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"I’d settle for just bearable," I can’t help but s about Hunter: even when my stomach is tied up in knots and my heartbeat skips from the nearness of him, he still finds some way to putnow just a s an arh the crowd

"OK, the way I see it, a good date is like an extrele, silently thrilling at the touch of his body close to mine He smells of soap and sweat and horses from his ti

"What, you could die at anywith this

"With you, only of happiness," Hunter quips

I groan, shoving at hi ot to be prepared And I’h I was captain of " He winks, and I can’t help but giggle Other guys would sound sleazy Like they’re assu stuff about me, but to Hunter, it’s all part of his easy char Options" he continues "Like here, for example: I don’t knowyou liked Maybe you’re a stroll around chatting kind of girl, or maybe you like to cheat death on the rides, or stuff your pretty face with junk food Scratch that, you definitely like the junk food"

"Hey!"

"You’re right, I’m sorry, I should have said, stuff your beautiful face" Hunter corrects himself I roll estures, like this entire fair has been staged forat hiht like, what I want is to drag hi else in the world, but part of me is curious What’s it like, to do this––date, be normal––with a li to , and rides, and all the junk food I want to try everything"

"As you wish" Hunter winks

"The Princess Bride!" I exclaim, surprised "That’s one of htful look "See, I’s about you already"

"You don’t know anything" I point out

"A tragedy which I’ my best to rectify" Hunter drops his arm from around my shoulder, but before I can feel disappointently in the direction of a rickety Tilt-a-Whirl I feel a shiver, a bolt of lightning running up ers are intertwined "Coht and tellyour whole life"

"That could take a while," I point out, still holding fast to my sarcasm in the face of all Hunter’s charm

But even that’s no defense when Hunter flashes ht"

We stroll the fairgrounds until sunset, and, as pro he can to s, watch prize ribbons get awarded to pies and piglets alike I know I shouldn’t let myself be fooled by all this innocent fun, but slowly, I feel hter and croash overinto the siers twisted casually in irls, like that blonde Trey ditchedin their shoes, and the siet to feel this way all the time, like the center of the universe, and not soine how different like would be with so You could do anything, knowing you had a partner, somebody to rely on

I’ve only ever been able to rely on myself

"You need a prize"

"What?"

Hunter pulls e with a deterleam in his eye "I need to prove my manliness in a show of skill and weaponry," he proclai in the row of prizes on offer "Sure Nothing says manly like a three-foot pink teddy bear"

"Oh ye of little faith"

Hunter hands a strip of tickets to the guy behind the booth He takes the fairground rifle and lifts it to his shoulder Squinting, he ai off the back panel

"I’ on the ht "Hush you" He fires again, and this tiround, followed by the rest in quick succession

He lowers the rifle and blows the barrel, like he’s blowing s He sees uess, you could hit all five?"

"Maybe" I adht me how to shoot before I learned to ride a bike Just another chapter in my redneck childhood," I joke, but I suddenly wish I hadn’t said anything at all Good, blonde, norlory, I bet

But Hunter doesn’t seeuy for another round and hands me the rifle "Show me, I want to see"

"You sure?" I check, reluctant

"Let’s ," he decides, as I lift the rifle and take aiet a kiss"

My hands falter Which do I want more––to kiss him, or not?

Smash Instinct takes over, and I hit the first bottle Soes down

I lower the rifle Hunter gives , I wonder if he’s right

We claie blue teddy bear with a ribbon round its neck "He can keep you co the bear’s paws at h

As we stroll on again, carrying the ridiculous toy, I see people glance at us as they pass Older couples, young girls I’ossip, but this is different They look affectionate, even envious I sneak a glance up at Hunter, in thesoe He looks so solid and true, srin, I would probably be jealous of uy, out with his girl

They don’t know the truth That he’ll never be mine

"So what’s next?" I ask, with a hint of sadness Dusk is falling, and the lights froainst the darkening skies I only have a little while left of this night of ain, and est "More th? More food?"

"More?" Hunter widens his eyes dra at hiainst him, and ainst mine He dwarvesthose arainst ht here"