Page 27 of Fear of Love (Falling #3)

LYDIA

“ I s everyone ready?” Josie asked, doing a quick glance around our group to make sure everyone was all set. “Please don’t get us kicked out.” She looked at the guys, specifically Trevor and Mateo.

“Scout’s honor.” Trevor put two fingers up to his forehead.

“You weren’t even a boy scout.” Bryton shoved him.

“I could have been,” Trevor shot back.

“Why are we here of all places?” Mateo asked, eyes glued to the front entrance of the Toronto Wildlife Zoo.

I ducked my head to hide my grin. Josie and I purposely got everyone together to come here knowing the story about Mateo pooping his pants. It was a little cruel, but we couldn’t help ourselves.

“We wanted to do something fun before your championship game and the guys’s playoff games,” Josie explained. That part was true. The next few weeks were set to be busy. Not to mention the wedding was quickly approaching. This would be our last chance as a group to do something for awhile.

“Yeah, but here?” Mateo’s face flushed.

“Come on, kid. Let’s go see the monkeys.” Trevor looped his arm around Mateo’s neck and dragged him forward.

“But I don’t want to,” Mateo all but whined as the two headed for the entrance.

“You know, this was a great idea, babe.” Wyatt shot Josie a mischievous grin, obviously thrilled at teasing Mateo.

“Of course it was.” Josie grabbed his hand and followed after the others.

“Want to elaborate why we really are here?” Tasha asked as the rest of us headed into the zoo. I glanced over my shoulder at Landon who was a step behind. The wink he gave me had my lips twitching.

Being around him all day was going to be interesting. We were both on the same page about our friends not knowing what was going on between us. It wasn’t the time or the place, especially when the feelings inside of me were growing by the day.

“Recently learned that Mateo pooped his pants during a class field trip here when he was fifteen.” Mateo was far enough ahead that I didn’t have to whisper. Tasha, Mila, Bryton, and Landon heard me.

“Oh god.” Tasha and Mila immediately started giggling.

“Now that is vital information,” Bryton said with a grin. “This is going to be fun.”

It took us a few minutes to get through the entrance, bracelets clipped to our wrists, maps in hand.

“Where to first?” Tasha asked, holding the map out in front of her. There were three paths in front of us that led to different parts of the zoo. Parents pushed kids around in strollers, voices loud with excitement.

“It’s only ten o’clock, so we have plenty of time to see everything,” Josie said.

“I want to see the monkeys first.” Trevor raised his hand. When no one made an argument, Trevor turned and pointed in a direction. “Onward, hoes.”

“Hoes?” Tasha raised an eyebrow at her boyfriend.

“That’s what they say in Shakespeare.” He shrugged.

“Like you read Shakespeare.” Wyatt scoffed.

“You don’t know that. Maybe I do,” Trevor shot right back.

As the two said jabs at one another, I felt a presence slide up to my side. I realized who it was seconds before their hand grazed the back of mine.

“I like that color on you.” Landon’s voice was soft as he stood beside me.

“It’s the only sweater I own that covers my neck,” I hissed, my eyes forward.

Last night, Landon decided he wanted to leave a little memento on the side of my neck, not a care in the world that our friends would see the giant love bite.

Thank god it was chilly out today, and I could get away with a turtleneck.

“Hm.” Landon just hummed. I jammed my elbow back in response. I grinned at the oomph sound he made as I stepped toward our friends who were headed for the path on the left. I only made it a foot before a sharp pain spread over my ass.

“Landon.” I whirled around, eyes narrowed as he stood there smirking. “You did not just smack my ass.”

“I didn’t. Must have been the wind.” He put his hands in his jean pockets and stepped around me. I tapered the urge to smack him back as he walked in front of me. Muttering under my breath about getting him back tonight, I hurried to catch up with everyone.

“How dare someone try and hurt these babies,” Josie said incredulously. We stood at the fence of the lion enclosure, three beautiful felines lying in the dirt, their faces titled toward the sun.

The best part about the Toronto Wildlife Zoo was that all the animals were rescued.

Whether that be from actual zoos that didn’t take care of them or from people who thought it would be cool to own one.

From what I read on the map, there were even a few that were here because they couldn’t be rehabilitated back out into the wild.

It was unlike any other zoo I’d ever been to.

Huge enclosures where the animals had plenty of space to roam.

Big trees for shade. At others, there were always little shops and stands to get food or drinks but not here.

The air was peaceful and serene, and despite there being kids, it was relatively quiet.

Surprisingly, we’d only been stopped a few times with the guys getting recognized. Most were dads but there were a few kids that stopped in the middle of the path and stared. It was cute seeing them starstruck by Wyatt, Trevor, and Bryton.

Mateo broke the peaceful silence. “I could totally take on a lion.”

Landon shot his younger brother a look. “No, you couldn’t.”

“Yes, I could. Don’t try and tear me down, brother.”

Josie patted Mateo on the back. “You can kick anyone’s ass you want to.”

“Yes, thank you, Josie.” Mateo glared at Landon, who was completely unfazed.

We stood there for another few minutes and watched the lions before Bryton spoke up. “Anyone want to go see the bears?”

“I do,” piped Josie and Mila.

“We’re going to go check out the wolves,” Trevor and Tasha said.

“I was thinking of going to the aquatic exhibit.” I glanced at the map in my hand.

“I’ll go with you,” Landon said, making me glance at him in surprise. “Then we can meet up with everyone else in a bit.”

“Works for us.” Wyatt shrugged. “Who are you going with Mateo?”

I couldn’t help but silently plead he didn’t come with Landon and me. To have a moment, just the two of us, would be nice without our friends constantly around.

“Definitely not the aquatic display,” Mateo was quick to say.

“Is that where you shit your pants?” Bryton suddenly said, face straight as a board. The way the group went silent was comical. Bryton was just waiting for the right time to bring that up.

“What?” I bit my bottom lip as Mateo slowly looked at all of us, the tips of his ears pink. “That never happened.”

“So, it wasn’t in the aquatic exhibit then?” Bryton pressed. Behind him, Mila was trying her best not to laugh. Ever so slowly, Mateo turned his head to look at Landon beside me, eyes narrowed.

“You made a promise to never tell anyone,” he hissed at his older brother. “You made a vow of silence .”

“It was years ago,” Landon responded.

“It was a vow of silence for eternity .” I couldn’t tell if the hurt in Mateo’s voice was real or fake.

“No one here cares,” Landon started to say.

“I care.” Trevor put his hand up, a shit-eating grin on his face.

“Me, too,” Bryton added.

“You guys are the biggest assholes.” Mateo said, aiming the insult at all of them, though he clearly didn’t mean it.

“So… was it?” Bryton asked again, unable to let it go. A good minute passed as we all waited for Mateo’s answer.

“Yes,” Mateo said, his voice quiet but we all heard him. Immediately, our entire friend group started laughing. “Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, you bunch of assholes.” I laughed even harder at Mateo’s annoyed expression.

“Don’t worry, Maty, we’ve all pooped our pants at some point.” Josie was the first to come up to his side and wrap her arm around him.

“I never have,” Wyatt interjected.

“Come on, Jo. Let’s go see our own animals.” Mateo glared at all of us before him and Josie walked in the opposite direction. With a chuckle, Wyatt, Mila, and Bryton started after them.

“He’s never going to live that down.” Trevor shook his head with a smile as he and Tasha walked in the other direction toward the wolves. In a matter of minutes, it was just Landon and me on the path.

“Was that too mean?” I asked Landon when we turned down a different paved trail that led to the aquatic center.

“He’ll survive. The little shit lives to annoy and tease us. It’s only fair to do it back to him.” Landon shrugged it off.

“Yeah, but it’s like kicking a puppy.” Which wasn’t wrong. Mateo was like a golden retriever.

“Trust me. Mateo is living for the attention he’s probably getting from Josie and Mila right now.”

True.

The two of us were quiet as we walked along the path.

The large trees offered coverage from the sun, which was nice in the summer but made the air seem chillier now.

I tugged the sleeves of my sweater over my hands, grateful I did, in fact, go with the turtleneck.

While it covered the love bite, it also kept me warm.

“Cold?” Landon asked.

“A little,” I admitted. Without saying a word, Landon reached down and clasped his hand in mine.

A small tug had me pressed against his side before he lifted our joined hands up and over my head until his arm was draped across my shoulder.

It was a move so smooth I was at a loss for words for a second.

“Better?”

“Uh… yeah.” I tilted my head back to see his face. “Didn’t realize you had moves.”

“You love to think I don’t have game,” he said as we walked through the doors of the aquatic exhibit. Huge replicas of sea animals hung from the ceiling and stood on the ground. It was busier in here with families milling about as we headed for the archway.

“Well…”

“You just have to argue with me, don’t you?” Landon’s arm tightened around my shoulder, tugging me tighter to his side.

“It’s my favorite pastime.” I grinned.

“Uh huh.”