We exit the store with my new present in tow. I smile up at the sky and breathe in the fresh scent of cookies in the air.
Rowan pulls out a package of Tums from his pocket. He pops one in his mouth and rubs his chest.
“Heartburn?” I prop my sunglasses back on my nose.
“Yup.”
“Interesting. I always wondered if you had your heart surgically removed to save you the trouble.”
“I tried. Turns out the doctor didn’t feel comfortable with the low survival rate.”
“Those cowards.”
He releases one of his laughs. The kind that’s so low, it’s hard to hear over the screaming and laughing children around us. The sound sends a warmth through my body I find impossible to ignore.
I really need to get the hell away from Rowan before I do something stupid like kiss him again. “Well, nice seeing you. I better get going—you know, places to go, rides to see and all.” I turn toward the next ride on my list.
His shadow follows me. He grabs onto my elbow and turns me with a softness someone like him shouldn’t possess. Why is it that whenever this man touches me, it feels like the world stops to take notice?
He releases my elbow with the speed of a snail, his fingers tracing my skin as he drops his hand. “Why are you really doing this?”
I stare down at my sneakers. “I have a creative block.”
“And this is your solution?” He looks around the park with a sneer.
“Why did you agree to become the Director if you hate this place so much?”
“I don’t hate it.” His nose twitches.
“Then explain that look on your face.”
“I don’t answer to you.”
“If you act like a child, then you’ll get treated like one. Goodbye!” I wave over my shoulder as I power walk out of his vicinity.
He follows, eating up the distance without taking a breath. “I’m coming along.”
“Why?” I groan.
“Because I find you interesting.”
Rowan is the only person who could call me interesting and make my heart flutter in response. I give in to his request because I’m hopeless when it comes to him.
We continue our journey toward the Kanaloa ride based on one of the Hawaiian gods. I head toward the main entrance, but he leads me toward the quick skip one.
“We don’t have quick skip passes for that.” I try to stop, but his hand finds the small of my back, pushing me forward. Heat spreads from the area his palm covers.
He points at his face. “You’re looking right at it.”
I snort. “God, that was so corny. I can’t even believe it came out of your mouth.”
He remains quiet, but I’m pretty sure the hand pressed against my back trembles from silent laughter.
“You know, this beats the point of me experiencing Dreamland like a regular person. I like talking to people and hearing their opinions while waiting.”
He ignores my chatter as we walk through the long, empty halls.
“Why do you want to spend time with me anyway?” I ask.
His pocket rattles again as he grabs the Tums bottle and pops another into his mouth.
“You’re not supposed to ride this roller coaster if you have heart issues,” I tease.
He shoots me a glare that could refreeze the Arctic. “I do not have heart issues. It’s indigestion.”
“Or a chronic side effect for being an ass all the time.” I wink.
He grunts something indiscernible under his breath.
We’re spit out into the waiting area for the coaster. Per Rowan’s request, an attendant leads us to the front of the line where the first seats of the coaster are.
I shake my head and point at the back. “That’s where we want to sit.”
Rowan raises a brow but follows my lead. We take our seats at the back of the cart. Our arms brush against each other as the safety harness is brought down, trapping us.
I look straight ahead as the cart cranks up the lift. The scenic facade of a Hawaiian volcano surrounds us, and warm steam trickles through the air, making it purposefully hard to see.
This is my favorite part. The clicking sound grows louder and my heart pounds faster in my chest as we climb up the side of the volcano. With one last push, the cart goes over the edge, falling straight into fake lava.
I scream, my stomach shooting straight into my throat as the ride twists and turns. Rowan’s rough exterior cracks as he laughs, his eyes focused more on me than the ride. I’m not sure what to make of it. Based on the way my chest feels, maybe I need to pop a Tums too.
The next drop steals my attention away, and I yell as we are thrown upside down and through a corkscrew motion. This is one of the best rides in all of Dreamland.
My heart doesn’t stop racing until the coaster cart comes to a halt right outside the unloading station.
I turn to face Rowan, wondering what he thought of the ride. “What did you think?”
“I think you popped my eardrums.” His eyes are stuck on me, darkening as he licks his bottom lip. His hand reaches out and brushes my crazy waves down.
My once steady heart picks up its pace again, pounding harder in my chest than a minute earlier. “I could ride this over and over again and never get sick of it.”
He lifts a brow. “Over and over again?”
“Yes! Doesn’t it make you feel alive?”
Our cart pulls into the undocking station. Rowan makes some fancy hand-twirling motion, and our safety harnesses remain locked in place.
“Umm. What’s happening?” The passengers all step off the cart, but we remain seated. Rowan does another hand signal, and the cart takes off again, empty except for us.
“Why are we doing this again?” I speak louder over the cranking gears.
He looks over at me, his face flat. “You said you wanted to do it again.”
“Yeah, but I didn’t exactly expect us to.”
“Well, here we are.”
The cart moves forward, cranking up the volcano again.
“Why are you really spending so much time with me? Don’t you have other things to do and people to torment?”
He offers a noncommittal shrug. “Maybe I enjoy hearing your screams.”
“Freak.”
I’m surprised Rowan doesn’t send me straight into cardiac arrest when he winks. My heart thuds in my chest, and my skin tingles in response.
