Chapter Sixty-one: Port Ember or bust

150 15 53
                                    

"It's weird how much you have to hold back when you're secretly in love with someone. But then again, the whole point of love is getting close enough that you no longer have to hold back"

Chris Omar Vaughn

Three months ago


Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.

The sound of my phone vibrating on top of my wooden dresser woke me. Not that I was getting much sleep anyway, felt like something was missing.

There was a text from Morgan. It read:

Wanna do something crazy?

I sat up and blinked my eyes open only to see the time on the clock.

4:31am

"What the fuck?" I groaned, ripping the covers off of my body.

~

"—Here he comes!" I heard Morgan's voice squeak. She was entirely too enthusiastic at this time of day.

"You're lucky I like you." My voice was hardly there.

"You're lucky." She jabbed back instantly.

"What are you doing up, anyway?" I questioned, walking towards her with my hands in the pocket of my black hoodie.

She smacked her considerable lips and greeted me with a hug that actually pumped some life into me. I needed it. I had no plans for waking up before ten this Sunday, but this is what she does to me.

"It's just you two, right?" This broad man asked, holding up the gate.

The wind blew a breath across Morgan's face, long hair covering her vision for a moment before she combed the strands of blonde curls back under the oversized grey hoodie.

"Is that my hoodie?" I asked, eyes squinting on the details of the outerwear.

"Shh." She hissed, returning her attention back to the man in the yellow 'security' windbreaker.

"I could get in a lot of trouble for this." He fretted.

"Morgan, who is this?" I asked, sizing him up.

"This is Jim, we go way back." She said with confidence, both fists on her hips.

I looked at her and she admitted, "We met this morning."

Jim turned his back to us and we watched him unlock the fence to the carnival grounds.

"Thanks, Jim!" Morgan exclaimed.

She grabbed me by the wrist, pulling me past the vacant ticket booth.

"This is so cool," she gasped with wonder, "I feel so rebellious."

"You mind telling me why we're at a carnival at four in the morning, Ann?" I referred to her middle name.

Morgan stayed crouched down at eye level with the prize gold fish at one of the side carnival games.

Wanted For PleasureWhere stories live. Discover now