It was nearing closing time when we reached the entrance to the coaster.
“Are you sure you want to ride on this?” Edward questioned, giving me an incredulous look. “You didn’t fare so well on the Tilt-O-Whirl. I’d hate for you to get sick again.”
I snorted in retaliation. “I’m fine. I told you not to force those mini-donuts on me! Trust me, I won’t get sick.” I glared at him from the corner of my eye.
He fought back a smile and lightly squeezed my hand. “So explain to me if you will what makes this attraction so desirable?” His tone was light and curious, but I could sense something else hidden in his words.
“I’m not sure - maybe because it doesn’t spin? I know I love the feeling of weightlessness when you go over the hills. There’s just something about it…” I tried to explain, but it was difficult to describe exactly what I loved about coasters. All I knew was that they had been my favorite ride since I was a kid.
We had reached the entrance of the ride and I pulled him along with me, determined to get on before the park closed. Edward followed willingly, but continued to badger me with questions.
“So you like g-forces, but not spinning.” He seemed to be deep in concentration, his brow knitted. “Exactly how does it make you feel?”
I rolled my eyes. What was his obsession with all of this? “I can’t explain it. It makes me feel…giddy?” I tried out the word, but it wasn’t quite right. We had caught up to the back of the line and were forced to slow our pace as we entered the loading platform.
He was lost in thought again when I glanced back at him. Then suddenly, he snapped out of it, dazzling me with his amber eyes. I reflexively gulped.
“I see. Well, let’s enjoy the ride then.” Again, I sensed some hidden agenda in his tone, but I couldn’t seem to put my finger on what exactly he was getting at.
Edward stepped closer to me as we continued to walk out on the platform. There was no one behind us so he took full advantage and pulled me tightly against him, his arms wrapping around my waist and his chin resting on the top of my head. I sighed contently, momentarily forgetting his strange questions and purely enjoying his embrace.
The ride attendant directed the line in front of us to file two by two into the awaiting seats of the coaster, filling it front to back. As everyone else took their places, I noticed two rows of empty seats at the back of the coaster waiting for us.
“You’re the last riders,” said the attendant as he gestured to the back of the ride. “Take your pick.”
I started towards the second to the last row of seats, but Edward quickly stepped around and pulled me into the back row. He smiled wickedly as he stepped into coaster, holding my hand tightly as I followed behind him. Someone obviously didn’t trust my balance so soon after getting the walking cast removed. I tried to ignore his overprotective behavior.
“What is this all about?” I asked as we fastened our seatbelts. “Why did we have to sit in the last row?”
He smiled devilishly at me before answering. “Oh I don’t know. More privacy? Besides, isn’t the very back row the best for experiencing the g-forces?”
He was definitely up to something now. I gave him a disparaging look as the attendant ran down the length of the coaster, locking the safety bar that crossed our laps into place.
“More privacy? What, you think I’m going to throw up and you don’t want me to hit the people in front of us?”
Edward threw his head back and laughed heartily.
“Welcome aboard folks.” The attendant announced over the crackling loudspeaker. I waited for the usual speech about keeping our hands inside the ride while I continued to glare at Edward. He seemed oblivious to my annoyance, yet suddenly very interested in the attendant.
“Since the park is about to close and you’re the last riders of the night, how about going around the track twice?” The riders in front of us cheered merrily. I had never been on a coaster twice around the track before, but I was pretty sure I could handle it. The remains of the mini-donuts in my stomach were long gone after the embarrassing Tilt-O-Whirl incident.
“And since it’s a moonless night, how about we turn the lights off and ride in the dark?” the attendance suggested, a hint of humor in his voice. This time the riders screamed in agreement, most of them pumping their hands in the air.
Edward leaned down and whispered in my ear. “This should be quite a ride, don’t you think?” He squeezed my hand and let his cool breath wash over the side of my face. I turned to look at him again, and his eyes were smoldering. My heart skipped a beat.
“I can handle it,” I replied, my voice faltering. It wasn’t doubt that was racing through me, but rather the fleeting thrill I was getting from his hypnotizing eyes. It felt like the ride was already moving, yet we still hadn’t left the platform.
“May I suggest an...enhancement to the experience.” His voice was now tantalizingly husky, and I shivered despite the warm air. “Why don’t you keep your eyes closed the entire ride?” he suggested. Again, his frosty breath tickled against my neck, and I almost began to swoon from the sweet smell that enveloped me.
I looked into his eyes, trying to decipher what he was up to, but I was instantly captivated by his sensuous gaze. Barely able to speak, I somehow forced the words out. “If it’s dark and they’re turning off all the lights off, what’s the point of closing my eyes?”
He chuckled lightly. “Trust me.”
Just then the coaster jerked once before rolling down the slight decline away from the platform. I turned my head away and obediently closed my eyes. I felt him take my hand that he was holding and gently rest it on his knee, while my other hand tightly gripped the safety bar. Although I was confident I could handle the coaster without getting sick, the thought of not being able to see the upcoming hills made me edgier then I cared to admit, especially to Edward. But since I couldn’t figure out what his devious plan was, I decided to play along and keep my eyes closed. After all, there wouldn’t be much to see if the lights were off anyway.
“You know, I don’t really see the point of killing the lights,” I said sourly. “It’s not like we’re in the tunnel of love or something.”
I could feel his weight next to me as he leaned in against the side of my face, speaking barely loud enough for me to hear. “Are you sure?” I felt one of his fingers lightly trace my jaw line, the coldness of his hand feeling like ice on my flushed skin. I shivered in delight
“You’re being silly,” I protested, feeling the coaster starting its ascent up the first hill. I had no idea how much further we had to climb before the front of the coaster peaked the summit and pulled us forcefully up and over. I thoroughly loved that moment, the feeling of weightlessness so incredibly euphoric. But the anxiousness of not knowing when to expect the rush had butterflies flitting uncontrollably in my stomach. “I have no idea what you’re up to, but if you’re trying to make me sick, it isn’t going to work.”
“Trust me,” he whispered again in my ear. “I just want to add to the experience.” Just then, I felt a slight increase in our car’s movement as we reached the top of the first hill. The people in front of us start to scream in excitement as they took the plunge first.
