Riele -
He remembered the Cinderella glass slipper candies. Something warmed in my heart when I saw them, but I refused to let myself fall back into the memories. As we stepped into the line for the Timber Mountain log ride, Gram looked back at us and shook his head.
"I'm not getting wet, oh hell no. I'll be over there when you guys get off."
He said, slipping out of the line. I watched him whip his phone out of his back pocket and dive under a shaded Tinker Bell bench. Jace and I traded amused glances and moved up in the line. The area we were waiting in had a mist sprayer that cooled my hot skin. I lifted my face up and smiled, taking a small breath. Looking back at Jace, I saw he was staring at me.
"What?"
"Nothing,"
He shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest. He tried desperately to hide the tugging of a smile at the corner of his mouth but I saw it anyways.
"No say it, it's obvious you want to."
I said.
"I just don't want- Things to get between us."
He replied, cracking his knuckles silently.
"It's a little too late for that, but we're not kids anymore. You can say what's on your mind."
"I so wish that was true."
He scoffed.
"Alright then."
The line moved and so did the topic of conversation. It slipped away from us like that mist. Swirling into the open hair only to be forgotten.
"This is ridiculous."
I heard Jace mutter beside me, shaking his head.
"What is?"
"This "Bonding" shit... It's terrible and it's not really working. We're all split up."
"Why do you care?"
Jace turned to me and raised his eyebrows. His eyes scanned my face for a moment.
"I don't."
"Seems like you do."
He sighed.
"Be honest. Are you actually having a good time?"
"Yeah, so far."
I admitted. The line continued to move further up until Jace and I were the next ones to snag a log. I remembered the last time I rode in a log with him, he was seated in the back and I was in the front. Jace turned to me and waited until I was in first. Just like the first time. When I felt his chest barely touching my back, the ride technician pushed the log away from the station with his foot and advised us to keep our hands and feet in the ride at all times. Our log bumped and swished through the makeshift river splashing us with bits of water here and there. It was surprisingly cold the faster we were getting to the top. By either side of me, Jace held his hands out but he didn't say anything. I placed my palms against his and our fingers locked as the log reached the very top of the mountain.
"You ready?"
"Of course not."
The tension in the log was then released and we sailed down the side of the mountain at a heart dropping speed towards the bottom where a tidal wave of water splashed all over our heads. I squealed like a stuck pig and heard Jace laughing uncontrollably behind me. When we returned to the station he helped me to stand up and we chuckled together, walking out of the exit line.
