10 Reasons Not to Fall in Love: Book Extension

Chapter 17- Five Reasons

AFTER LUNCH, Annie suggested that the group split up. At first, Elizabeth refused, but upon seeing where exactly it was that Annie wanted to go with Andre, she was forced to comply.

            “‘Tunnel of Love,’ my foot,” she grumbled as she and Vincent walked down an avenue covered in fake snow. “It’s because of idiots like them that the chocolate industry has more money to spend than public schools.”

            “Well we may as well go do something.”

            “Like what?”

             “How empty was your childhood, exactly?”

            “You rude little—”

            “Follow me,” Vincent grinned, grabbing Elizabeth’s hand and dragging her around a corner.

            “Stop, people are watching!”

            But to Elizabeth’s surprise, spending the day with the most arrogant boy on Earth wasn’t as bad as she thought it would be. Vincent seemed to know all the rides that interested her.

            They strolled through haunted houses. They played word games in line. They spun at record-breaking speeds in the coffee cups, only to deeply regret it minutes later in an onslaught of vertigo and nausea.

            “You’ve got to be kidding me,” Elizabeth muttered when she saw what ride he was taking her to next.

            Carousel.

            Vincent ascended the glittery platform and took a deep bow in her direction.

            “After you, Milady,” he said, gesturing to a white Pegasus with silvery wings.

            “Get down from there!”

            “Liz, you’re holding up the line.”

            “The carousel’s not just for kids,” the kindly old ticket collector wheezed.

            And so Elizabeth had no choice but to mount the magical monstrosity. She hid her face from the crowd as the lights glowed and horses began to move.

            Vincent waved to the crowd as the carousel made

its rounds.

            “Mommy, look, it’s a prince!”

            “Now, now, it’s rude to point.”

***

By nightfall, Elizabeth and Vincent had gone on every ride in the park. All that was left was the swan boat ride.

            Vincent held out his hand as he stepped into the small plastic swan. Elizabeth snorted and, none-too-gently knocking his hand aside, hopped in on her own.

            The pond was beautiful. Strategically placed underwater lights cast whispering shadows across the dark green ripples, making small pathways of light in the mysterious depths. Cattails and lily pads clustered along the edges of the shore, resting under the shelter of numerous weeping willows. The trees rustled and extended their branches in welcome as Elizabeth and Vincent’s boat glided by.

            Somewhere in the center of the amusement park, confetti shot several hundred feet into the air and the night parade progressed in full blast. Only faint echoes managed to reach the quaint little pond, however, and the gentle night was filled with the song of crickets and the soft burble of water.

            “You sure you didn’t want to go see the parade?” Vincent asked as they milled about the silent waters, the only ones in the whole attraction.

            Elizabeth breathed in the crisp winter air and breathed out a frosty white cloud.

            “This is fine,” she murmured, closing her eyes and savoring the silence.

            “…”

            Elizabeth reopened her eyes. “You’re unusually qu—”

            She blinked at the tiny box dangling in front of her face. It was wrapped in a creamy white bow and had its logo etched on the lid in curly silver letters.

            “What is it?” she asked as Vincent dropped the box into her lap.

            “Merry Christmas.”

            Elizabeth paused.

            “I didn’t get you anything,” she finally warned.

            “Well, it was one of the reasons you wouldn’t date me,” he grinned. “So I guess we’re down to five.”

            “Huh?”

            “‘The ninth reason is that I’ll have to spend money on gifts for special occasions that you have’… Or something like that,” Vincent quoted with a teasing smile. “Now, now, Liz, if you forget the reasons, it counts as me negating them.”

            “Quit making up your own rules,” she snapped.

            “I don’t mind.” Vincent leaning back against the small seat of their boat and stared up at the slivered moon hanging in the sky. “You know, about you not getting me a present and everything. Meeting you was the biggest gift I ever—”

            “But yeah, this is a really pretty place, huh,” she loudly interrupted, surveying the scenery with feigned interest.

            “…Can’t you let me be cool just this once?”

            “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

            Vincent rolled his eyes.

            “Fine.”

            He reached into his pocket and pulled out something Elizabeth couldn’t identify in the dark. Vincent dangled the object over their heads.

            “Then give me this for Christmas.”

            The boat floated towards the shore and under a light post, illuminating them in a halo of white. Elizabeth felt her jaw drop.

            “Not on your best day,” she glared at the m-

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Aaaand you can read the rest in the book >:) Available in paperback and ebook!