Page 36 of The Autumn Leaf Bookshop (Everly Hollow #1)

It’s okay. I’m here

Raene

T he view from here feels surreal. The whole carnival stretches below us in an astonishing blur of color and light. Rides spinning in colorful loops, vibrant neon game stalls flashing bright prizes, and a river of people weaving through it all.

The pie-throwing contest was a hit. Mayor Caraway, Garruk, and Viktor joined in on the festivities, as well as a few attendees. When I asked Sylas if he wanted to join in, he tossed his head back in laughter and said Nim would gladly take his place.

That was proven to be true when Nim attempted to take flight with one of the creme pies in his talons. The pudding slipped out of the silver liner before he could even make it a few inches off the ground, but he happily landed, devouring the sweet filling.

Pop music booms from the speakers, pulling me out of the afternoon memory, and mixes with the scent of deep-fried deliciousness, grilled meats, cheesy treats, cotton candy, and sugar. It all pulses underneath this starlit sky, through the night air. Tonight is electric .

Children run and dart between the glowing games and fast rides, their laughter carries on the chill wind, up to where we are, perched at the very top of the Ferris wheel.

The enclosed gondola rocks gently with the breeze, the metal groaning slightly as it sways. My hand squeezes his thigh, and suddenly, I feel his hand on mine. Starting to link our fingers together. Telling me that it's okay. That he isn’t going anywhere.

Yet, from here, it feels like the world should stop spinning with us, but down below, the crowds move, and life goes on. It’s bright, it’s fast, and it’s loud.

“If you could wish for anything,” he leans in, whispering in my ear, “What would it be?”

I think on that a second, and turn my head to his, meeting his eyes. Then I slowly look away and out to the carnival lights.

“Time.”

“Why time?” He asks, pulling me closer to him.

“I would want the power of time. The ability to change the past, present, and future. My grandmother is aging, and this hip surgery is a sudden punch in the face as a reminder. For my past, I wish I could have saved my parents from the car accident.”

I let out a shaky breath.

“I miss my parents. I miss my Dad’s smile and how the lines at the corners of his eyes deepened in mirth when laughter escaped his chest. His eyes were wise, always shining brightly. I used to write silly short stories, and he and my Mom would listen to every single one. ”

His hand slides in a slow, soothing stroke along my thigh, urging me to continue.

“My mom loved fall. She loved the colors, the decorations, and the baking. She made the best sweet potato pies, Grandma’s recipe.”

He kisses the side of my temple as he holds me in his arms.

“We were driving one day, and it was raining. My Dad lost control of the car and we careened off the road, flipping over and over. That day, my entire world went upside down. I remember the car was on its side, and all I could hear was the rain, and the last thing I saw was falling leaves.”

“It’s okay. I’m here,” he murmurs, as his lips hover over the pulse he just kissed. He begins to trail his fingers down my breastbone as if his touch could steady my heart.

I’m okay. He’s here.

Am I going to start crying again?

First three little words, now four bigger words…what’s next, a five-word phrase— Raene, will you marry me?

Fuck. I’m hopeless.

“I would use my power of time to save my parents, keep my grandmother, and you…you, Ash,” I turn to look at him, “you’re the future. You’re something in my grasp that I can’t quite keep a hold on.”

For a beat, silence stretches between us, filled only by the distant thrum of music and the faint groan of the wheel turning.

“Do you want to hold on?"

Goddess. Jesus wept .

Fuck. I do. I really do.

The internal confession screams through my head, burning the tip of my tongue, but all I can do is stare at him, my pulse hammering like a bird, it wants to break free, and I know he hears it.

The Ferris wheel creaks as it rocks gently, but his eyes don’t leave mine. He’s waiting. Waiting for an answer.

I swallow hard, my voice is low and a bit too shaky. “I don’t know,” I whisper. “I don’t know what I’m allowed to hold on to right now.”

He pulls me even closer to him, and the only reason it works is because I’m melting against him. The air shifts to something different. Unique, when he enters my space. He’s warm, which is a plus, and that scent. Parchment, cedar, and a splash of citrus, topped with a bit of zest.

“Raene,” he says softly, like my name is a sacred, rare jewel, something precious. “No one can decide that but you.”

My breath stutters. The three little words I want to say, I want you, stay hidden in my chest, because the wheel is starting to move again, carrying us down, back to solid ground, deeply rooted in reality.

Then I’ll lose this moment forever.

“I’ll be right back,” I say, letting go of his hand. He puts his hands in his pockets and nods his head, giving me a small smile in understanding as I make my way through the crowds .

“Thank you for this,” she says as we walk toward the exit gate. My grandmother’s voice always carries a quiet strength that just seems to soothe the soul.

“You really pulled it off, Raene. The booths, the lanterns, the markets, the music, and now this! This festival is something special.” She glances back toward the glow of all the lights in the square, where laughter and music spilled happily into the dark.

“And you didn’t do it alone.” Her eyes glance toward Ash, who lingers a few feet behind us.

Heat begins to bloom in my chest. It’s unexpected. I have to swallow hard before I can answer. “Yeah,” I manage, my voice low. “We did good, didn’t we?”

She squeezes my hand, her smile soft as she stands with pride. “You and Sylas did something amazing together. I’m proud of you.”

By the time we reach the street, I can tell she is tuckered out, and there is a dip in her energy. “Go home and rest,” I urge, hugging her tight as she steps into the passenger side of Flora’s car. “I’ll be back sometime later.”

She searches my face for a moment, silence lingers between us, and I know something unspoken is on the tip of her lips, but she just gives me her ‘ everything is going to be alright’ smile.

And then the carnival chaos swallows me whole.

I love the smell…and taste of delicious fried treats.

It’s the best fair and carnival food. There’s just something special about a deep-fried treat that was smothered or filled with goodness.

We enjoy funnel cakes, dusted to powdered sugar perfection, pizza, and nachos.

Sometimes you need the sweet first and the savory and salty last.

“Okay, we need a plan to kick some asses,” Oriana says calmly.

Tearing a piece of cotton candy fluff off her cloud and letting it melt on her tongue.

The cotton candy floats near her head in literal cloud form until eaten.

Honestly, it’s kind of cute, drifting around her like that.

Even Corra nibbles on a few tiny pieces.

Elora shrugs. “I can milk a cow, but my hand-eye coordination isn’t great when it comes to sports.” She giggles.

The guys are beating us in a virtual ax-throwing game, leading by eighteen points. The scoreboard dances in the air like a shooting star, proudly flaunting its high score.

“All we can do, girls, is breathe and release,” Jas says as if she is going to start chanting it for peer motivation.

“And Poppy?” Jas yells, a stern look on her face. “Don’t let him get inside your head.”

“Right,” Poppy says, she nods quickly, her ponytail swaying slightly.

And right next to her in his lane is Garruk.

Ohhhh fuck .

The tension in this vicinity is so thick you could spank it and it would moan. You can tell she’s wound tight. He is just standing there with his arms crossed and a smirk pressed between his tusks .

“Penelope,” Garruk says, his deep voice carrying just enough to make the girls side-eye each other. He nods his head, respectfully…for once.

Poppy gives him a tight-lipped smile, like she’s not buying into the chivalrous act.

“You get to go first.” He gestures toward the screen. Showing in the corner how to pick up the virtual axes and aim at the target.

“Don’t mind if I do,” she says, sweet as sugar, grabbing an ax and stepping forward with a sway in her hips that was either intentional or sinfully natural. She lines up her shot, and the axe hits at the edge of the second ring.

Garruk chuckles under his breath.

Uh oh. Big mistake.

Poppy snaps her head toward him. “Something funny you wanna share with the class, clown ?”

“Just admiring your confidence,” he drawls. “You’ve got…spirit. No aim, but you do have a spirit about you.”

Her mouth drops open, then curls into a razor-sharp smile ready to strike. “You’re all muscle and no brain, Garruk. If you did…have a brain that is…maybe you would be a better baker.”

A few of us start with the Ohhhs from wincing at her jab.

Garruk’s jaw flexes, and his smirk evaporates as he begins to step away from the machine.

“Noted,” he says, voice flat, and he turns on his heel and walks away from the booth. No one can stop him. I look at Ash, and he’s literally rubbing and scratching his head, trying to figure out what the hell just happened .

Poppy blinks, her confidence faltering. “Wait, what?”

“I think you just broke him,” Oriana whispers, eyes wide.

“Ugh, fuck .” Poppy drags her hands down her face before letting out a heavy sigh, weighted down by regret. “Why me?” She hisses, grabbing her bag and bolting after him.

“Have they always been like that?” I ask, as Ash and I walk side by side, sharing a cloud of pink cotton candy between us. It hovers low, just enough for us to catch glimpses of each other’s faces through the fluffy ends of the spun sugar.

We’re people watching, and it’s fun seeing families, couples, and the chaos of all the colorful nighttime activity.

However, watching Nim, it’s comedy gold.

Watching him sneak any kind of treat is hilarious.

He was chasing a rolling funnel cake earlier, like it owed him a bet, licking up the trail of the dusted powdered sugar.

“Not in the beginning.” Ash shakes his head, pulling a tuft of fluff from the cloud and popping it into his mouth. “But something changed between those two. It was like night and day.”

Hmph. “I hope they can figure out their differences and get back on solid ground.”

Sylas nods but chuckles. “It’ll be a while yet, but they’ll be okay.”

“So…” I glance at him, reading his face, curiosity peaking. “What do you want to do?”

“You.”

My steps slow, and I look up, even though I already know what he said, because the corners of my mouth are already curving upward. “What? ”

“Nothing.” His lips twitch like he’s fighting back another laugh, and then his fingers slip through mine.

He tugs me a little closer. “How about a few more rides before I take you back to my place?”

“Oh, is that where the fun ends for tonight?” I arch a brow, tugging his hand playfully as I turn to bring my body closer to his, starting to run the palms of my hands against his firm chest. “Or do you have something else I can…ride?”