Page 16 of Dual

I cross my arms and slump back into the car seat as the sign for Six Flags Arlington looms into view. What. The. Actual. Fuck.

"You're kidding," I say flatly, turning to Domhnall.

But he's grinning like he just pulled off the heist of the century. "Nope."

"You brought me to a damn theme park?" I gesture out the window at the hordes of sticky-faced children clutching oversized stuffed animals and balloons. Someone's already screaming in the distance, the high-pitched shriek of either a toddler tantrum or an overenthusiastic roller coaster victim. "For fun? What is this, some kind of punishment kink I wasn't aware of?"

Domhnall just laughs, hopping out of the car like we're about to embark on the greatest adventure of our lives. "This is the most fun place on Earth, love. I come here whenever I can get away from work."

I blink at him. "Are you serious?"

"Deadly." He tosses me a wink before striding around to open my door. "Now, come on. We've got rides to conquer."

I climb out begrudgingly, already bracing myself for the sensory assault. The air is thick with the mingling scents of fried dough, buttered popcorn, and something sickeningly sweet that has to be cotton candy. Music blasts from speakers overhead, some aggressively cheerful carnival tune that grates against my nerves.

And the colors—God, the colors. The whole park is an explosion of gaudy reds, blues, and yellows, clashing together in a chaotic swirl of overstimulation.

A garish cowboy mascot waves from a nearby sign advertising funnel cakes the size of my head. A family in matching neon T-shirts ambles past, the dad already sporting a sunburn while the youngest kid wails about dropping an ice cream cone.

I turn back to Domhnall. "This is hell."

"This is fun," he corrects, grabbing my hand and leading me deeper into the madness.

I grumble under my breath but let him drag me through the park, dodging balloon-wielding toddlers and strollers that seem to appear out of nowhere.

Then he stops in front of a ride entrance. A massive sign looms overhead in icy blue letters: MR. FREEZE: REVERSE BLAST

I narrow my eyes. "What exactly is this?"

Domhnall smirks. "A little warm-up."

"Ha ha." I eye the ride warily. The track stretches up intothe sky like a steel nightmare, looping and twisting in ways that defy basic human survival instincts. The cars shoot out of a tunnel backward, hurtling up a 218-foot vertical spike before plummeting down again.

I huff. "This looks dumb."

"Scared?" he teases.

Oh, he did not. I lift my chin. "Of course not. It just seems like a waste of time."

"Then you won't mind riding it." He yanks me forward before I can protest, striding up to the entrance.

The line isn't as long as I imagine it might be in the middle of summer, but it still feels like an eternity. I shift impatiently, tapping my foot against the concrete, watching as the cars launch out of the station with a mechanical roar.

"This is ridiculous," I mutter. "Why would anyone voluntarily wait to be flung through the air like a ragdoll?"

Domhnall chuckles beside me. "You're adorable when you're sulking."

I roll my eyes but don't stop fidgeting. Every time the ride launches, the line inches forward at a snail's pace.

Finally, it's our turn.

Minutes later, I'm strapped in beside Domhnall, the safety harness pressing against my chest. The ride operator gives us a thumbs-up, and a robotic voice crackles over the speakers. "Prepare for launch in three... two..."

Wait. Um, actually, I'm suddenly rethinking this. I look around for the attendant to tell them I'd like to get off.

"One..."

Theworld blurs.