Faithful Horizons

Chapter 16: A Not-Quite Date

The smell of fried dough and kettle corn hit Ethan the moment he stepped out of his car. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he scanned the rows of colorful tents and flickering string lights stretched across the fairgrounds. The whole scene was alive with motion - kids darting between rides, parents lining up at food trucks, and teenagers lounging in groups near the game booths.

He spotted Grace almost immediately, standing near the entrance with a caramel apple in one hand and her phone in the other. She looked up as he approached, a smile breaking across her face.

"You made it!" she said, tucking her phone into her pocket.

"Yeah, well," Ethan muttered, glancing around. "Didn't think it'd be this packed."

"It's always like this," Grace said, gesturing toward the booths. "The church runs a couple of tents every year, but the rest of the fair's open to everyone. Come on, I'll show you around."

She grabbed his sleeve lightly and started walking, her energy as infectious as ever.

The fairgrounds buzzed with activity as Grace led Ethan past rows of game booths and food stands. She paused occasionally to greet people she knew, introducing Ethan as "a friend from school." Each time, he gave a polite nod and kept his answers short, the attention making his skin prickle.

"This one's my favorite," Grace said, stopping in front of a ring toss booth. The table was covered in rows of glass bottles, their narrow necks gleaming under the lights.

"You any good at it?" Ethan asked, raising an eyebrow.

Grace grinned. "Terrible. But it's fun to try."

She handed a couple of tickets to the booth attendant, picking up the rings with practiced ease. Ethan watched as she tossed the first one, which bounced off the rim and clattered to the ground.

"See? Terrible," she said, laughing.

"Let me try," Ethan said, stepping forward.

He took a ring, narrowing his eyes at the row of bottles. With a flick of his wrist, the ring sailed through the air and landed squarely around one of the necks.

"No way!" Grace said, her eyes wide.

Ethan smirked. "Beginners luck."

The attendant handed him a small stuffed animal - a blue teddy bear - which Ethan held out to Grace.

"For you," he said, his voice teasing.

Grace's cheeks flushed slightly as she took the bear. "Show-off."

They wandered the fairgrounds for a while, sharing a funnel cake and laughing at the ridiculous prices people carried - oversized bananas, neon-colored squids, inflatable guitars. At one point, Grace pulled Ethan toward the Ferris wheel.

"Come on, it's the best view," she said, her excitement undeniable.

Ethan hesitated, glancing at the long line. "You really want to wait for this?"

"Yes," Grace said firmly, tugging his arm. "You can't come to the fair and not ride the Ferris wheel. It's a rule."

"Whose rule?"

"Everyone's."

Ethan chuckled, shaking his head. "Fine. But if this thing breaks down, you owe me."

The Ferris wheel creaked softly as their car rose into the air, the fairgrounds shrinking below them. Lights twinkled like stars, and the faint hum of laughter and music drifted upward.

Grace leaned against the side of the car, her gaze fixed on the horizon. "Isn't it beautiful?"

Ethan nodded, though he wasn't looking at the view.

"You've got that look again," Grace said, glancing at him with a small smile.

"What look?"

"The one where you're staring but pretending you're not."

Ethan smirked. "Maybe I'm just thinking."

"About what?"

Ethan hesitated, his gaze dropping to the teddy bear in her lap. "About how you're always dragging me into things I never thought I'd do."

Grace tilted her head. "Is that a bad thing?"

"No," Ethan admitted. "Just... different."

Grace smiled, her expression soft. "You're different too, you know. Since we first met."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," she said, her voice quieter now. "It's a good thing."

Ethan's chest tightened, the significance of her words settling over him. For a moment, he thought about saying more - about telling her how much she'd changed the way he saw the world, how much he cared about her.

But the Ferris wheel lurched, and the moment broke.

As they left the fairgrounds late that night, Grace hugged the teddy bear tightly to her chest, her laughter still ringing in Ethan's ears.

"Thanks for coming tonight," she said, pausing by her car.

"Thanks for dragging me," Ethan replied, smirking.

Grace smiled, her eyes catching the glow of the streetlights. "We should do this again sometime."

Ethan nodded, his pulse quickening. "Yeah. We should."

She hesitated for a moment, as if considering something, then leaned up and kissed his cheek.

"Goodnight Ethan," she said folly, her voice barely audible over the distant hum of the fair.

Ethan stared after her as she got into her car and drove away, his heart pounding in a way that had nothing to do with the Ferris wheel.

It hadn't been a date. Not really.

But it was something.

A/N:

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