When You Least Expect It

22

Chapter 22

No one handled holiday festivities quite as well as Belle Haven did. The streets downtown came alive with flickering jack-o'-lanterns, pumpkin adornments dotted every lawn, and children decked out in costumes bounded joyfully from house to house, their candy-filled bags leaving trails on the sidewalks.

At our home, Dad had crafted a scarecrow on the front yard, doling out cookies baked by Miles. Although Holly Dae had hyped up the fair all week, none of us bothered with costumes because apparently Miles thought it was 'lame'.

As we entered the fairgrounds, the distant hum of rides created a mechanical symphony, echoing with joyous laughter and the upbeat melody of carnival music. The enticing aroma of sizzling, greasy delights wafted through the air, mingling with the sugary sweetness of cotton candy. The dazzling lights and vibrant colors surrounded us, creating a sensory overload that heightened our excitement.

"What should we ride first?" Miles had to raise his voice over the blaring music

"Hold on, Nik's not here yet!" Holly Dae responded with a yell.

"What about your lover?" This time, Miles was yelling at me.

Holly Dae's brows furrowed as a silent exchange passed between them.

"Can we find a quieter spot?" I yelled.

Navigating through the fair, we sought refuge near the maze of mirrors, where a giggling group of drunken girls emerged.

"I'm sorry, did you and Harry get back together?" Holly Dae blurted.

"No way," I scrunched my face in disapproval. "Miles was talking about Carson."

"You two are a couple?!" Her reaction was as if I had just announced her winning a lottery.

"Obsessed," Miles chimed in just as I let out a flustered "No!"

"It's good that you're moving on after what happened with Harry," Holly Dae commented, oblivious to the real reason behind our breakup.

"Carson and I are just friends, okay? I'm not ready for anything more," I insisted. This was mostly true at the time. But there was something brewing inside me, a growing feeling I couldn't shake off, whenever I was with him.

"Well, where is he?" Miles asked.

We were meant to meet Ilya and Carson at the fair. A pang of guilt hit me as the fair fell short of its much-hyped reputation. The rides looked rickety and cheap.

I grabbed my phone and messaged Carson. Meanwhile, amidst the vibrant chaos of the fairgrounds, Miles and Holly Dae found themselves in a heated argument over which ride to tackle first.

A few minutes later, Carson's response appeared: Look behind you.

A small smile played on my lips. "That's kind of creepy," I exclaimed, making my voice loud enough for everyone to hear.

In matching puffy jackets and beanies, the duo stood side by side. Ilya smiled at us, his eyes lingering on Holly Dae.

"Hi," I said to Carson.

"Hi," he replied.

Then, "Um, hi?" Ilya chimed in.

I redirected my attention to Ilya. "Hey, Ilya! Wasn't expecting you to show up."

"Had nothing better to do. Now introduce me," he said this while looking at Holly Dae.

I introduced Holly Dae and Miles to Ilya. Our group decided to head to a ticket machine to purchase ride tickets, so we all followed Holly Dae. The bumper cars were the first on our list, and despite my dizziness and mild nausea from Ilya's determined collisions with my car, we laughed our way through the experience. Then Ilya led us to the roller coaster, where he sat beside me and screamed in my ear the entire time.