Page 37 of Full Court Crush
A loud clank and a whirring sound made Amelia jump, and she grabbed Keira’s arm in a death grip.
“It’s okay. It’s just the Ferris wheel returning to full speed now everyone is on.”
Amelia nodded, then looked down at her hands, and immediately returned her hands to the railing.
“Sorry.”
“It’s okay.” Keira said again and smiled.
As they neared the apex of the climb, Amelia closed her eyes and took some deep breaths, still grasping onto the metal railing tightly. Keira couldn’t fight the protective impulse that came over her.
She wrapped her arm over Amelia’s shoulders and pulled her in close. Amelia tensed, seemingly automatically, before her breathing visibly slowed. Keira exhaled. She was just being a good friend. Amelia let go of the railing and gripped tight onto the front of Keira’s coat instead, challenging Keira’s commitment to just being her friend. Keira gave Amelia’s shoulder a little squeeze every time the Ferris wheel made a noise or jerked a little. By the time they reached the bottom of their first rotation, Amelia had managed to open her eyes a few times.
When they ascended again, Amelia shut her eyes once more, and Keira spoke softly into her ear.
“It really is beautiful up here,” she said gently. “Try and have a proper look, if you can.”
Amelia took a few more steadying breaths and cracked open her eyes. Keira got a front-row seat to the wonder that overcame her. Amelia turned slowly, taking in the twinkling lights of the city. Keira noticed how the ice skaters, resembling little figurines in a window shop display, made Amelia’s eyes widen with delight. Even the music, almost unbearably loud at times, seemed muted and smaller up here. Amelia slowly started to relax against Keira’s body, the beauty surrounding them distracting her from her fear. Amelia’s eyes sparkled with magic, and Keira’s heart fluttered boldly as the last of her walls came tumbling down.
Oh, I’m in trouble here.
When Amelia sighed and looked up at Keira with a smile, then gently rested her head on Keira’s shoulders, Keira dared not move. She didn’t want to scare her away like a frightened bird. Amelia released the grip she had on Keira’s coat and instead let her hand drape over Keira’s stomach. Keira couldn’t help it, she pulled Amelia in closer and kissed the top of her head. Closing her eyes, she breathed in the scent of her shampoo. It felt like coming up for air.
Amelia smiled up at Keira. The look of wonder in her eyes transformed into something deeper. Amelia’s pupils dilated, her gaze dropping tantalisingly to Keira’s lips. The rest of the world disappeared. It would be so easy to lean down and kiss her. The warmth that cascaded through her body quickly drove out the November cold and urged her to move forward.
The Ferris wheel jolted to a stop as the first quartet of passengers disembarked somewhere below them. Amelia glanced to the carriage below and instantly paled as her fear rushed back in. The moment between them was gone.
Keira turned away, digging her fingers into her own thigh, just for somewhere to put the tidal wave of feelings crashing through her.
Friends. We are just friends.
The cold crept back in as Amelia sat back upright, returning to gazing at city hall as they made their slow descent back to ground level. Keira retracted her arm and placed hands in her lap instead, ostensibly still taking in the surrounding view.
Amelia would always be just out of reach. Tears prickled at the corners of Keira’s eyes before she could surreptitiously wipe them away. She had made her boundaries regarding dating teammates very clear, and she had to respect that. She was surprised, therefore, when Amelia reached out and took her hand in her own. Keira didn’t look at her, but the corner of her mouth twitched into what might have been a smile, and she interlaced her fingers with Amelia’s. They could play pretend, at least, for the rest of the ride. They could pretend they didn’t have teams to lead or a parent to worry about.
Too soon, the Ferris wheel slowed to start letting people off. It was only when the carriage before theirs emptied that they unlinked their fingers, keeping their gazes straight forward. So many unspoken words hung in the air. Keira wanted to ask what it meant, wanted to ask whether Amelia had the same butterflies in her stomach every time their eyes met. But they only had a few seconds before the rest of the team disembarked after them, forcing Keira to leave her questions unasked.
Chapter 12
Keira
Thefollowingweek,Keirasat opposite her father, deep in thought. The chess board between them had a maze of potential moves on its surface. Both father and daughter stared at it in concentration. Both rested an elbow on an armrest, their chins in their hands. Keira finally made a decision and reached towards the piece she wanted to move.
Her father’s phone rang, making her jump.
“Hello?” he answered. Keira’s ears perked up. “Mm-hmm, ok.” He paused again. “Yes, I can be there at three. Thank you, bye.”
“Everything okay?” she asked, picking up one of her bishops.
“Yes, fine. The GP just wants me to go in for an appointment tomorrow.”
Keira nearly dropped the chess piece.
“What? Why?”
Her father shrugged in response.
“I’ll drive you.”