THE BET

Carley looked out, past the height of the stalled ferris wheel. Beyond the rusted beams and flickering lights, the carnival buzzed with laughter, motion, and color. But up here, suspended high above the noise, all she could hear was her own breath—and the pounding of her heart.

Heights were the worst. At least, that's what she had always told herself. But now, stuck at the very top, that fear felt like a distant second to something else entirely: being inches away from Wade Harper.

She could smell his cologne—Old Spice. A scent etched deep into her childhood, worn by every man in her family. Familiar. Comforting, even. And now strangely out of place.

"Please open your eyes, Carley," Wade said softly.

She hadn’t realized they were closed. Her lashes fluttered as she opened them to meet his gaze. Brown eyes—steady, warm, concerned. Almost kind. Almost.

She looked away sharply, swallowing down the flutter in her chest. She reminded herself of the truth. The reason she was here. A bet. A stupid, juvenile wager between Wade and her boyfriend Tommy. She didn’t know the details, only that the prize had been her.

She gritted her teeth, embarrassment washing over her in a fresh wave of anger.

Then the ferris wheel jolted violently.

Their cart dropped a few feet with a mechanical groan, swinging hard enough to steal the breath from her lungs. Without thinking, she reached for him.

Wade caught her.

He wrapped his arm around her and held her steady, grounding her against his chest. Her fingers clenched his jacket. Her cheek pressed against him. And just like that, her fury dissolved into something quieter. Safer.

She didn’t speak. Neither did he.

In that moment, high above the world, something shifted. It wasn't just the metal beneath them. It was the realization that despite how they’d ended up here—despite the lies, the game, the boy who was supposed to care—she felt more seen in Wade’s silence than she had in months.

And for the first time in a long while, Carley could breathe.

Christina Wheat is currently studying Media Communications at Full Sail University. In her down time you can find her with her animals off grid getting lost in nature. Follow her on Instagram @bossgirl6956.