I let out a long sigh, wiping the sweat from my brow before I put my red baseball cap back on. My eyes are glued onto the monstrosity before David and I. As I hear people scream, I can feel the pit of my stomach drop, and I'm not even on the damn ride yet!

"Aw, what's wrong, Tristan?" David coos beside me, giving me an evil grin. "Scared?"

Was I scared? Hell yes I was scared! Before me was Dr. Diabolical's Cliffhanger. Opening in 2022, it was currently the world's steepest roller-coaster drop. The world's. Getting up to 60mph, you dropped 142 feet—the entire thing was only 150 feet tall. At that point I might as well be bungee jumping.

I shoot David a grin. "Only in your dreams. Let's go."

Trying not to show it, we wait anxiously in the long line. By the time we get to the front, I'm practically shaking. That was the thing with me and roller-coasters; I loved them, but the long lines always made me nearly chicken out every time. I try to focus on the story about a mad female scientist they're piping in over speakers for the ride, or on David. Even so I'm only half paying attention.

"Here, c'mere," David tells me, pulling out his cell.

I oblige. We take a quick selfie, cheeks pressed together, both grinning. He types something quickly, and then prompts me for another picture.

"Look scared this time," he says, so him and I make overly dramatic faces.

As the coaster seats pull up, he shows me his phone really quick. He had edited the first one with the caption, "Awaiting death..." while the second one simply read "☠️". That makes me laugh. I don't know to what site, but he had obviously posted it to some sort of social media.

I was never really into social media. I was too busy living life; rock climbing, canoeing, skydiving. I didn't have time for it. But at the same time it was nice knowing our pictures were saved there. I guess, capturing memories in time like that, could be compelling. In fact, I didn't think it was that stupid suddenly.

David and I chose to take the last seats. We were happy when the seat next to us remained empty. And as there was a click and a smooth jolt, and we started off on the track, I could feel my adrenaline rushing already. Everyone ahead of us chatted excitedly. David and I weren't any different.

"It just keeps going up!" he exclaimed at one point, laughing.

I shoot him a playful look."Aw, you scared?"

David flashes a grin that'd scare Lucifer. "Never."

"Well I am," I admit with a chuckle.

As we reach the top, and the front most carts start going down, and we hear people screaming, David smiles naturally at me. "Hold hands?"

"Yup," I say, clutching onto his hand.

I'm not sure if he even heard me though, because we're over the peak. We both scream, falling faster and faster. My hat, which I thought I had secured tight enough, goes flying off, and I laugh. All I can hear is screaming, and the whoosh of the wind in my ears and the clanking of the coaster, and David screaming next to me.

When we're done, we're both laughing and chattering excitedly. Him and I move off to the side, taking another selfie. Both of our hair's are sticking up all over the place. David edits the picture again and shows me. He drew an arrow to my head and wrote, "Lost hat! 🤣😭"

"Wanna go again?" I ask, even though my legs feel a bit wobbly.

"Are you nuts?" David asks me with a laugh.

I grin. "Maybe."

"I'll consider it after some lunch," he replies, heading off towards the end of the park where they sell food.

"I'm not going on that again if I have food in me," I say, following him.

"Fine," he tells me with a playful smile. Briefly he tugs on my hand, and then turns around so he's walking backwards. "We're not done here, though."

I grin. "Of course we're not."

We eat at one of the mini-restaurants. We order some crappy food and sit at one of the round tables. David ordered us a chocolate milkshake. While I know I wouldn't have problems in Amarillo, I'm rarely in this part of Texas. The thought of sharing a drink with another guy made me momentarily uneasy. At the same time, anyone who chose to pick a fight with me would regret it. So, grinning, I take a sip of the shake as he does, and we stare into each other's eyes.

When we're done, David speaks. His look is impish, and he bobs his straw up and down in the thick drink. "There's something about you."

I know I look confused, and I chuckle. "What?"

"You," he says again, spinning his right hand around in circles at me. "Just. You."

I raise an eyebrow. "What about me?"

To my sheer delight, David puts both of his elbows in the round table, and rests his chin in his hands. It's adorably childlike, and I feel suddenly endeared. The way he's looking at me, well...his eyes glint against the light, and he's looking at me with a sort of reverence.

"Are you a religious person, Tristan?"

I pause, mid-chew. I'm not, but I have to be pragmatic about this in case he is. So I set my burger down, wiping my hands until I've swallowed my food. My gut reaction is if he starts spewing religion at me I'll get up and leave, I swear.

"I don't suppose I am." I shrug. "No, not really."

David holds out both his hands, suddenly serious. "Give me your hands."

I laugh, and I can feel my brow furrow in confusion. "What?"

"Please."

Confused, I hold out my hands. He taken them into his own, gently caressing them. At first I'm confused, but then I realize he's scrutinizing my hands. I watch him look over both sides, and then he starts tracing his fingertips along my palms, sending shivers down my spine.

"Er, what're you doing there, David?"

"Sh."

So I shush until he speaks.

"You have fire hands," he tells me softly, almost sweetly. "Your heart line is strong, unwavering for the most part. You have a good head on your shoulders, logical and calculated, but also passionate, artistic." He flicks his eyes up at me for a moment. "Do you draw or paint?"

"No," I whisper, even though I'm not entirely sure why. "I—I dance."

"Ah, there we are," he says a bit smugly, and then looks back at my hands. "Your lifeline is strong, robust, deep." His finger lightly traced along my most defined line, and it gives me goosebumps. "It stops abruptly, three times, but then continues along its way."

I swallow as he continues speaking, feeling more nervous than a cat in a room full of rocking chairs. "It would seem you have already experienced two stops; the third shan't happen for years."

I laugh, because my mouth has suddenly gone dry. "Shan't? Are you going to break out a cane and top hat next?"

But he ignores me. When we lock eyes, I'm met with an intensity I've only experienced in one other person. I swallow thickly, nearly choking on something that isn't there.

"What happened, Tristan? There have been two cataclysmic events."

"Nothing," I stammered.

David is done doing whatever he was doing, interlacing our fingers together. The look on his face has nothing but sympathy. "Tristan."

I swallow a lump away in my throat, my eyes stinging. I shrug, hoping I'm masking my emotions. "Well... a few years ago someone close to me died, and more recently someone I loved almost died..."

David looks at me with a soft, sympathetic smile. I don't want his sympathy. I can't stand it. But he's just trying to be sweet, so I can't be angry. Not at him, anyway.

"Whenever you're ready," David tells me, giving my hand a gentle squeeze, "I'll be here to listen, alright?"

I force a smile, but fuck all if I'll ever tell him about Tyler and Orion. No; they stay close to my heart, forever.