Only, Always, and Forever You

42 - Girlfriend

Amara's POV:

I mean what I said to Cole: crowds are not my thing.

However, the way that he sensed my nerves and offered me a way out only made me even more grateful that he is such a thoughtful and observant person.

How did I get this lucky again?

Seriously, I could not tell you.

Cole and I meet up with Luke and Ella again, and the four of us start to walk around the fair. Mine and Cole's hands are entwined, giving me a safe, comforting feeling. I don't know why I've never liked crowds, but I think a part of it is that I'm afraid I'll get lost in the sea of people. So, it is wildly reassuring that Cole and I are staying so close to one another.

We eventually stop in front of the giant ferris wheel, located right on the end of the pier. There's an unspoken consensus that we'll get on, and so we wait for our turns in the line. Each carriage on the wheel only seats two people, so Cole and I pair up and Ella and Luke do the same.

We spend the time in line talking and messing around, and before we know it it's our turn. Ella and Luke get on first, and after their carriage takes off a tiny bit, Cole and I are allowed to get into ours.

Cole offers me a hand to help step up into the carriage, which is surprisingly far off the ground, but I manage to get in. We sit down next to each other, and after we're situated the handle bar comes down over our laps.

A girl comes up to our carriage to check the handle bar is down far enough, but she lingers a little longer than necessary. She looks familiar, like I've seen her before...

"Hey Cole," she sings in an obnoxious tone, obviously trying to be flirty, "Change your mind about tutoring me yet?"

I'm a little confused, not knowing what she's talking about or how she knows Cole. A part of me gets insecure for a second, but that doesn't last too long...

"Lainey, what have I said a million times already?" Cole growls, "I will never tutor you. Now get out of my fucking face, and let my girlfriend and I enjoy our time."

I stop.

My entire world stops for a second.

I don't even pay any attention to his blunt tone or how he knows this girl. All I can think about is the name that he called me.

Girlfriend.

He said that I'm his girlfriend.

Did he mean it? Was it just something he said to get her to leave?

The ferris wheel suddenly starts to move but I barely even notice, all I can do is study his face, trying to decipher his motives.

I must have been staring at him for too long though...

"What is it?" he asks puzzled, but I can tell his energy completely changed from when he was looking at the other girl to now as he looks at me. He looks calmer now, more at peace.

"Did you mean it?" I ask breathlessly.

"Did I mean what?" he asks. I would tease him for being so stupid if he wasn't just playing dumb. I can tell he just wants me to say it again.

"When you—" I pause for a second as the ferris wheel halts, putting us at the top of the wheel. "When you called me your girlfriend?"

Cole laughs a little before studying my face, "Would you like to be my girlfriend?" he asks with a smirk.

"Hmmm... Let me think on it," I tease with a grin, to which Cole rolls his eyes, "Okay, sure."

"Sure?" he repeats wildly, then shaking his head with a smile plastered on his face.

He turns away from me for a second, and I take the opportunity to place an innocent kiss on his cheek. A token to show my true appreciation.

He looks back at me with knitted brows, a look of confusion and hurt on his face.

"What's wrong?" I ask, suddenly worried from his mood change. I grab for his hand, holding onto it to show him that I care.

"You missed," he says, his brows still stressed. "Let me show you how it's done," he announces, his demeanor becoming much more confident as his eyebrows relax.

He smiles as he leans in towards my face before locking our lips in a gentle, playful kiss. We only pull apart when the ferris wheel begins to move again, and we stay there, our faces still close and hands still entwined, just studying each other.

I know it sounds cliché, but I swear I see stars in his eyes. As if they were literally lighting up. I watch as his lips slightly part, as if he were about to say something, but no sound comes out.

Then, suddenly, he looks at something behind me, and the glimmer in his eyes disappears, replaced by the darkest glare I've ever seen. His smile drops, and my hand is beginning to lose circulation from how tightly he is squeezing it. I follow his gaze to see what he is staring at.

As the ferris wheel carriage gets lower and lower to the ground, I can see more clearly. When I discover what, or who, Cole is glaring at, the pieces begin to fall in place, yet there are still a few missing.

Standing outside a game stand, surrounded by a crowd of people, as well as a big camera and multiple lights, is a grinning, broad figure.

It is none other than James Anderson.