A Slow Burning Fire (21 page)

He shrugged. “Not a big deal. A lot of people don't.”

“But you don't seem to mind. Then again, I can't think of much that scares you,” she said. “You've been skydiving, deep-cave exploring, and ghost hunting. You're the most fearless person I've ever met.”

“Stuff scares me,” he said, his voice growing soft. “It's just the kind of stuff that's more personal. Danger isn't scary because it's so… objective.”

Both of Arial's eyebrows rose with curiosity. “Go on.”

He slowly scratched his chin. “When you jump out of an airplane, the worst thing that can happen is your parachute doesn't work and you splatter on the ground. It's straight and to the point. When you risk something you're invested in, however, like, say, your song, it’s different. We sing it tonight, and you have this personal attachment to the project. Your inner soul is going to be displayed for everyone. People are going to love it, or hate it, based on subjective opinions. Love you or hate you for the same reasons. That's scarier to me. Probably because there's not logic behind it, or solid facts to base the outcome. It's unpredictable and hard to control.”

“You're afraid of people not liking you. Is that what you're saying?” The confession floored her. Bryce did not strike her as the type to care much about what anyone thought of him. He marched to his drum, did what he could to be the best person he could be to everyone he met, and for the most part seemed to breeze through life with an enviable grace. The real question on her mind was: Why was he telling her all of this in the first place?

Bryce never answered her, but his lack of talking only confirmed her theory. They rode in silence, and both stared out in front of them at the scenery. The day was gorgeous and perfect. Hardly a cloud was in the sky, and the air was warm without being overly humid. The sun shone high above them. They made one more circle around the Ferris wheel before slowing to a stop at the top.

Instinctively, Arial closed her eyes. Now that they weren't moving, she was much more aware of how far off the ground they were, despite the wheel itself not being any higher than thirty-some feet. It looked a lot taller, though. To her, they might as well have been on top of a skyscraper.

Ever so gently, Bryce touched her face, snapping her out of her fear momentarily. He took one of her hands in his own. “Keep them open,” he whispered. “This is the best part.”

“No.” She shook her head. “It is definitely not.”

“Arial…” He continued to speak in a soft, tender tone. “Have you ever
seen
where you're from? Look at how beautiful it is.”

She gazed out in front of her and found her body going closer to his. After all, he was strong, and if anyone could save her from falling to her doom, it would be him. “All I see is some dizzying concrete.” Why did she have to inherit her mother's vertigo?

With a soft laugh, Bryce tilted her face so she was no longer looking down, but straight ahead. “I see a town, oozing with charm and class, and if you look this way…” He turned her face to the right and toward the park. “I see trees more free than anything I've ever seen. And to the left? There's the beginning of open space. A place that hasn't been completely claimed by the human world. I feel like I've stepped out of some kind of time machine. When you're up here, you see a lot of things you've never noticed before.”

Taking in a deep breath, Arial strained to notice the things he did, to look at her home in a new light. He was clearly enamored of the place, and as she took in all of the things he pointed out, she did see a spark of that magic he spoke of. But he didn't need to show her all of these things for her to believe in it. She was doing it all on her own just by being near him and her family, by losing herself in the slower pace of life, and, in doing so, finding herself again.

“This is all a dream,” she whispered. “And I'm not sure if I'm ready to wake again.”

He gave her a small smile, holding her steady as they slowly made their way down the wheel again. One bucket at a time was emptied of its passengers, and soon it was their turn. Bryce leaned down to her ear and said in a low voice, “Thank you for humoring me. When I'm in a new place, I like to see it from as many angles as possible. Sharing that with you, sharing everything we talked about up there, I don't think I need to explain how that's not something I normally do, is it?”

Arial nodded, understanding. They had plenty of deep talks, but there was something different about this moment. Perhaps because he had volunteered so much of himself so randomly. Usually things naturally progressed in that direction. What struck her even more, however, was the sense that Bryce was trying to prove something to her. But what? Why couldn't he be straightforward with whatever point he was trying to make?

“Any other rides you want to go on? Or should we head straight for the mini-donuts?” He beamed at her, taking one her of hands in his own and leading her away from the Ferris wheel and deeper into the maze of rides and attractions of the fair.

Looking up at him, she took in the pure delight in his eyes. If only she could understand what was making him so happy right then… maybe she'd have an idea what to do next. With some hesitation, she tightened her grip on his hand.

“Mini-donuts,” she said. “I never did trust these old rides much. That, and none of them seem any too slow-paced.”

“I know. I noticed they all spin or zip around. Fun, but I don't want to mess around with my equilibrium too much before we go on stage.” He smirked. “Not going to lie, I'm a little disappointed there's no Tunnel of Love. I've always wanted to see what those things are all about.”

Once again, her cheeks grew hot. “Another fair, another time.”
But hopefully not with another girl.

Chapter Eighteen

Bryce eyed Arial from across the fair. She had waited in line to get them both some bottled water while he had gone to use the bathroom. On his way back, however, he couldn't resist making one more stop. When her back was turned, he crept up behind her, hiding his big surprise as he moved closer. Then he hugged her tightly to him with one arm, lifting her up off the ground as he did so.

She squealed and squirmed under his grasp. “Bryce! You scared me!”

Laughing, he pulled out the medium-sized purple teddy bear he had won off the dime slide. “Now you can't say you've never had anyone get you a prize.”

Hugging the bear close to her, she hid her face in its soft, fluffy, fake fur. “That was sweet of you. Thank you.” She paused and handed him a bottle. “Anything else you need before we get ready to go onstage?”

“No, this should be good,” he said with a confident smile. “You?”

She shook her head, the bear still gripped tightly against her. “I think I'm set. I just wasn't sure if you were one of those people who had some kind of weird dressing room quirks.”

“Like how some people ask for their living room furniture to be moved inside after a concert?” he asked.

“Right.”

“Can't say that I do. Then again, I haven't done a public show since my pre-fame days. With such short notice, however, I think I can keep whatever diva tendencies I might have at bay.” He winked.

Arial snorted. “I'd smack you if you decided you wanted to go diva right now.”

Once again, he wrapped his arms around her in a hug, a gentler one. “Which is one of the reasons you're my best friend, and why I love you.”

“I do what I can.” Her voice was quieter, and he wondered if she’d caught on to his wording. Bryce had been as careful as possible with his words. There would be no communication blunders today. Before the two of them went home, she would know exactly how he felt and then some.

Bryce glanced at the backstage area where the two of them were supposed to start setting up for the show. A handful of photographers and news reporters were there, waiting for the big story and hoping for interviews. He didn't mind talking to them, but it would be the first time he'd ever done so without the aid of his publicist. She always had the best words to give him, to make him sound smart and interesting. The words he'd be using now were all his own, but hopefully they wouldn't ask him anything that would cause him to stumble.

He took in a deep breath. “Well, let's get this started, shall we? We don't go on first, but we should at least do some talking before the whole thing begins.”

She chewed on her lower lip, so he got a feeling she wasn't too sure whether she approved of his plan or not. Then again, she hadn’t done as well with the paparazzi back in California. He’d noticed how much she had stumbled with her words and stumbled in general. They’d liked to pick on her clumsy, sometimes nervous behaviors. Of course, that was about all they could tease her about outside of her lack of a love life. No one had ever flat-out insulted her for being so pure, however, because deep down, he believed even the paparazzi realized how difficult and noble it was for her to maintain. How could they fault her for wanting to take care of her heart? It was the one thing everyone coveted the most.

Essentially, the media had grasped at straws for ways to bring her down. They were far nicer to him, of course, but men tended to get it a lot easier, he'd noticed. If he got any grief, it was when he had been with Katie, and she’d sometimes done things that embarrassed even him. Panty-less dress nights, drunken parties at the club, and other scandalous behavior that had always left him on edge. He'd always attributed it to her need to unwind and let loose. He'd have preferred she did it in his arms, but it all factored into how blind and stupid he'd been.
Even the paps knew. That's just…
sad.
He would not be making the same mistake twice.

There would be rumors and speculation by the media. If they weren't making something up, then the apocalypse would be at hand. All Bryce had to do was keep his love for Arial strong and make sure there was no doubt in her mind about how deeply he cared for her. Everyone else could think whatever they wanted. She was the only one whose opinion mattered. The moment he made her insecure with his actions was when he failed. He refused to fail again.

As the two made their way behind the stage, he noticed how much Arial clung to his side, as if she needed his protection. He liked it, but he didn't like the fact that she was so afraid of the cameras. That wasn't like her.
We've both changed in a lot of ways.
His guard was up, too, but for other reasons. Ohio had made him vulnerable and human again. Hopefully she felt the same way, if only because then she would be open to seeing the truth inside of his heart.

“I don't know if I can talk to them,” she whispered. “I have no idea what to say and —”

“Don't worry about it,” he said and nudged her forehead with his own. He wanted to kiss her, to show her everything was going to be fine, but didn't think that was a boundary he could cross quite yet. She didn't need the added pressure right before such a pivotal moment in her career.

She exhaled slowly. “I am going to worry until this whole thing is over and done with.”

“Well, don't.” He winked. “Because I have the whole thing under control. Trust me and follow my lead. Only look at me. The two of us are all that matters. Forget about what everyone else thinks. We're going to do this for you, for us. Okay? This isn't about them. They're just lucky enough to witness it.”

There was doubt in her gaze when he stared into her eyes. Doubt, but a small hopeful glimmer as well, like somewhere deep down inside she wanted to believe him. He couldn't let her down.

Taking in a deep, confident breath, he walked faster. “Come on.”

A light flashed in front of his face, catching him off guard. He had to stop walking for a moment to regain his bearings before moving forward again. Putting on his best smile, Bryce waved for them to calm down and follow him off to the side and away from all of the townsfolk having a good time at the fair. He didn't want to be a distraction.

****

“Wow, I'm flattered you all came out this way for the show,” Bryce said. He spoke with flawless charm, and Arial envied his ability to push his nerves aside so easily.

“Bryce, can you tell us why you're here? Are you and Arial Oakley an item? How do you feel about the recent developments of your ex-girlfriend Katie Daniels’s love life?” One reporter got straight to business. They were clearly from California with their designer clothes and sunglasses. The lack of an accent was another dead giveaway, along with the lack of manners.

She watched as Bryce's eyes darkened a bit, though his smile never faded. “I'm here because I wanted to enjoy my free time with some peace and quiet, as well as try some new things. But we can talk all about my farm adventures at another time, along with my personal life. The reason we're doing this show isn't about me. It's about the town and thanking them for being so hospitable to me, welcoming me in like this was my own home. It's also a test run for Arial's music.”

Her face was growing hot. He just had to mention her music. The rumors of her writing an album were circulating around. She'd fanned the flames of a few of them herself, but being so blunt about it wasn't her style — especially since she didn't have a signed contract just yet. The cameras took pictures of her, and she forced a smile, trying to be as poised and confident as he was.

One of the local reporters spoke next. “Are you going to be performing one of your own songs, Arial? What is it like to be back home again after so long? Have you been here for awhile? Does it feel any different than when you first left?”

“I am,” she said, then paused to take a deep breath.
Be natural. Show them you're real.
“I mean, I am goin' to be performing an original song I wrote awhile back. I hope you'll enjoy it. This is a big step for me. Bein' back home again has been…” She paused again, searching for the right words to adequately showcase the truth in her heart. “It's been eye-opening. I was last here only a few years ago, but I haven't actually returned home since I left as a child, until a month-and-a-half ago. Bein' back this time around has been one of the most freein' experiences I've ever had in my entire life. I'm happy to relive all of the fondness I had as a child.”