Chapter 169: The Fun Continues ll
Aeri and I had just stumbled off the water roller coaster, our clothes damp from the splash and our hearts still racing from the wild ride. We found a wooden bench near a cluster of food stalls, the neon glow of the park casting colorful patterns across the ground. Aeri plopped down with a dramatic sigh, stretching her arms above her head and kicking out her legs, her black mini skirt riding up slightly, her tight white t-shirt clinging to her curves.
"Shwaaaa... that was epic," she said, her voice bright and carefree as she leaned back, her hair a little messy from the wind of the ride. She grinned, her eyes sparkling under the park’s twinkling lights, looking like she could take on the world.
"Indeed, it truly was," I said, chuckling as I handed her a giant stick of pink cotton candy, its fluffy cloud almost as big as her head, and a cold soda can from the nearby stall. "Here, your highness," I teased, giving her a mock bow.
"Thank you, my knight," Aeri said, her smile softening as she took the cotton candy, her fingers brushing mine for a split second. She pulled off a big piece and popped it into her mouth, her eyes fluttering shut as the sugar melted on her tongue.
"Yumm... it’s so sweet," she said, her hands cupping her cheeks like a kid, her voice muffled by the candy.
She looked so happy, so normal, it was hard to believe that just two minutes ago, she’d been teary-eyed on the ride, her face pressed to my chest, asking me to take care of her.
*Chsss.* I cracked open my soda can, the fizz breaking the quiet between us, and took a sip, the cold bubbles sharp against my throat and my mind kept circling back to her words.
*Please take good care of me, okay?* They’d hit me like a freight train, heavy with meaning, but now she was acting like nothing had happened, giggling over cotton candy like it was just another moment. Was she serious? Did that mean she’d accepted me, like, for real? My heart was doing flips, and I knew I had to ask, even if it made me nervous. I rubbed the back of my neck, my face heating up as I worked up the courage.
"Hey, Aeri..." I said, stepping in front of her as she sat on the bench.