Chapter 108 He is so childish
Veronica's POV:
I had forgotten that it was possible to feel like this light, and unburdened by life's struggles.
The laughter bubbling out of me felt so unfamiliar, almost foreign, as if it belonged to a younger version of myself I had lost somewhere along the way.
For a brief moment… I was twelve again. Max did fulfill his promise by making me feel this way.
The merry-go-round slowed to a stop, and I stepped off, still smiling, my fingers brushing over the painted horse I had been riding as if I wasn’t quite ready to let go of that feeling yet.
“Is that all you’ve got?” Max shouted behind me, teasing me playfully. “Seriously, Just three rounds on a merry-go-round and you’re done having fun? ”
I turned to him, narrowing my eyes playfully at him, though the smile still lingered on my lips.
“Excuse me, that was not just three rounds,” I said, placing a hand on my hip. “That was a very important emotional reset.”
He laughed softly, shaking his head.
“Right. Very intense therapy session you had there.”
I rolled my eyes, but before I could respond, he pointed toward something behind me.
“How about that?” he said.
I followed his gaze. And immediately regretted it.
The entrance to the ghost den loomed a few feet away, which was dimly lit, with creepy decorations and a sign that flickered above it. Also, there was artificial fog curled around the entrance, and even from here we could hear the echo of fake screams that were happening there.
“No,” I said instantly, turning back to him.
Max raised an eyebrow. “No?”
“No,” I repeated, firmer this time. “Absolutely not. That is not for me.”
“Oh, come on,” he said, crossing his arms, clearly enjoying provoking me into this. “It’s fake. You can't be afraid of fake ghosts.”
“I know it’s fake,” I shot back, “but that doesn’t mean I have to go inside willingly.”
He leaned closer slightly now he was turning mischievous.
“What happened to being twelve again?” he teased. “ Or does that only apply to safe rides and cotton candy? You know what, if you want cotton candy, I'll buy it for you. "
I huffed, folding my arms.
“I am sentimental,” I said defensively. “And superstitious.”
“Superstitious?” he echoed, clearly entertained now.
“Yes,” I said, lifting my chin. “I believe there are forces beyond our control in this world. Not everything can be explained away logically.”
Max blinked at me for a second, then let out a short laugh.
“God,” he said, shaking his head. “You sound just like my lunatic, spiritual brother.”
The words hit harder than they should have.
The smile slipped from my face before I could stop it as my heart was reminded of Theo again. I could already see him in my mind so clearly.
The calm in his green eyes. The quiet way he understood things without needing them explained. The way he had stepped back… even when it hurt him. Even when it hurt me. My chest tightened.
Perhaps it might take me a while to forget him completely in that way, and soon I should see him only as my brother-in-law.
Max noticed the change in me. Of course, he did.
He always noticed.
And before he could say anything, before he could ask something I wasn’t ready to answer, I forced myself to move.
I stepped forward quickly, grabbing his wrist.
“I accept the challenge,” I said, a little too brightly. “Let’s do this.”
He blinked, clearly caught off guard.
“Wait... what?”
But I didn’t give him time to question it.
I pulled him along with me toward the entrance of the ghost den, ignoring the way my heart thudded... and strangely, it was not from fear of the ride, but from everything I was trying to push away.
“Veronica...”
“Come on,” I insisted, dragging him inside before he could say anything else.
The moment we stepped in, the dim light took us in completely.
The air was cooler now, carrying a faint smell of artificial smoke and dust.
The path twisted ahead of us which were lit by flickering bulbs that cast long, distorted shadows on the walls and on the ground.
A loud creak echoed somewhere, and then we heard a mechanical groan.
“See?” Max muttered beside me. “Totally terrifying.”
“Shut up,” I whispered, even though a nervous laugh slipped out of me.
A fake ghost figure suddenly dropped from above with a dramatic clang, its painted face twisted into something meant to be horrifying.
I jumped instinctively, gripping Max’s arm tighter.
“Wow,” he said dryly. “That almost got me. It looks scary...”
“Oh my God, you’re impossible,” I said, half laughing, half annoyed.
We moved further in, passing more ridiculous setups... paper skeletons dangling from strings, cartoon figures jerking awkwardly, and pre-recorded whispers playing from hidden speakers.
At some point, the fear I had felt at the entrance faded completely.
It was too fake. Too obvious. Not even close to the ones I used to visit when I was twelve.
And suddenly... I was laughing.
Max looked at me, surprised, and then he started laughing too.
We stumbled through the rest of it like that, brushing past each other, mocking the props, reacting dramatically just for fun, until we finally pushed through the exit curtains and stepped back into the warm glow of the carnival lights.
The contrast was almost blinding. I bent slightly, catching my breath, laughter still spilling out of me.
“That was… not scary at all,” I said between breaths.
“Shocking,” Max replied, grinning.
I looked at him then.
His hair was slightly messy; he looked so relaxed now.
He looked almost boyish.
He was so childish sometimes with his brother and even with me.
And somehow… that is very sweet of him.
My chest tightened again, but this time for a different reason.
I shouldn’t break his heart.
The thought came suddenly, quietly, but it settled deep inside me.
Because he didn’t deserve that. Not after everything he had done.
Not after the way he was trying... so hard... to make me smile again by bringing me here. He was making real efforts.
Before I could overthink it, before I could stop myself, I stepped closer to him.
His smile dropped slightly. “Veronica? Are you really okay with me? Just tell me the truth.”
He was so direct this time.
I didn’t answer. I just reached up and pressed my lips against his.
It was soft and gentle. A moment more than anything else.
But it was real. I was not faking it. For a second, everything else faded.
No media. No scandal. No past. No future.
Just this. Just us. We were having fun like little children.