across his face. "Don’t tell me. The popular newbie who led the Northern Avalanche against the Southern Stallions is scared of a Ferris wheel?"
"I am not afraid," I snapped, though I didn’t move an inch toward it. "I just have a healthy respect for gravity. And structural integrity. And not being suspended in a tin can a hundred feet in the air. And besides, I lead the Northern Avalanche on ice, not air!"
"Oh, you’re terrified," Rhys chuckled, walking back to me and grabbing my hand. He started tugging me toward the ride before I could say anything. "Come on, Kayden. I bought out the whole park just for you to have this crazy experience. I’m not letting the Ferris wheel go to waste just because my boyfriend is a closet coward."
"I am not a coward!" I hissed, but I let him pull me anyway. "I am going to ride it and prove myself to you, but if we fall, I’m landing on you so you break my fall."
"Deal," he joked.
I sighed and didn’t say anything else even though my heart was pounding hard against my chest.
We stepped into the navy car, and the attendant—who looked like he’d been sworn to absolute secrecy—locked the gate, bowed his head, and walked away.
The moment the metal bar clicked into place over my lap, I gripped it so hard my knuckles turned white.
"Rhys, I swear to God—you..."
The wheel groaned softly and began to move, and I couldn’t speak as the car swayed just a fraction as we were lifted off the ground.
"AAAHHH!" I let out a sharp, genuine scream, squeezing my eyes shut and nearly lunging into Rhys’s lap. "Why is it moving?! Make it stop moving! OMG! I hate this."
Rhys let out a loud, genuine laugh that echoed through the empty park. "Kayden! We’ve only moved five feet! Open your eyes, you big baby."
"No! I like the back of my eyelids just fine!"
I felt Rhys’s hand slide over mine on the bar. His warm palm gripped mine firmly, and he placed our joined hands on his lap. He interlaced his fingers with mine, forcing me to loosen my death grip on the metal.
"Look at me," he murmured, his voice losing its teasing edge. "Just look at me and it will be fine. Don’t look at the ground. Never look at the ground when you are riding a Ferris wheel."
"What!" I shouted, but I followed his instructions anyway. I slowly opened one eye, then the other.
Unlike me, Rhys looked calm and collected, like he had ridden the wheel a hundred times.
"Are you alright?" he asked, his thumb stroking the back of my hand. "If you are not comfortable, we can stop right now. You don’t have to force yourself if you are scared."
"I am not scared," I snapped, letting out a shaky breath, my heart still pounding hard against my ribs. "I can do this," I murmured.
Rhys leaned back, a flash of pure, mischievous intent forming in his eyes. He reached out, his hand locking firmly over mine, grounding me even as the ground itself began to disappear.
"Then hold on tight, baby," Rhys said, his voice dropping into that dark, thrilling tone that always made my stomach do a different kind of flip. "Cause this is about to get serious!"
He had barely finished the sentence when the wheel reached the apex. For a split second, we hung there, suspended between the sun and the beautiful sight of Iron City.
It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen—for about half a heartbeat.
Then, the wheel groaned, and our car swung forward as the descent began.
"AAAAAHHHHHHHH!" I screamed. "RHYS, I’M GOING TO KILL YOU!"
"I told you that you’d be surprised!" Rhys responded and burst out laughing.