Page 67 of Atone

“Someone could have seen that.” I’m still catching my breath.

Dizzy.

Alex hums, pulling his fingers out and shoving them in his mouth to lick me off him. “So long as they don’t touch.”

He grips the back of my hair, sealing his mouth to mine and stealing what air I have left. Forcing me to taste myself on his tongue as he claims my lips in the darkness. Only when the ride slows do we break apart.

The carousel comes to a stop, but my heart is still spinning.

22

IF YOU’RE GOOD

MILA

The lightson the carousel brighten as people climb off their horses. In the bustle, Alex doesn’t lead me to the edge like I expect. He pulls me to the center.

We step off the main platform onto another that doesn’t spin like the rest of the ride.

I open my mouth to tell him we can’t be here, but he presses me to a mirror, popping open a panel to tug me inside a circular room.

It’s darker in the center of the carousel, and the space is tight. Only about six feet from one side to the other. In the center are the gears that send the ride in circles, with a tight walking path around them.

The entire space is lined with ivory-framed one-way mirrors that look out at the carnival around us.

“They can’t see in,” Alex says in reassurance, confirming my thoughts.

“I’ve never been in this part of a carousel before.” It’s surprising even to me, as I’ve seen the ins and outs of almost every attraction at the carnival.

Although, this one is slightly bigger than the carnival my parents run. I can’t imagine the work in transporting all of this.

Alex watches me walk the small circle around the gears. I trace the curved edges of the floor-to-ceiling mirrors until I slow to a stop in front of him again.

“You actually came tonight.” My smile is genuine and vulnerable and terrifying.

He tucks my hair behind my ear. A surprisingly gentle gesture from a man I know capable of being anything but.

“It’s what you wanted.”

“And that matters?” I wet my lips. “All I have to do is ask you to be there, and you will?”

“Something like that.” He smirks.

No…smiles.

It’s absolutely breathtaking.

Around us, the horses start to spin. The gears creak, filling the silence. Metal grinds as the ride picks up speed, and I stand still in the center with Alex. Surrounded by masks and games, while Alex has torn his off for me.

He’s shown me a sliver of truth. Offered me his voice.

“What’s on your mind?” Alex brushes the side of my face with his knuckles.

It’s rare he lets me touch him, but he has no problem exploring me.

“When we were at your parents’ house earlier, you didn’t say anything to your mom.”

“I have nothing to say to her.”