He shrugs. “Hasn’t everyone?”
I’m not sure I get what he means. I’m sure there are people who haven’t played basketball, but whatever.
“What’s the wager between you two?” Jed stands at the side of the game, leaning his shoulder on the edge. He ignores Emilia jumping around, asking when it’s her turn.
“I win and Posey goes on a ride with me,” Gavin says.
Jed laughs. “I guess we know which ride he’s taking you on.”
“What ride?” Emilia asks.
He smooths his hand down her hair, tugging on a braid that Molly must’ve done.
“The Ferris wheel,” every man in my family says in unison.
Gavin’s cheeks turn red. If I wasn’t supposed to dislike him, I’d think it was adorable.
“How come the Ferris wheel?” Emilia asks.
“Everyone takes their dates on the Ferris wheel with the hopes you get stuck on top and can sneak some…” Jed looks down at Emilia.
“Sneak what?” Her eyes are wide.
“Just to talk.”
“Like you and Mommy talk sometimes?”
Everyone makes a sound knowing exactly what Molly and Jed are doing when they’re “talking.”
“Exactly, sweetie.” Jed looks at me. “Let’s get this over with.”
Gavin puts down money for both of us.
“Oh no, I pay for myself.” I dig into my purse and slap down a five-dollar bill.
“Is she always so difficult?” Gavin asks my siblings, and they all say yes in unison.
If Emilia wasn’t floating around, I’d flip them off.
We’re each given a basketball and Gavin holds his, turning toward me, putting his arm out for me to go first. “Ladies first.”
I inhale a deep breath. I was always good at basketball, and this is the only game I have any chance of winning. There was no way I was going to choose throwing a ball to down a pyramid of something, or darts to break balloons.
I bounce the ball on the ledge and stare at the hoop. It looks really far away now. I throw the ball and it comes off my fingertips, circles the hoop, but doesn’t go in.
“That’s okay, you got this,” Mandi says, coming to my side. She looks past me at Gavin. “Best two out of three, right?”
He lifts a shoulder. “Sure.”
The guy hands me back the basketball and I do my usual ritual, except this time I push away all the pressure of everyone watching me. I shoot the ball and it bounces off the backboard into the net.
“Yes!” Mandi screams and picks up Emilia, who is just as excited. “One more, Posey.”
Instead of waiting for the guy to hand me the ball, Gavin offers me his. I accept and our fingers brush during the exchange. I’m reminded that I might not mind going on a ride with him, but I just can’t admit it to myself.
“Thanks,” I say.
He nods.
I bounce the ball on the ledge and shoot the ball, sinking it in the net.
“Way to go!” Mandi yells.
Emilia squirms to get out of her hold. “My turn!”
Jed says, “Not yet. Gavin goes first.”
We all look at Gavin, who doesn’t seem at all fazed about me making two baskets.
“Great job,” he says to me and accepts the ball from the guy working the game.
With both hands on the ball, he spins it, then bounces it on the ledge in a way that says this isn’t the first time he’s held a basketball. An exhilarating rush fills my stomach. Damn traitor.
He shoots the ball and sinks it.
“Looks like Gavin didn’t just act growing up,” Cade says from behind us.
I turn and narrow my eyes at my stepbrother.
“Lucky throw,” Gavin says, winking at me.
Bullshit.
Gavin does the whole spin-y thing again and sinks the second shot. I might as well accept my defeat and get ready to sit my ass in the Ferris wheel. Although maybe it will be nice to be all the way up there with no prying eyes.
Nobody says anything as he’s handed the ball for the third time. He does his same ritual, but this time he stares at me when he shoots. It’s such an arrogant, egotistical thing to do and it should not turn me on, but who am I kidding? I feel heat pulsing from my head to my toes.
“Not much to do on a set between takes. We played basketball.” Gavin shrugs as though it’s no big deal.
I picked the game, it’s not like he hustled me, so I decide to be a good sport.
“Fine, let’s go get this over with.” I head in the direction of the Ferris wheel.
“Actually, that’s not my choice.”
I look from him to my family, who seem surprised.
“Tilt-A-Whirl,” he says, taking my hand and walking me in the opposite direction.
“Game changer,” Jed jokes and all my siblings laugh at my expense.
Lucky for us, though, none of them follow us to the ride. I guess maybe they can tell when their presence isn’t wanted.
We wait in line for the Tilt-A-Whirl, along with every kid and the parents who have to ride because their kids don’t reach the minimum height to ride alone. No sane adult wants to go on the Tilt-A-Whirl.
“No spinning, okay?” I say to Gavin.
“That’s the fun of the ride.”
“Let it spin on its own. We don’t need to add more to it.”
He says nothing, so I think he’s not going to honor my request. That seems to be the trend with him.
We walk through the metal gated area and Gavin takes us to the back blue bin. Allowing me in first, he follows and secures us in our seat, bringing the bar down. He jokingly uses his hips to spin us. I narrow my eyes at him, and he laughs.
“It’s funny,” he says, his fingers running over the metal bar. “You didn’t fight me on this too hard.”
“Well, you won. I pay my bets in full.” I’m honest, even though I have a feeling if I’d won at basketball and he still asked, I might’ve gone on a ride with him anyway. Just not this one.
“Is that how I need to get you to do things with me? Bet you?”
I throw my hands in the air. “Okay, I give up. Why are you pursuing me when there’s no chance?”
Confusion laces his beautiful features. “Why isn’t there a chance?”
“Because it’s a lose-lose situation. If you win the race, I can’t prance you around my family and rub it in my mom’s face. If you lose, you won’t want to be around my mom. That is, if the mayor position is that important to you.”
He slides along the seat to my side. “How can you continue to deny this?” He motions between us. “I’ve never in my life felt like this for a woman. I saw how jealous you were at the pancake breakfast.”
I shake my head. “I was not jealous. Naomi Needles and I have history.”
He nods and his arm goes around my shoulders. “Well, I have no interest in her. I’ve done what people wanted me to my entire life. I’m done with that. Now I want to take something for myself.”
“That being?”
“Do you really have to ask?” His gaze falls to my lips and suddenly the confines of this blue shell feel suffocating.
“I can’t,” I barely whisper.
His fingers dip into my hair, his thumb brushing along my cheek. “You can. You’re choosing not to. Put yourself first, Posey. I promise it’s going to feel amazing.”