Chapter 79


    I bit my lip, feeling a bit sheepish. “Maybe just a little?”


    He extended his hand, his touch warm and reassuring as I tentatively ced mine in his. His grip


    was steady as he guided me forward, his movements deliberate and patient. It was surprisingly


    comforting, and I found myself focusing on the feel of his hand in mine rather than the skating itself.


    My breath was getting a bit morebored, but I wasn’t so sure that it was from the skating. I could


    feel my hand growing embarrassingly sweaty in his grasp, but I knew pulling away would only result


    in me crashing to the floor.


    With Timothy’s guidance, I felt a bit steadier on my feet. His touch was firm yet. gentle, and I


    focused on his voice as he offered tips and encouragement.


    “You’re doing great, Evie. Just rx and let the skates do the work.”


    His words were oddly soothing, and I found myself growing morefortable with each step. My


    initial embarrassment began to fade, reced by a determination to master this newfound skill.


    As we glided together, I couldn’t help but steal asional nces at Timothy, his chestnut hair


    ruffled by the breeze, his hazel eyes warm and encouraging. The proximity between us sent a rush


    of warmth through me, and I felt a familiar blush creeping onto my cheeks.


    It was like my body had be hypersensitive in his presence. The material of my shirt felt


    constrictive, rubbing against my hardening nipples as the cool breeze and Timothy’s hot touch


    conflicted with one another. I swallowed hard, growing more breathless by the minute. “See, you’re


    a natural,” Timothy said, his voice. breaking my daze. Evidently, I’d managed to skate a short


    distance without stumbling.


    I cleared my throat, which felt painfully dry. “Maybe I’m getting the hang of it.”


    After what felt like an eternity, but was likely only a short while, my body had begun to cool and the


    tension in my muscles had loosened. I could eventually skate with ease by Timothy’s side, but I


    would asionally snatch his shirt sleeve. between my fingers when I felt myself slipping.


    “You’re doing great, Evie,” Aria encouraged, already a few paces ahead of us. “Just


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    take it one step at a time.”


    “I think I’m getting the hang of this,” I said proudly.


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    Timothy’s smile widened, his hazel eyes locking onto mine. “See? I knew you could do it.”


    By the tenthp, my legs were trembling but still intact. Aria’s excited cheer echoed through the air


    as we made our way off the rink, and I couldn’t help but beam with a sense of aplishment.


    “Let’s grab some food,” Aria suggested, already kicking off her skates.


    “Great idea. I’m starved!” Timothy called after her, taking my arm to gently guide me to one of the


    closest seats.


    As we removed our skates and made our way to the counters for some much- needed sustenance,


    I found myself walking beside Timothy, the warmth of his presence sending a shiver down my


    spine.


    Aria ordered a mountain of nachos for us to share. Timothy settled on some fries. and buffalo wings.


    We took our trays to one of the tables and dug in, barelying up for air.


    “This kind of skating always makes me feel like a kid again,” Timothy mused, waving a french fry in


    the air. “It’s nice to let loose.”


    I nodded in agreement, watching as the thick cheese dripped from my nacho chip. “I can imagine.


    It’s like this little escape from all the responsibilities of life.”


    He chuckled, his gaze meeting mine. “Exactly. Not gonna lie, adulthood kind of stinks.”


    Aria cackled. “Oh, you have no idea how right you are, Timothy. Evie is practically a workaholic.”


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    I rolled my eyes yfully, sticking my tongue out at Aria. “Not entirely true.”


    Timothy’s eyes danced with amusement as he regarded me. “Well, a little break every now and then


    can do wonders. Speaking of breaks, I think I see an arcade over there.”


    After finishing our food, we ventured into the arcade area, the vibrant lights and


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    sounds of nostalgic games surrounding us. We tried our hand at various games, challenging each


    other and reveling in the lightheartedpetition. The atmosphere was infectious, and I couldn’t


    help but feel a sense of contentment.


    As Aria drifted toward the coin–eating w games, Timothy and I ducked into one of the game


    cabs for a zombie shooting simtor. After shutting the curtains, we struggled to find the coin


    dispensers in the darkness. Our hands would asionally tangle together, sending a spark of


    energy up my arm.


    The dark intimacy of the room only made me more aware of the little space between us. Squeezed


    together on that tiny little bench, we couldn’t help but bump our thighs and graze against each


    other’s warm skin. I found myself holding on to his wrist, feeling his rapid heartbeat just beneath my


    thumb.


    Perhaps he was just as flustered as I was?


    When the gamemenced, I was alreadyughing at how clumsily he was handling the game. He


    would consistently miss the targets or shoot our allies, costing us points.


    “I’m a little out of practice,” he said, although the disimer wasn’t needed by that point. Granted, I


    wasn’t exactly skilled myself.


    Eventually, we both ran out of lives. We watched as the timer ticked down for us to reinsert our


    coins, but neither of us made a move to do so. I looked over at Timothy, gaging the shift in his


    mood.


    His gaze had turned slightly distant, his fingers tapping absently on the gun’s trigger. “I can’t recall


    any other year where I’veughed this much,” he said softly.


    I frowned, setting my gun back on the holder before


    back on the holder before turning to him.


    He shook his head, his expression growing more strained. “This is probably the most child–like I’ve


    ever felt.”


    Curiosity piqued, I nced at him, sensing a hint of vulnerability beneath hist words. “What was


    your childhood like?”


    Timothy’s smile faded, his eyes clouded with a mixture of memories. “It


    wasplicated. My father had high expectations, and fun wasn’t exactly part of the equation.”


    I nodded, understanding the weight of his words. “It sounds like you had a lot on


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    your te.” He shrugged, a rueful smile tugging at his lips. “It’s all in the past now. Wanna try


    another game?”


    I nodded, but a part of me wanted to know more, to delve deeper into his past. As we stepped out of


    the booth, I added quickly, “It must have been tough, though.”


    Timothy’s gaze met mine, albeit with a little less enthusiasm than before. “We all have our struggles,


    Evie. What matters is how we move forward.”


    There was a heaviness in his words, a weight that hinted at theplexities of his experiences. I


    wanted to press further, to offer a listening ear, but Timothy’s guard seemed to have gone back up.


    “Yeah, I guess you’re right,” I said quietly, following his lead to the other end of the arcade. The


    tension still remained, although I could see he was trying his best to hide it. Theughter and light–


    hearted stories continued, fortunately. Still, Timothy’s past remained a mystery, a puzzle I was


    eager to solve, but for now, I was content with the simple joy of being in hispany.


    What was he hiding?


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