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I smiled at hio to a fair as a kid?"

Shaking o, but h my head

"What?"

I twisted my napkin in my lap "My parents said only low-rent people went to the fair, and I would catch soh "Well, I’ht about my family’s low-rent status, but we never spread any diseases"

I stared down atI had answered him differently In that moment, I hatedlike they cared for the poor by having thousand-dollar-a-plate fund-raisers, but at the sa down their noses at anyone asn’t in their social class

Even though it wasn’t the sufficient apology he deserved, I whispered, "I’ to be sorry about"

"But--"

Rev shook his head "You’re not your parents, Annabel"

"I know"

"Good" He reached around to get his wallet out of his pants After tossing out sorinned at me "I think it’s time you went to your first carnival"

"Seriously?"

"Sure"

"But since I’"

"We can still walk around and take in the sights"

I had to admit the prospect definitely excited me "Are you sure we have tihed "Okay, let’s do it!"

We made our way out of the diner, looked both ways before hurrying across the highway, and then inched our way up the line to the ticket booth

Once we got inside, I was ers So e men In spite of the heat, a chill passed over my skin

As if he could sense ainst hih part of me would have preferred to turn around then, I kneed it to Rev--and to myself--to try to stay I was safe with hi as Rev was around And in some s my fears "I will," I replied