Page 41 of Her Wicked Knights (Their Hallowed Queen #3)

"That was amazing!" I tell him, grinning so hard my fucking cheeks hurt when we pull into place, and the restraints unlock for us to take our leave.

I'm contemplating running around to get right back in line, but something tells me Tripp didn't enjoy that half as much as me. "Not a roller coaster person?"

"I thought I was going to die in mid-air... like, my heart would just stop."

"Why'd we do it then?" I frown. "I didn't realize you didn't like roller coasters."

"I like them." He laughs. "I'm just terrified of them."

I decide not to argue with that logic, because it's a pretty damning summary of how I feel about him.

I like him, and I have for a while. But I am terrified of telling him that.

.. terrified of telling him that I think I actually surpassed like in junior year.

I'm terrified of losing what we have in the pursuit of something that we can never be, and if the most we can do is share Marley, then that has to be enough for me.

"Well, this time, let's do something that doesn't terrify you. You said you liked water rides?"

Tripp grins in excitement and leads me toward the center of the park, where the haunted houses for tonight sit, quietly waiting for the evening to transform them into a place of terror.

They ring the big blue lake in the center of the park, which we skirted on the way to the roller coaster.

I was too busy looking at everything that I didn't realize there was a ride in the center of it, but as we walk toward the giant clown with his gaping mouth ready to swallow us, Tripp's excitement fades.

"Noooo!" He groans, turning to me suddenly. "It's closed!"

"Maybe the workers just closed it for a break? We can ask someone when it will be open again."

"No." Tripp frowns. "It's closed for renovations. They always close before winter."

I suppose that makes sense, since it's late fall and the weather is pretty chilly for a water ride. "Damn it." I sigh, hating his disappointment. "You know what this means?"

Tripp's eyes seek mine, waiting for an answer to my own question. "What?"

"It means we have to come back, obviously."

"Fine." Tripp pouts, but I see the smirk on his lips, and I can tell he doesn't hate the idea of coming back again one day.

"Until then, what else do you want to do? All the food smells good, and that big wheel in the sky looks like it would have a hell of a view."

"A hell of a view?" He laughs. "Of what?"

"I don't know." I shrug. "The park. The woods around us."

I don't care what the view looks like, honestly. I only suggested it because the thought of sitting so close to him, of having him to myself, is too great to ignore. I don't expect him to actually go for it.

"Alright. But only if we wait for the yellow one."

"The yellow one?"

Each car, it turns out, is painted a different color.

When they rotate in the sky, it makes something of a rainbow.

And why we have to wait for the yellow one, I don't bother asking.

If yellow makes him happy, I'll wait for the yellow one.

.. even though you can't see what color car we're in from inside.

Tripp looks too pleased for me to remark about how tame this is, so I keep quiet, grinning to myself as we sit side-by-side, our knees knocking against one another since these cars weren't created with full-grown men in mind.

The wheel moves at a glacial pace, but next to me, Tripp looks more at ease than I've seen him in. .. ever.

"What?" He asks, noticing my gaze on him.

"Nothing."

But also, everything.

I'm falling in love with my best friend. Or maybe I've already fallen.

The wheel is so slow I barely even realize we've stopped until Tripp grins at me. "This is why I chose yellow," he explains. "It stops at the top, every time."

"And you made fun of me for suggesting we check out the view." I snort.

"I didn't choose this one for the view." He confesses.

He doesn't give me a chance to even contemplate what that means because he moves toward me, and I freeze, everything inside of me going into lockdown mode.

It's just his fingers beneath my chin, but I see the look in his eyes... the longing, the desire, the hint of fear.

It takes everything in me not to close the space between our mouths, not to grip the back of his head and crush his lips against mine, to steal all the air out of his lungs and fucking devour him.

I've wanted to for so long that the restraint is dwindling, fraying down to the last threads.

If it snaps, I could ruin everything we've established over years of friendship. I can't make the first move.

"Why did you choose this one?"

"So that no one would see."

He doesn't give me a chance to contemplate those words because he does it. He moves in, closing the space between us so that when I try to speak, my lips brush against his.

"See what?"

His answer is to press his lips upon mine, featherlight and soft. And that restraint I still cling to threatens to strangle me as I kiss him back, slowly, letting my lips move against his.

It's quick... too quick.

The ride begins to move, and that spurs Tripp to remember where we are, that there are people around...

As he moves away, clearing his throat, I wonder if I should feel bad that he's ashamed of me. I wonder if I should be upset that he wants to kiss me when no one is around to see.

But the truth is, I'm not. Not even a little.

Because I'll be whatever Tripp needs me to be... including his dirty little secret.