Page 23 of No Mistakes (No Mercy #2)

ANT

The air is colder now compared to when we first arrived, the December chill really making an impression.

I lean against the passenger side of the car, arms crossed, waiting underneath the glow of the motel's sign. It’s quiet out here, the hum of crickets filling the silence between cars that pass every few minutes.

Every time a door slides open, my eyes snap to the sound, but every time, it’s not her. I check my watch to see it’s exactly twenty minutes on the dot. My fingers twitch against the sleeves of my shirt.

I glance towards the motel doors just as they open, and everything around me slows down.

She walks out like a damn problem I don’t want a solution for.

Short-sleeved, tight-fitted top, hugging her curves like it was painted on, light blue denim shorts showing off legs that won’t leave my head tonight, and black boots that make her hips move in a way that has me clenching my fists, trying to keep them to myself.

Her hair’s down, long and wavy, brushing over her shoulders like silk, her makeup soft but flawless just like her, while her deep brown eyes glow beneath the lights, pulling me in without even trying.

She spots me, and that smile. Fuck . That smile could end wars.

I open the passenger door for her without saying a word. Her brows lift. “Well, damn,” she mutters, stepping closer. “Chivalry’s not dead after all.”

She slips into the seat, and I close the door, walking around to mine before she can say something else.

I open the door, climbing inside when I see her noticing a little gift.

“Is this-” She pauses, picking up the iced drink in the cupholder. Her favourite. Extra syrup. No ice. The same one I’ve seen her hold multiple times. “How do you even know what I drink?”

I give her a look while smirking. My shoulder lifts like ‘ maybe I’ve been paying more attention than you thought.’

She stares at the drink, then at me. “You’re kinda creepy,” she teases, but her voice goes soft at the end. “But in a hot, thoughtful way, so it’s fine.”

I nod, taking the appraisal before starting the engine.

We drive in silence for a while. But it’s not awkward. Her knee bounces gently, and her fingers toy with the straw. I don’t look at her much, I can’t, or I won’t stop. I focus on the road instead. On what’s waiting, less than twenty-two minutes away.

She speaks, her voice quieter then earlier. “Where are we going?”

I tilt my head slightly and give her a look that says, ‘Trust me.’

And she does. I know it in the way she doesn’t ask again. Her hand lifts to the stereo. “Can I-?”

I nod before she has the chance to finish, because she never has to ask me to do anything.

Music fills the space. It’s different to what we were listening to on the drive from Providence. This music is soft. Slow. Romantic in a way.

Her gaze shifts to me, and I’m positive she thinks I can’t feel it, but I do. She’s watching the way my hands grip the wheel, my veins exposed, knuckles flexing every time I make a turn. Her eyes are hot on my skin.

And even though I’m not supposed to know what she’s thinking, I can guess.

I can guess because I’ve thought the same things. About what her hands would look like on me. About the sounds she’d make if I pulled over and dragged her onto my lap. About the taste of her lips after she’s been teasing me for hours with that mouth.

But I keep driving, pushing all those thoughts away, because tonight isn’t about taking. It’s about giving her something no one else has. Something soft, something real.

She shifts in her seat, crossing one leg over the other, and I swear I hear her breath catch. I risk a glance. Her eyes are on the road, but her cheeks are pink, lips slightly parted like she’s trying not to imagine the things I’m imagining.

As the music plays and the miles slip away, lights start to glow in the distance. Neon signs flicker in the night, faint but growing stronger the closer we get. I look towards her, to see her brows furrowed, confused. Her eyes scan the dark until-

She sees it. I hear her breath leave her chest as she leans forward.

“No,” she whispers. “Is that-?”

I don’t answer, but I hear the hope in her voice as I pull into the gravel lot slowly, tires crunching as I park in the space right by the gates.

Mandy unbuckles from the seat before I even have the chance to turn the engine off. She twists towards me, stunned. “Is this a fairground?”

I nod, letting a smile appear.

“Shut up,” she says. “You’re joking.”

I stare at her, letting the moment sink in.

She shakes her head, like she doesn’t understand why. “But… how did you know?”

I give her a look, one that says ‘how do you think?’

She blinks, and I watch as the moment hits her. Her lips part. “Wait. You… you heard me and Eva?” She covers her face, groaning. “Oh my god. You were there?”

I smile, nodding slowly because yeah, I was. And I’ll be her shadow in the dark forever, if it means I could make all her dreams come true.

She lowers her hands slowly, a laugh bubbling up in her chest like she doesn’t know what to do with it. “You seriously planned all of this , just for me?”

I nod, this moment burning into my mind forever.

She doesn’t say anything as she looks out the window, admiring everything around us. She just reaches over the console, placing her hand over mine.

The moment we step past the gates, her eyes widen.

She slows to a stop, spinning slowly in place as the lights flash around us.

The smell of popcorn, sugar, and gasoline from the generators fills the air.

Laughter echoes from the bumper cars, and I’m pretty sure I hear someone screaming from the top of the Ferris wheel.

I watch Mandy as she takes everything in, and her eyes meet mine. I see something flash across her face, recognition, disbelief, affection, all wrapped in awe.

“You’re a sneaky, silent, beautiful bastard,” she mutters under her breath, and I hold back a laugh.

We walk shoulder to shoulder, passing stalls of prizes and games, our arms brushing, hands so close I can feel the heat of her skin. I let her lead us to the shooting area, where she promptly points to a stuffed dragon hanging from the top of the stall.

“If we don’t win that,” she says, voice dripping with mock threat, “I’m never talking to you again.”

I raise a brow, giving her a slow look that says, challenge accepted, before handing over a crumpled ten to the booth worker. I pick up the gun that’s attached to the table. It’s made of plastic, light and scratched, but nothing compared to what I’ve trained with.

I shoot five shots, each one landing perfectly.

The kid manning the stall looks at me in shock, his mouth hanging slightly open, his gaze looking between me and the target.

Mandy whistles, “Alright, Hawkeye. Didn’t know you were packing precision.”

I wink at her, and her cheeks turn pink almost immediately as she looks away, trying to hide.

I look at the kid, who is still looking at me, and I point towards the dragon.

He scurries quickly, pulling it down from the rope before handing it to Mandy.

She hugs it close to her chest and leans into me for just a second.

“You know this is going to bed with me tonight, right?”

I place a hand on my chest, acting offended, but I don’t miss the way she smirks, winking back at me. I point towards the ring toss opposite us and raise a brow.

“Oh, you’re so going down.” She says, grabbing my arm, leading the way.

We stand at the stall for ten minutes while she throws ring after ring at the glass bottles. Each one missing every… single… time.

She holds the final ring in her hand, crouching to get a better view of where the bottles are. Her eyes squint, and a small part of her tongue escapes her mouth while she concentrates.

“One… Two… THREE!” She shouts as she releases the ring. We watch it sail through the air to the back of the stall.

Mandy groans, throwing her head back “It’s rigged, that’s what this is.”

I step forward, handing the woman in charge another ten-dollar bill.

She places the rings on the counter, and I pick one up, tucking the dragon underneath my arm.

I stand up straight, rolling my shoulders back as Mandy watches from next to me.

I can’t fuck this up, not now. Not when she’s watching me so closely.

I scan the bottles in front of me, finding one that is slightly separated from the rest, sitting at the back.

I release the ring, smiling as we hear the ring loop around the top of the bottle before sliding down the throat of the glass.

The woman claps, and I point towards the world’s ugliest stuffed tiger.

I turn, handing it to Mandy, who is now glaring at me.

“This is war,” She says, taking the tiger and folding her arms. I almost laugh, but I hold it in because even though she’s glaring at me, her eyes twinkle against the lights, making this worth everything.

We stay until the lights start to dim and the music quietens around us. Mandy’s arms are full of cotton candy, a bag of caramel popcorn, along with the stuffed tiger and dragon that we won when we first arrived.

She got to experience the Ferris wheel, the spinning teacups, the bumper cars, and somehow she managed to convince me to ride the drop tower.

Each ride was filled with laughter, screams and pure happiness.

I try to hint to her to give everything to me, but she shakes her head and laughs while staring at everything I have in my arms.

Not only did we win those teddies, we also won a giant bear, got five candy apples, two cups of lemonade for the journey home, a light-up spin wand, and some weird matching animal hats that are currently stacked on top of my head.

We walk towards the exit, both of our arms full from tonight’s adventure.

“Thank you.” She says, and I look towards her and nod, making one of the hats slip slightly. She laughs, nearly dropping her candy apples, and I can’t help but think about how perfect tonight has been, not just for her, but for me too.

We drive home in silence, but it’s the kind she never minds. Not when she’s with me. She leans back in the passenger seat, boots up on the dash like she owns the world, tapping her lemonade while softly humming to ‘I Like Me Better’ by Lauv.

I don’t miss the way the lyrics settle into me like the truth. I really do like myself better when I’m with her.

She’s the kind of trouble I’ve been searching for my whole life.

By the time we pull into the motel lot, I wish the road would stretch on forever. But I park close, making sure she doesn’t have to walk far. She doesn’t move right away. Instead, she turns toward me, eyes soft and warm.

“Thank you,” she whispers, her voice low. “For tonight. For… being you.”

I reach across and run my thumb along her knuckles. She gives one last smile and gets out, shutting the door gently.

I sit for a moment, watching her walk towards the entrance of the motel through the driver's window. Her hair sways with each step, the tiger and dragon hooked under each arm. Completely unaware she’s dragging the rest of me with her.

She’s almost at the door when it happens. The moment I never thought would arrive. It’s like something inside of me snaps.

Fuck it.

I throw the car in park and push the door open, leaving it swinging wide as I break into a jog. My feet pound the pavement harder than I mean them to, my heart roaring in my ears as I reach for her arm, pulling her to a stop.

She turns, eyes wide, as she stares at me. “Ant?”

I stare at her, my heart pounding so fast that it drowns out everything else. The words are right there, burning at the back of my throat like they’ve been waiting for this moment.

Waiting for her .

I pull her towards me, just enough so I can cup her face with both hands. Her cheeks are soft and cold against my palms. Her deep brown eyes stare into mine, and I hear her breath catch as I pull her close.

I wait a moment, giving her the chance to pull away, but she doesn’t. I lean in, tipping her face up towards me and kiss her sweet lips.

I don’t kiss her gently. I kiss her like I’ve been starving for it. Like I’m done pretending I don’t want her.

She tastes like lemonade, cotton candy, and something I’ve never had enough of. Her hands drop everything as she kisses me back with the same passion. Her hands find their way to my hair. Then my neck, pulling me deeper, and I let her. I’d let her tear me apart if it meant another second of this.

I break the kiss, just barely, resting my forehead against hers, while we catch our breath. I lean back, making sure to look at her, really look at her, and I know now is the right time.

“I love you.” I croak out quietly. My voice raspy and rusty from years of silence. Her eyes flood with tears immediately, and I watch as every emotion flashes across her face while the electricity dances between us. Her lips part, stunned into silence as she finds her words.

“You-” She chokes out. “You spoke.”

I nod, my smile breaking free.

A real fucking smile, because of her .

“Only for you, trouble.”