Finding Laila: Some Changes Are Necessary Part 29

"Close your eyes," he says and hands me a blindfold.

"Um, Searle," I look at the piece of material and try to hand it back, "I don't do blindfolds."

"If you want your surprise you do," he answers without looking at me.

I growl. I actually let out an obnoxious, pouty growl and he laughs at me, but I finally concede and place the navy piece of material over my eyes.

"This better be worth it," I warn. "How much longer anyway?"

"Maybe five minutes," he answers. "Now will you stop talking?"

I don't answer and I suppose that's 'answer' enough for him. He plays some music in the car to fill the silence and reaches over to thread his fingers through mine. He lifts my hand to his mouth and places a sweet kiss to the back of it before resting them both on the console between us.

The car comes to stop and I hear his window roll down before he whispers something to someone-but we are moving before I ever have a chance to decipher any of it. The car ride becomes slightly b.u.mpy with the sound of crunching beneath the tires for a minute before it comes to a complete stop and he turns off the engine.

"All right, so here's the deal," he says, and I hear his keys jingle for a moment. "I'm going to get out and open your door. You have to leave the blindfold on until I tell you to take it off. You okay with that?"

I nod and wait for him to do as he says after I hear his door open and close. He pulls my door open and his hand touches mine so he can guide me out of the car. I'm handled for a second until he leans me against what I presume to be the back of the car before shutting the door. I brace myself againt the cold metal and try to figure out where I am, but I pick up on nothing.

"Just a few more minutes," he says, his lips close to mine. "And then you can see."

He places his lips against mine and kisses me until any and all nerves have disappeared and are replaced with a feeling of happiness and excitement. Haden places his hands on my shoulders and stands behind me as he leads us forward somewhere. The sound of gravel beneath my feet and the faint sounds of screams, laughter, and strange music fill the air. I'm not sure where we're heading but I try to play along.

Haden continues to guide me, holding me back when it seems we might run into people. I can't make out their conversations, but I know they are near. He's an excellent guide.

We come to a stop and he removes his hands from me and I miss the proximity immediately.

"Haden?" I ask, when I can't sense him near me anymore.

Where is he?

I can't tell if he's gone and I feel like an idiot standing here with a blindfold while people are milling around.

"Are you still here?" I ask and try to laugh, even though I find this moment anything but funny.

"I'm here," he answers and kisses me again. "Are you ready?"

I nod my head and he tells me to remove the blindfold, and it takes me a moment to recognize where I am.

I've been here before.

It's a huge parking lot where hordes of people are talking and moving so quickly I can't keep up. Haden is standing in front of me with his beautiful smile, waiting for my reaction.

"A carnival?" I ask, looking around at the rides and games.

We used to come to these when we were kids-all of us together. One time when I was little, I told the guys that my dream was to have a boyfriend who would take me to one and we'd ride every ride together and he'd win me all the prizes I wanted. Our last ride would be the Ferris wheel because, well, I saw it in a movie once. The couple rode up to the top and got stuck, but while they were stuck, they kissed and eventually fell in love. I mean that's the way it works, right?

"Is this okay?" he asks in an attempt to answer my question.

"Yeah." I smile excitedly. "It's perfect."

With that, he opens his hand and reveals too many tickets for one person to use in a day at any carnival, and I jump into his arms excitedly.

We run around the grounds playing every game in sight, but neither of us have any luck with winning. I'm a terrible shot and Haden has never been good at playing the rigged games. He does manage to win a small stuffed bear, but the guy gave it to him after Haden spent at least fifty dollars worth of tickets trying to pop the d.a.m.n balloon.

Every ride we go on sends a chill of excitement and dread through me. I feel like a little kid again, but the grown-up part of me wonders how safe the ancient rides really are. Somehow, we manage to survive with limbs intact and no bodily harm done before running to the next possible death trap.

It's gotten dark out and even though it's early spring, there's a slight chill to the air. I look up at the Ferris wheel, our last adventure for the night, and smile, but Haden nudges my arm to get my attention and I see my old nemesis, the Tilt-A-Whirl. He reaches out for my hand and walks the two of us toward the ride, where he hands the attendant our tickets. I run ahead of him and pick a cart and wait for him to join me.

"You're going to throw up," he teases as he climbs in with me.

"One time, Haden. And I'd just eaten two sticks of cotton candy because y'all dared me to," I laugh.

"Oh, it was because of the dare?" he asks and nods his head. "Then I dare you to kiss me for the entire ride."

"Challenge accepted," I smirk.

The guy comes by to lock the bar across our laps and quickly moves on to the next cart. When everyone is secured, the ride begins its spin and I lean over to kiss Haden, who starts laughing before finally retuning the kiss. The rickety tin can spins faster, making it harder for us to keep our lips together.

"I give up," I scream and lean my head back while the wind whips my ponytail around. I look at Haden and laugh at the disappointed look on his face before I close my eyes and enjoy the ride. The distance is short-lived because he moves as close to me as he can and holds my face with his hand and kisses me until the ride finally comes to a stop.

"See," I answer breathlessly when the bar unlocks. "Told you I wouldn't throw up."

"Yeah, but you failed the dare. I think the rule was if you can't complete a dare you have to do one act of public humiliation. That was your rule, right?"

I climb out of the metal ride of death and head toward the exit, trying to contain my laughter. I hate when the guys remember the stupid rules I would add to our games so I would be on the winning end of things.

When I'm on solid ground, I turn and face him with my hands on my hips.

"So what's it gonna be?" I ask.

He reaches for my hand and entwines our fingers as he leads us to another ride-or so it seems, until he takes a detour to a quieter area of the carnival. It's here that I see the fortuneteller stationed near the center of the lot.

"You're joking. Right?" I ask when I see the small tent with 'Madame Rae' scrawled on a dry erase board.

"Part of the experience," he laughs and hands the woman a ten-dollar bill.

She takes it from him and flips the bill around to make sure that it's real, which makes me laugh because there's no way I can flip her around to check the same. She raises a brow as if reading my mind, and I sober because-she probably is.

"Maybe another time," I whisper to Haden.

"No. No other time," she says with a terrible accent. "Now. Come in."

The middle-aged woman walks into the tent and I look at Haden in disbelief.

"Oh yeah, and when you're done, I'll have your humiliation all picked out."

"This isn't it?" I ask, my eyes wide with fear.

"I'll think about it," he smiles.

"Hurry up, I don't have all day," the woman yells, and I glare at Haden before following after.

She shuts the tent flap behind us, walks to a small table that looks like a TV tray, and sits on one side of it. Madame Rae is not what I've thought a fortuneteller to look like, with her long brown hair and peasant top. Nothing about her jumps out as odd, except that accent.

Timidly, I take the empty seat and exhale an annoyed breath.

"What is your name?" she asks, tucking the money into a pouch on a table behind her.

"Laila," I say, trying to hold back a laugh.

"Give me your hand," she demands, holding her own out expectantly.

"As long as you drop that ridiculous accent," I answer when I stretch my hand out to her.

"Fine," she drawls in a normal tone. "I do it for show, anyway. It's what people expect."

"No offense, but if you can't do it well, just don't do it at all," I tell her with sincerity, giving her my hand.

"Be quiet so I can concentrate," Madame Rae admonishes as she traces my palm with her finger.

She leans down and studies my hand closer while I look around at the odd decorations.

"I see you like adventure. Perhaps you have something big planned?"

All right, maybe she's not a crook.

"Your heart line, right here-see these little lines that cross through it? It tells me that you are open with your feelings with those you love, but this little spot here..." She points out but I don't see what she's talking about. "You've experienced sadness in your young life."

Her eyes lift to meet mine, but I give nothing away so she continues her reading.

"Why are you so guarded?" she asks, pointing to my hand. "Your life line says that you don't allow many people into your life, but if your heart line is correct, perhaps there is a correlation."

She doesn't wait for, or expect, an answer because she carries on with the reading, but I'm intrigued by her accuracy.

"You surround yourself with family and friends, people you trust, but it's a small circle. And you are protective of these people. No?"

"Yeah," I breathe out and she looks at me.

"You're stubborn, but that's not really a bad thing. People focus on the negative part of that trait, but it means that you know what you want out of life. Just make sure you have a balance so you know when to bend."

"Can you see anything about my friends there?" I ask, finally giving in to the experience.

"Laila, I can see that you are a very caring person, but it's not your responsibility to take care of everyone. You need to give yourself a break. You have your walls so high that it's almost impossible for anyone to get through, but once you let them in, it's forever. Isn't it?"

"Pretty much," I agree. "What about Haden?" I ask as I look over my shoulder to check that he can't hear me. "Can you see anything there?"

She traces a line on the side of my hand. "You are young, Laila. But when the time comes for you to settle down, you're going to have a happy life."

"That's it?" I ask with a hint of shock, because I want more details-but she only nods.

"See this?" She points to a line on the lower outside of my palm. "This is your travel line. And see here where it crosses this line, it's your fate line."

I acknowledge what she's pointing at and wait for her to continue.

"There's a trip planned. Maybe you're visiting a place you've never been before?"

"I'm going to find my mom," I manage to tell her past the lump in my throat. "I just found out I was adopted."

"Then this is an important journey. Don't go alone, because this tells me it will be emotional, so you need people who love and support you. Perhaps your parents?"

"I'm actually going with my friends," I smile weakly.

"Good. Remember, things are not always what they seem, so keep an open mind and remember that whatever happens, lean on those who are always there for you."

Madame Rae releases my hand and I take leave from the tent, where I find Haden reclining on the bench outside. He hops to his feet but takes his time approaching me, probably trying to gauge my mood since he tricked me. When he's close enough, I rise on my toes so I can wrap my arms around his neck and place a soft kiss to his lips. He wraps his arms around me and lifts me off the ground, connecting his lips with mine again.

"I believe I owe you a ride on the Ferris wheel," he says between kisses as he carries me to the bench, where he sets me down.

I tower over him from this spot, but I don't mind because looking into his face, illuminated by the carnival ride lights, I could stare at him all night. He turns around, looks over his shoulder, and smiles.

"Hop on."

"You are not giving me a piggyback ride," I protest before attempting to step down, but he won't let me.

"Have it your way," he grins.

One second he kisses me, the next he hoists me over his shoulder while I scream and tug on the back of his s.h.i.+rt. Granted, I'm not exactly opposed to the view, but I'd much prefer walking instead of being slung over my boyfriend's shoulder while total strangers are staring at me.

"Haden Searle, put me down," I yell.

"Only if you admit something," he says. He stops walking, but I'm still hanging over his back.

"Okay," I laugh. "What is it?"

"When did it happen?"

"When did what happen?" I ask, confused by his question. It drains what little energy I have left to lift myself upright, so I end up back where I was.

He finally puts me down but keeps me close to him with one arm wrapped around my waist. His other hand is trailing from my cheek and stops at the base of my neck while he looks lovingly into my eyes. "When did you become the only person I ever want to imagine a future with?"

Thank G.o.d breathing is an involuntary bodily function because he would have taken my breath away if it weren't.

"Tickets?" a nasally male voice calls out, breaking the moment. Haden hands over the tickets and we climb into the seat that's still swinging from the people who vacated before us. He pulls the latch across to lock it in place and we begin making our first revolution on the Ferris wheel.

I have yet to take my eyes off him and he's looking at the world disappear below our feet.

"Probably around the same time it happened for me-the first time you held my hand," I say.