Liz pressed her lips together. It was true. She had never been to an amusement park.


    Before she turned sixteen, she had grown up in a rural town. Theme parks weren’t something she had ever even seen.


    After she was brought back to live with the Smith family at sixteen, she once passed by an amusement park and asked what it was out of curiosity.


    Her mother had looked at her with visible irritation and snapped, “You don’t even know what an amusement park is? It’s a ce for little kids. You really are a country bumpkin. You don’t know anything.”


    Liz could still recall the disgust in her tone like it was yesterday.


    After that, whenever she came across something unfamiliar, she stopped asking questions. Instead, she would quietly take pictures or memorize the details and look them up on her ownter.


    When she didn’t respond, Hunter looked genuinely surprised. He hadn’t expected someone her age to have never been to an amusement park.


    “In that case,” he said with a grin, “I guess I’ll be your guide today. Let’s go, Miss First- Timer.”


    Liz nced at him. “Why did you bring me here?”


    “You’ve been in a moodtely. I alwayse to amusement parks when I’m feeling down. Come on, you’ll like it.”


    He didn’t wait for a reply. He turned and started walking toward the entrance.


    After a short pause, Liz followed.


    Once they were inside, tickets in hand, she was surprised to see how many young adults were there—not just kids.


    So amusement parks weren’t only for children after all.


    “Alright, let’s start with the roller coaster,” Hunter said as he led her toward the line.


    Liz looked up at the people screaming overhead and the steep drop on the track. Her fingers tightened around the strap of her bag.


    “Isn’t that kind of extreme?”


    “It is,” he said, “but it’s the best stress reliever Trust me.‘


    Then he looked at her and raised an eyebrow. “What’s wrong, Liz? You’re not scared, are you? We can always skip it and try something easier.”


    She had been nervous, but something about the way he said it lit apetitive spark inside


    her.


    Besides, she had never been on a roller coaster before.


    “Of course I’m not scared,” Liz said. “I’ve just never been on one, so I’m a little nervous.”


    Hunter didn’t tease her about it. He just smiled and said, “Alright then.”


    Once they were strapped in, Liz gripped the safety bar in front of her and took a deep


    breath.


    “If you get scared, you can hold my hand,” Hunter said with a yful glint in his eye.


    Liz turned toward him and forced a steady expression. “I think you’ll be the one who needs it more.”


    The roller coaster started to move.


    At first, the pace was slow, and Liz thought it wasn’t as bad as she had expected.


    But as they reached the peak of the track, the car suddenly picked up speed. The moment of free fall hit her like a punch to the gut.


    She screamed and instinctively grabbed Hunter’s hand.


    “Aaaah!”


    The wind blew so hard it distorted her face, and she clung to his hand like it was the only thing keeping her alive.


    If she had known it would feel this terrifying, she would never have agreed to ride it.


    Next to her, Hunter was yelling too. His face had turned pale, and he looked even more panicked than she did.


    Liz nced sideways and thought, “Didn’t he say he came here all the time? He sure doesn’t look like it.”


    By the time the ride came to a stop, both of them were pale and shaky.


    They stumbled off and found a bench nearby to sit down and recover.


    Liz decided one roller coaster in a lifetime was more than enough.


    That stomach–dropping, sky–falling sensation was something she never wanted to feel again.


    Hunter turned to her with a raised eyebrow. “So? Feeling any better now?”


    She nodded. “Yeah. A lot better.”


    As terrifying as it had been, the weight in her chest felt a little lighter.


    “Good! Let’s go try something else.”


    Under Hunter’s lead, Liz went on bumper cars, the giant swing ride, a haunted house, a carousel, and a water rafting adventure.


    They kept going until a little after two in the afternoon. Eventually, too tired to keep walking, they found a quiet spot to rest.


    “I’m going to grab some water. Just wait here, alright?” Hunter said before jogging off toward a concession stand.


    As Liz watched his tall figure disappear into the crowd, a warm feeling slowly spread through her chest.


    It had been a long time since she had felt this at ease.