Between The Vows

Chapter Fourteen

On Friday night, Liam and I went on a double date with Chloe and Jack. We bet for drinks before walking down the boardwalk to the fair that was in town for the Fourth of July. Chloe indulged herself in a conversation with me and I couldn't help but feel nervous leaving Liam to fend for himself with Jack. But, Liam could get along with anyone and it appeared Jack was the same way. I guess he had to be like that to put up with Chloe.

We purchased our tickets at the booth and played a few arcade games. Liam and Jack both had a competitive nature and it came out when they versed each other for a game of basketball. Jack had mentioned how he played his whole life, eventually getting a scholarship to play basketball in college and it showed in his game. Liam struggled to keep up but ended up losing. He took it like a champ, though, always keeping that smile on his face. The game runner gave them both a teddy bear to give us and we thanked him for the kind gesture.

After a few more rounds of arcade games, we mustered up the courage to go on the Tilt-A-Whirl; a ride that spins you around, going faster each time. I closed my eyes, praying that the few drinks I consumed wouldn't come back up. Liam laughed at my facial expressions and put his hands up, enjoying the ride. When we got off, I grabbed Liam's hand trying to steady myself from the spinning world around me.

"That was awesome!" Chloe yelled from behind us.

"I think we both had a different experience." I said as I put a hand on my head, trying to recover from the dizziness I felt.

"You were looking a bit nauseous there, James." Liam winked as he put his arm around me. I nestled into his side and he kissed the top of my head.

"Nora, I found a home for sale." Chloe said to me as we took a seat at the picnic table. We were trying to settle our stomachs down before going on another ride. "We're going to look at it tomorrow." She looped her arm through Jack's and rested her head onto his shoulder.

"Good for you two." I smiled at them. "You will love living in Bridgeport."

"This place was much more than I expected." Liam said. I felt his eyes on me and I couldn't help but blush. "I've been renting for my cousin's wedding and have enjoyed my stay a little too much." He put his arm around my shoulder and pulled me into him.

"Where are you from?" Jack asked.

"Raleigh," Liam answered. "I work out of there but have a few things brewing, hopefully making some changes in the upcoming months." He didn't go into detail, but I made a mental note to ask him about it later. We grabbed hot dogs and cokes and talked for a half hour before deciding to go on the Ferris Wheel. I was nervous, but it felt good to steal a few private minutes with Liam.

He whispered to the operator before we got into the gondola. He closed the door and pulled me in close, settling my shaky body. The higher we climbed the more nervous I became. I looked out over the water and took some deep breaths, trying to relax myself.

The sun was just starting to set over the water, pink and orange replacing the blue sky. Families were packing up and heading in from the beach. There were a few swimmers out in the water, getting in the last few minutes of swimming with a lifeguard on duty.

He wrapped his other arm around me and pushed the loose flyaway hairs from my face and tucked them gently behind my ear. He leaned in and kissed me as if he had been waiting all evening to do so. Suddenly, I lost all concept of being three stories off the ground. I wasn't a fan of heights and usually kept my feet planted firmly on the ground. But in this moment, there was no place I would rather be.

"It will be ok." He reassured me and held me tight.

When we reached the top of the Ferris Wheel the second time around, it stopped.