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“Nope, you?”

“Always when you’re near me,” Max admitted.

The Ferris wheel moved, elevating us over the crowd.

Max scanned the area, then laced his fingers through mine. Even though no one below could see, my heart threatened to burst out of my chest.

“Lovely view, right?” Our eyes met, holding onto the other’s for a moment.

“Yeah, lovely,” I affirmed, briefly closing my hand around his. Max bit his lip and smiled ahead, the wind tousling the feathers at his neck.

We held hands right to the end, and I didn’t want to let go.

“Want to see where the others are?” Max asked.

“We should… But I want to buy something for us first.”

I led the way to a stall where they sold brightly coloured sweets, decorated gingerbread hearts, and candy floss.

Is it weird to get him one of those heart things?

I was clueless about what they said.

“Anything you fancy?”

His head snapped around, the dark eyes swirling with shadows.‘You’, his eyes said.

I know, Raven.

“I suppose it would be weird to buy two of these hearts,” I muttered.

“Yeah.” Max looked upset. “I never even liked them but… I guess I’ll have one of these bananas dipped in chocolate.”

I got us two bananas and two hearts and asked for a bag. I was so tempted to take his hand and walk around the fair with him, like Ollie and Bo or Nate and Vee, who were just a few metres in front of us. With his arms around the giant chicken man, Nate looked up, completely awestruck.

I heaved a sigh. “This sucks.”

“It does. It’ll be better when...” Max broke off, so I checked what distracted him. He held his phone; its screen kept lighting up.

Fuck, is that his ex again?

I didn’t even have to ask. I knew from the way his shoulders tensed and how his hand gripped the phone. He told the guy never to call him again. Why the fuck wasn’t he listening?

I have to find out why he keeps harassing Max.

“Want me to walk you home, Raven?” I asked him when the guy had hung up.

“Yeah, thanks.”

We walked in silence, hands in pockets to avoid touching.

We arrived at his apartment much sooner than expected. I really didn’t like it. But I couldn’t stay, and I didn’t want to be alone with him. He was still stuck in that mess with his ex.

And I am straight. Well, more or less.

“Do you wanna come apple picking with me tomorrow? We could go on a hike and then to the orchard?” I blurted out. Theidea had been brewing in my mind since he’d taken my hand on the Ferris wheel. Apple picking sounded like a cute and romantic date Max might enjoy.

So straight.