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“You give me the nicest shit, shorty,” he said, grinning.
I blinked rapidly. “I try. Your turn. Where to?”
He only had to think for a moment. “How about the Ferris Wheel?”
I nodded, and he handed Sherbet to a scowling Targen, then grabbed my hand. We strolled through the crowd, our shoulders brushing occasionally as we walked. When we reached the Ferris Wheel, Real had a quick word with the operator, slipping the guy a couple of bills. I watched the exchange, my curiosity piqued despite myself.
“What are you plotting?” I asked, a small smile curving my mouth.
“You’ll see,” Real replied with a wink, taking my hand and leading me to the creaky metal seat. We buckled ourselves in, and the operator double-checked.
As the Ferris Wheel began its ascent, the Festival’s lights sparkled below us, a sea of movement and color. The higher we climbed, the quieter it became, the noise of the crowd fading into a distant hum.
I gazed out over Emancipation, my heart soft for this hard-won land of my ancestors. “It’s beautiful from up here,” I whispered.
“Yeah, it is,” Real agreed, though I could feel his eyes on me. “Got me enjoying all this country shit. What the fuck is a Pecan Festival anyway?”
I laughed at his exclamations. “Small town way of acknowledging and celebrating what God provides. Before the oil boom, the first families of Emancipation purchased the rights to the land by harvesting pecans. A random fact about this small town you refuse to leave.”
He sucked his teeth. “You think about our situation?”
I hesitated at the abrupt change of subject, my fingers tracing the metal bar in front of us. “I have.”
Real leaned in, his voice gentle but insistent. “And?”
I sighed. “Maybe I just don’t see how it’ll last. Things like this don’t, a lot of times. And as much as I don’t want to use the past as a reference, it’s the reason why I have to protect myself.”
Real’s expression softened. “You’re scared it’ll fall apart, so you won’t even let it begin, Love.”
I opened my mouth, but I hesitated, a bit of uncertainty flickering inside me. “It’s not that simple.”
“Why not? It can be,” he challenged, a teasing note in his voice.
Suddenly, the Ferris Wheel jerked to a stop at the very top, the world spread out below us like a living map. I took a deep breath, the warm night air filling my lungs.
“I’ve seen too many people fall for a dream and get left with nothing,” I said softly.
“I’m not a dream. I’m right here, trying to show you I’m serious,” Real said quietly, his gaze steady. “You worried about falling; you think if you fell for me, I wouldn’t be there to catch you?”
IfI fell? Ha! That ship had sailed long ago.
“You scared or something?” he pressed.
I shot him a sharp look. “Scared? Of you? Please.”
“Then what? You afraid of being a kept woman?” he asked, his tone light but serious. “I told you I’m definitely trying to keep you.”
I laughed, a genuine sound that eased the tension between us. “You think you’re funny, don’t you?”
“Shiii, I am,” Real shrugged, a grin tugging at his lips. “But seriously, Love. I can say I want this. I want you. I want us. And I think you do, too.”
Silence stretched between us, only the soft creaking of the car filling the air. Finally, I turned to him, my heart tentatively hopeful.
“You really think we can make it work?”
“I know we can,” Real said, his voice steady. “We’ve come this far, haven’t we?”
I breathed in four counts and then exhaled slowly. My mind whirled, but I knew there was only one answer I wanted to give.