chapter ten, all ears

"You're kidding me," you breathe, eyes wide, mouth parted in disbelief. "I haven't been here in years." You glance over at Jacob, a grin pulling at your lips, unable to hide the giddiness bubbling up.

Jacob chuckles, pulling into the gravel lot with no marked lines-just scattered vehicles and uneven tire tracks. "Glad you finally like one of my surprises."

Your attention is already out the window. A faded banner reading Clallam County Fair sways in the breeze above the entrance gate. Just past the fence, you catch glimpses of neon rides spinning in the sunset-the pendulum, the drop tower, the Ferris wheel slowly turning in the distance. An assortment of food trucks spew out the scent of butter and fried batter, the neon signs on their rooftops flickering like they're trying to compete with the stars. Colored lights blink against the dusk sky, casting glows of pink, green, and blue.

You haven't been here since you were a kid, but everything about it still sparks the same thrill.

Clallam's fair was practically a summer tradition. Your family came every August, and more often than not, the Blacks came too. You and Jacob would run around the grounds until your legs gave out, pockets stuffed with tickets and sticky candy wrappers.

Jacob hops out, walks around, and opens the door for you without a word. There's a smile on his face, something steady in it.

"Come on," he says. "We've got a lot of ground to cover."

He buys your tickets at the booth-no arguing, no letting you pull your wallet out-and then the two of you are walking into the fairgrounds, swallowed by sound and scent and light. The air smells like sugar and grease, like popcorn, dirt, and fried everything. The noise is a blur of laughter, distant screams from rides, and distorted announcements over crackly speakers.

The moment stretches, weightless and buzzing with energy. You take a slow look around, soaking it all in. The lights, the scents, the old familiarity of it. You glance at Jacob, and he's already watching you like he's cataloging your expressions, quietly satisfied.

Without hesitation, you drag Jacob straight into the clutter of vendor stalls and merchandise stands. He doesn't complain. In fact, he plays along so well that you end up breathless from laughing. You bop him on the shoulder with an inflatable hammer, and he retaliates by sticking a tie-dye bucket hat on his head and dramatically posing like a model.

"How do I look?" he asks, puffing his chest.

"Like a tourist at Woodstock," you reply, and he nearly drops the oversized sunglasses he's trying on.

You drift from booth to booth, weaving through macrame jewelry, bootleg graphic tees, and glitter tattoos. The light around you shifts as the sun continues to dip, casting long shadows beneath the rows of vendor tents. The buzz of the rides eventually pulls your attention forward. The sound of squeaky hydraulics and a child's distant scream over laughter reminds you of what you haven't done yet.

You nudge Jacob's arm. "Okay, time to get serious. Froggy roller coaster?"

He groans, already shaking his head as you pull him toward it.

"You do realize we're, like, four feet too tall for this?" he mutters, ducking his head to squeeze into the car.

"Shhh," you hush him, giggling. "It's nostalgic."

The ride is barely faster than a brisk walk and feels more like a jostle than a thrill, but you still scream at the top of your lungs for fun. Jacob groans the whole time, but he's smiling when you get off. After that, it becomes a rhythm-ride, laugh, wander. The sky fades from dusty lavender to a deeper navy as you wind your way toward the game booths, still glowing under harsh fluorescents.

You eye the Down-a-Clown setup skeptically.

"All these games are rigged," you say, crossing your arms. "So unfair."

But then you spot it-a comically oversized stuffed bear, locked away behind the mesh like some carnival trophy.

Jacob catches you staring and halts.

"I'll get it for you," he says, as if it's already decided.

You laugh, unconvinced. "These games are a scam. You won't win it."

"Wanna bet?"

He grabs your wrist and leads you to the booth. The teenage attendant barely glances up before Jacob slaps down his ticket and collects the softballs. His arm moves with effortless precision, each ball knocking a clown down with perfect accuracy. You stare, slack-jawed, as his score climbs higher and higher.

When the timer buzzes, Jacob turns to you, smug grin stretched across his face. He jerks his chin at the stunned worker, who reluctantly hands him the bear.

"Told you," he says.

You try not to look impressed. "Show-off."

"Say it again. Slower."

You roll your eyes but smile, hugging the bear. "You're carrying this, by the way."

"Obviously." He adjusts it over his shoulder like it's nothing. "Why'd you want this thing anyway?"

You shrug. "Kinda reminds me of you."

He gives you a side glance. "What, big and awkward?"

"Soft and annoying."

He huffs a quiet laugh. "Fair enough."

By the time you make it to the food area, Jacob's got a glowing LED necklace around his neck and you're sporting a light-up headband and a psychedelic scarf he won for you in some dart-throwing contest. He's showing off, clearly, and you let him. The smell of fried dough and sugar is practically magnetic, and your stomach growls so loudly Jacob raises an eyebrow.

"Hungry much?"

"Starving."

You both fall into a comfortable silence as you eye the concession stand. The line moves fast, the air thick with the sounds of batter sizzling and syrup being drizzled over funnel cakes. The murmur of nearby families-kids tugging on sleeves, parents negotiating over snacks-creates a cozy kind of background noise.

When it's your turn, you glance at the menu board, but you already know.

"Let's get an elephant ear."

Jacob's lips twitch into a small smile. "Haven't had one of those in years."

"Then we have to." You turn to him. "Split one?"

He hesitates, just for a second. There's something flickering behind his eyes, but then he nods. "Yeah. Sure."

You take the greasy paper plate from the vendor and bring it back to the bench, sitting side by side, thigh to thigh, like it's second nature. Powdered sugar clings to the air between you, catching the glow of string lights above.

"She used to give us five bucks," he says eventually, voice low. "Said it had to cover one ride and one snack, so we always picked this."

You glance at him. "Your mom?"

He nods once, then shrugs. "She'd always sneak us extra, though. Pretended she didn't."

You don't say anything. Just smile gently.

You sit together on a bench tucked just to the side of the stand, sharing the elephant ear like no time has passed. The sugar sticks to your fingertips and the warm dough melts on your tongue. Jacob pulls off a corner piece, his thumb brushing against yours for a second. You tear off a bite and chew slowly, savoring it.

He looks over, about to say something, and then pauses.

"You've got-" He reaches out and gently brushes the powdered sugar off your nose with the pad of his thumb.

You blink. "That obvious?"

"Blinding," he says dryly, but there's a softness in his eyes now.

"She used to wipe powdered sugar off my face too," he murmurs. "Always said I ate like a baby bear."

You smile, quiet. "You kind of still do."

He lets out a breath-half a chuckle, half something else-and leans back slightly, the moment stretching between you.

"Thanks for sharing," you say.

He looks at you like you've just said something far more important than that.

"Yeah," he says. "Anytime."

The remaining golden hour haze dips low over the fairgrounds, stretching shadows long and warm across the grass. Everything glows-soft amber dusted over cotton candy stands and glittering off the tops of ride canopies. The Ferris wheel lights flicker on one by one like tiny galaxies sparking into life.

Jacob stands and offers a hand. "What do you say? One more ride?"

You glance up at the Ferris wheel, your hand tightening slightly around the bear. "Only if you promise not to rock the cart."

"No promises."

You roll your eyes. "Fine. But if I die, I'm haunting you."

"I'll build you a little shrine in my garage. Right next to my toolbox."

He smiled-just a flicker-and stood. You gathered your loot with exaggerated effort, wrestling the oversized bear under one arm, your prize haul dangling from your wrists. He waited, steady and quiet, before you both turned toward the Ferris wheel, weaving through the soft-buzz quiet of the fairgrounds.

The crowd had thinned to a gentle hush. Most of the families were gone now, their sugar-high kids dozing in backseats, while the fair itself exhaled into twilight. Faint, dreamy music floated from the booths, that old-timey kind of tune that made everything feel slightly cinematic. The lights above you blinked softer now, more glow than glare, and it all felt slower, like time was giving you a moment.

By the time you reached the Ferris wheel, only a couple pairs stood ahead of you-couples leaned into each other in that quiet, familiar way that said the day had been shared, not just spent. You wondered for a second how you and Jacob looked from the outside. Old friends, maybe. Or maybe two people pretending not to fall into something that had been waiting.

When it was your turn, the ride operator barely glanced up-his bucket hat was pulled low, and his hoodie looked like it had survived too many summers. He waved you into the gondola with a tired gesture. You stepped in first and slid onto the cool metal bench, tucking the oversized stuffed bear between your legs. Jacob followed and settled onto the seat directly across, his knees brushing yours for the briefest moment before he leaned back. The gondola gave a small jolt as the wheel creaked back to life beneath you and slowly, the world began to fall away.

Below, the fair became a tilt-shift version of itself. The booths looked like dollhouses, the people like toys, voices blurring into a low, distant hum. A breeze stirred your hair and cooled your skin, and everything below felt small and far away.

"They look like ants," you said, peering over the edge. The structure gave a little creak, and you immediately flinched back. "This thing's got to be fifty years old."

Jacob gave you a sidelong look. "Why would you say that now?"

You grinned, unapologetic. "Just making conversation. But seriously-how sketchy is this thing?"

He shrugged, arms stretching out across the back of the seat, casual and broad-shouldered and smug. "It's fine. Probably. Structurally questionable, yeah, but it's survived this long. If anything goes wrong, I'll just jump us to safety."

You snorted. "Oh, great. Heroic and delusional. That's new."

The gondola rocked gently as the wheel moved again, taking you higher. You were almost at the top now. The sky had deepened into full navy, stars beginning to blink out from the velvet. Below you, the fair shimmered like a constellation of lights and motion. Distant laughter, golden bulbs, and the fading scent of kettle corn made it feel like you were watching someone else's dream.

Jacob went quiet. You glanced at him-and for a second, just watched.

The colored lights from the wheel rolled slowly over his face-blue, then pink, then soft gold. They lit the sharp curve of his cheekbone, the line of his jaw, the thoughtful set of his mouth. He looked older up here, or maybe just more real, like the version of him you'd always been moving toward.

He caught you staring.

You looked away, cheeks warming. "This, uh... this kinda feels like a date," you said lightly, trying to brush it off but meaning every word.

There was a pause. Not heavy. Just quiet.

Jacob leans further back, arms draped over the railing behind him. "That a bad thing?"

Your breath caught. "No," you said, softer now. "Not a bad thing."

The wheel turned again, dipping low before lifting you back into the sky. This time, it didn't stop. The operator wasn't even watching-just scrolling through his phone with his chair tilted dangerously far back.

"Guess we're getting bonus rounds," you murmured, settling deeper into your seat. The stuffed bear finally slumped forward between your knees, its oversized head lolling like it was trying to bow out of the moment.

Jacob glanced at it and smirked. "Even the bear knows it's third-wheeling."

You huffed a quiet laugh, nudging the bear's fuzzy snout with your toe. "He's trying to be respectful."

Jacob's eyes met yours again, softer this time. "Yeah. He gets it."

The breeze was stronger this high, catching at your hair and brushing cool across your cheek. Everything below faded to a hum. It felt like the world had hit pause, holding its breath just long enough for you both to hear your hearts beating. You looked down, fingers fiddling with the bear's plush paw in your lap. Then up at him again.

And then the words just fell.

"Have you ever been in love?"

You hadn't planned it. They just slipped out, raw and unguarded, landing between you like a match dropped in tall grass.

You winced. "Sorry. That was random. Never mind."

But Jacob wasn't laughing.

He was watching you.

"Yeah," he said quietly. "I am."

Your heart tripped.

You sat up straighter, your pulse thudding in your ears. "You-"

"I didn't mean to say it here," he interrupted gently. "Not in some squeaky gondola with a lopsided bear third-wheeling us, but I've known for a while."

You couldn't look away from him.

"I'm in love with you," he said again, slower this time, like he wanted each word to land. "I think I have been since before I understood what it was. You were always there-even when you weren't. And when you came back... everything made sense again."

Your throat tightened. The silence was full of stars and fairground lights and the sound of your heart catching in your chest.

"I didn't want to mess it up," he said, voice quieter now. "Didn't want to pull you into my world before I knew how to say it."

You watched him through the soft glow of the Ferris wheel lights. He looked steady, but there was a flicker of nervous energy in the way he sat-one knee drawn up, his hands loosely clasped in his lap.

He glanced down at the bear slouched between your legs like it had passed out from secondhand tension.

"But then I looked around." He gave a small, sheepish shrug. "We're a hundred feet in the air, on what might technically be our first date-chaperoned by this guy." He nodded at the bear, now slumped even lower like it was trying to disappear out of embarrassment. "And yeah, the view's mostly just overpriced funnel cake and busted string lights-but it's quiet. You're here. And somehow it feels exactly like us."

You smiled, heart pressing against your ribs. "You're not wrong."

You didn't think. You didn't have to. You leaned forward, and so did he-both of you bridging the space across the small gondola until your knees bumped, and your fingers brushed in the middle.

"I love you too," you whispered. Your smile trembled. "You idiot."

Jacob laughed-quiet, breathless. The sound wrapped around your chest like a hug. He turned his hand, palm up, and yours slid easily into it.

"Can I kiss you?" he asked, voice low.

Your nod was barely more than a breath. "Yeah. Please."

He moved slowly, crossing the space between you like the moment was something sacred. When his lips met yours, it was careful and full of everything he hadn't been able to say-warmth, certainty, the ache of time spent waiting. He tasted faintly of cotton candy and that cheap strawberry lip gloss you'd swiped on in the car mirror, not expecting this. Not tonight. But maybe you should have.

His hand came up to your cheek, thumb brushing your skin like he couldn't quite believe you were real. Like you were something breakable and golden and his.

You kissed him back like you meant it, like you always had.

When you pulled away-barely, just enough to rest your forehead against his-the sky behind him cracked open in a bloom of color. The fireworks.

You hadn't even noticed the countdown. But now the world outside the gondola was glowing-bursts of red, gold, green, silver-each one lighting up his face like something out of a dream.

You sat there, suspended above it all, heart pounding, breath tangled with his. And for the first time in forever, it didn't feel like you were falling.

It felt like you were finally caught.