Chapter 109 Roller coaster life
Veronica's POV:
It was dangerously easy to get lost in Max.
That was the first thought that crossed my mind as our lips met.
Max had a way of loving in an all-consuming way, it was visible in the way he gripped my waist tighter, his tongue went deeper into me deeper.
All of his gestures said that he was safe with him, he would protect me until the end of the world.
Knowing all this, but even as I kissed him back, even as I tried to feel what I was supposed to feel, my mind kept drifting to green eyes instead of blue.
My phone buzzed in my pocket, breaking the moment.
"Sorry," I murmured against Max's lips, partly thanking my buzzing phone as I pulled back slightly. "Let me just check..."
"It can wait," Max said, trying to pull me back in.
But something made me look. Some instinct that this wasn't just another news alert or social media notification.
I pulled out my phone and felt my blood run cold.
Unknown Number: You think Laura is your problem. You must know about your father.
I stared at the screen, my heart suddenly pounding. Who could be sending me this? Out of all the chaos, all the exposed secrets, what else could there possibly be?
"Everything okay?" Max asked, noticing my expression had changed.
"I..." I started, but my phone buzzed again before I could form a response.
Unknown Number: Say this to anyone else, and you will never find out the truth.
I wanted to slam my head against a wall. Who the hell was this anonymous sender? What truth were they talking about?
I should tell Max. Should show him these messages immediately.
We were supposed to be partners now, facing everything together. But something stopped me.
I looked around suspiciously, scanning the carnival crowd. Was someone watching me? Taking pictures? Tracking my movements?
The anonymous sender knew I was there, knew to message me at that exact moment.
Which meant they were either following me or had access to my location somehow.
The thought made my skin crawl.
"Veronica?" Max's voice was concerned now. "What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."
"Nothing," I said quickly, shoving my phone back in my pocket. "Just... more social media notifications. People are still commenting on the confession video."
The lie tasted bitter, but I couldn't tell him. Not with that threat hanging over me. Not when I didn't know who was watching or what they knew.
"Forget them," Max said firmly, taking my hand. "Today is about us, remember? No outside world allowed."
"You're right," I said, forcing a smile. "Let's do the roller coaster. The big one."
Max raised his eyebrows. "Are you sure? That thing looks intense."
"Are you afraid?" I challenged.
"Me? Never. But I didn't think you..."
"My entire life is a roller coaster right now," I said, the truth of it making me laugh slightly hysterically. "Might as well embrace the metaphor."
We made our way to the line for the biggest, fastest roller coaster in the park... The Cyclone. The kind that did multiple loops and barrel rolls, that made people scream and throw up and question their life choices.
Perfect.
As we climbed into the seats and the safety bar came down, I felt Max take my hand.
"Last chance to back out," he said.
"Not a chance," I replied.
The coaster started with a slow climb, that agonizing ascent where you have time to think about what you're doing, to reconsider, to panic.
But I didn't panic. I just held Max's hand and stared at the sky getting closer, and when we hit the peak and plummeted down, I screamed.
Not from fear of the ride. It felt like a release. All the tension, all the stress, all the impossible choices and secrets and lies... it all came pouring out in that scream as we dropped and spun and looped through the air.
Max was screaming too, laughing and screaming at the same time, and when we hit another drop, I found myself laughing with him.
It felt like something breaking open inside me.
Maybe it was the adrenaline. Maybe it was the sheer absurdity of riding a roller coaster while my life was falling apart.
But the truth was that I've been feeling guilt and anxiety for so long. It was a relief to feel something else.
But by the time the ride ended, and we stumbled off on shaky legs, I felt... better. Lighter. Solid enough to face whatever comes next.
"That was insane!" Max said, his hair completely disheveled, his eyes bright with adrenaline. "I swear we almost flew off that last loop!"
"Again?" I suggested, grinning.
"You're crazy," he said, but he was smiling. "But yeah, let's go again."
"Actually," I said, "maybe after some more cotton candy? I think my stomach needs a break."
"Good idea. I'll go grab some. You want to find us a bench?"
"Perfect."
Max headed toward the cotton candy stand, and I watched him go, feeling that familiar guilt creep back in.
He was so good to me. So dedicated.
And here I was, lying to him about mysterious text messages, kissing him while thinking about his brother.
But I swear that we were being followed at this point. Something wasn't landing well here. The timing of this random text was not a coincidence.
It was better if Max acted like he hadn't known anything about it for a while.
Once he was out of sight, I pulled out my phone with trembling fingers.
What if this person was dangerous? This could be anybody!
But I remembered how I had already been held hostage for hours by Laura. It could be her too, in anonymous number. Or it could be Chase.
Apart from that, do I have any hidden rival who wants to bring me down?
The only way I can know is by texting.
Then I typed quickly: Who are you? What do you know about my family?
The response came almost immediately, like they'd been waiting for me to reach out.
Unknown Number: Awww... dear, my truth comes with a price.
What kind of price?