JEOPARDY: The Cursed Soldier.

17. Off my chest.

"Hey! Kids. It's time for the rollercoaster," Ivan announced and watched their eyes light up before they all screamed in excitement.

Sheer delight crossed his face way before his eyes jumped to Kayla. She had paused like the rest of the kids, but she looked lost. Unsure. Reading the children's expressions and figuring out if she should be as excited or not?

Taking that cue and Jessy's advice, he walked to the edge of the trampoline and extended his hand to her. "Kay, come on."

She turned to him in that rigid but graceful way of hers, her face instantly clearing of every emotion except for the small frown that also disappeared by the time she had fully faced him. She stared at his hand like it was a knife drawn to cut her, debating if she should walk towards it or not.

Ivan was a patient guy, but something about Kayla deliberating about taking his hand made his heart patter. And his outstretched hand sweat.

He inhaled deeply, but kept his hand outstretched and waited until she sauntered towards him and jumped off the trampoline onto the ground beside him but ignored his hand.

Ivan shoved his hands into the pocket of his jeans with a small smirk. A smirk that widened when she gave him a side way glance and strolled with the kids toward the rollercoaster like he hadn't been standing there waiting for her so they could go together.

Infuriating and fascinating. He never knew what was going on in her mind, but he was always ready to find out. 

He took long strides, until he was walking right beside her in the strew kids and their guardians. Jessy was far ahead, standing in line, ready to pay for their tickets.

Ivan glanced at Kayla. "Are you excited about the rollercoaster?"

Her mouth moved, but she didn't say a thing.

Hours and days of watching and studying her had told him that that was her tell for when she was thinking.

But he could be wrong.

Kayla was also a wonder. A puzzle. A maze. An enigma. He loved himself a good mystery, although this one had given him several headaches already.

"Yes!" she finally replied and sped away. Running away from him.

Grinning wide, he followed her. But this time, he waited until they reached the rollercoaster, where Jessy was strapping the kids to their seats. He opened his mouth to ask another question, but immediately closed it when he saw that Kayla's eyes were on Jessy's hands. Intently following every movement of Jessy's hands, as if she was learning.

Then it clicked.

Kayla was learning how to strap the kids in because she had never seen or been on a rollercoaster before. He was dumb for forgetting about that that fast.

He knelt before a pair of kids sitting unstrapped in a seat in front of him and started strapping them in, slowly, making sure Kayla saw every move.

The moment he was done with that pair, Kayla knelt before a pair of boys behind him and whispered to them for a while before she held each on one hand, led them into a seat, and strapped them in.... accurately and with great ease.

Ivan's lips twitched while something fluttered in his heart. She was a quick learner. He liked it.

Just like he liked how she seemed to silently but effectively conduct herself. He could sit down and just watch her and enjoy himself immensely. Which was what he had been doing from the moment his eyes fell on hers.

"I'll sit with Joanna, you two should sit together." Jessy gave them a toothy grin the moment all the kids were strapped in. And with a not-so-subtle, suggestive wink, she sauntered away.