MARRY YOUR KILLER
Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Ferris Wheel
---
The morning came bright and clear, the sun high over Manila, the city spread out below the house like a kingdom waiting to be explored. Keiran was up before anyone else, his feet pounding through the hallway, his voice high and fast as he knocked on every door.
"Wake up! Wake up! We're going to the amusement park! Kuya said we're going! Kuya promised!"
Jay opened her eyes. Keifer was beside her, his arm around her waist, his face buried in her hair. He was pretending to sleep. She could tell by the way his breathing was too steady, the way his hand tightened when she moved.
"Keifer," she said.
He didn't answer.
"Your brother is going to wake the whole house."
He pulled her closer. "Let him."
She turned in his arms. His eyes were open now, dark and warm, the morning light soft on his face.
"You promised," she said.
He kissed her forehead. "I promised."
---
The amusement park was on the edge of the city, old and bright, the Ferris wheel rising above everything like a promise. Keiran was out of the car before it stopped, his hand in Percy's, his voice lost in the noise of the crowd. Keigan followed, slower, his hands in his pockets, his face cold, but his eyes were on his brother, watching, always watching.
Ci N was already at the ticket booth, Felix beside him, his phone in his hand, recording everything. Aries was with them, their face calm, their hands in their pockets. Yuri was behind them, his red hair bright in the sun, his arms crossed, his face cold. But he was there. He was staying.
Jay stood at the entrance. Keifer was beside her. His hand was in hers.
"You promised," she said.
He kissed her cheek. "I promised."
---
The Ferris wheel was at the center of the park.
It was old, painted white and gold, the cars swinging gently in the wind. Keiran wanted to go. Percy wanted to go. Ci N wanted to film it. They lined up together, all of them, the whole family, the whole chaos, pushing and laughing and arguing about who would sit where.
Jay stood at the back of the line. Keifer was beside her. His hand was in hers.
"You're quiet," he said.
"I'm thinking."
He looked at her. "About what?"
She looked at the Ferris wheel. At the top, where the cars stopped, where the city spread out below, where people made wishes and promises and things they couldn't take back.
"There's a story," she said. "About this Ferris wheel. My mother told me when I was small."
He waited.
"She said that if you kiss someone at the highest point, you'll be together forever."
He looked at the Ferris wheel. At the top, where the cars were swinging, where the sky was wide and blue.
"Do you believe it?" he asked.
She looked at him. His face was close. His eyes were dark.
"I didn't use to," she said.
"And now?"
She squeezed his hand. "Now I'm not sure."
---
The car rose slowly.
The park fell away below them, the lights and the noise and the chaos. The city spread out beyond, wide and brown and endless. The sky was blue above them, the clouds white and slow.
Jay leaned against Keifer. His arm was around her. His hand was in hers.
"You're scared of heights," she said.
He looked at her. "I'm not scared of anything."
"You're scared of Ferris wheels."
He was quiet for a moment. "I'm scared of falling."
She looked at him. His face was close. His eyes were dark.
"I'm not going to let you fall," she said.
He kissed her forehead. "I know."
The car rose higher. The city was small below them. The sky was wide above them.
"The story," he said. "The Ferris wheel. Do you want to know what I think?"
She waited.
"I think it's not about the kiss," he said. "I think it's about the choice. About being at the highest point and deciding to stay. About looking at everything below you and choosing the person beside you."
She looked at him. His face was calm. His eyes were steady.
"You chose me," she said.
He took her face in his hands. His fingers were warm.
"I chose you," he said. "In the garden. In the hospital. In the warehouse. Every day. I choose you."
The car stopped. They were at the highest point. The city was below them. The sky was above them.
"Jay," he said.
She kissed him.
It was soft. Slow. A kiss that said everything they had been afraid to say. A kiss that promised nothing and everything. A kiss that was a choice and a vow and a wish all at once.
She pulled back. His face was close. His eyes were bright.
"Forever?" she asked.
He smiled. "Forever."
---
While Jay and Keifer were at the top of the Ferris wheel, the chaos below was just beginning.
Freya was standing at the cotton candy stall, her arms crossed, her face sharp. Erdix was beside her, silent, still, his hands in his pockets. They had been standing there for five minutes. Neither of them had said anything.
"You're following me," Freya said.
"I'm not following you."
"You've been following me all day."
Erdix's face didn't change. "I've been walking. You've been walking. Same direction."
Freya turned to face him. Her face was sharp. Her eyes were not.
"You're annoying," she said.
"I've been told."
She stared at him for a long moment. Then she grabbed the cotton candy from the stall. She shoved it at his chest.
"Eat," she said. "And stop following me."
She walked away. Erdix stood there, cotton candy in his hands, watching her go. He was almost smiling.
---
Rakki was at the ring toss, her arm around Ci N's shoulders, her voice loud.
"You're going to lose," she said.
Ci N looked at her. "I never lose."
"You always lose. You lost at the shooting game. You lost at the balloon game. You lost at—"
"I was saving my energy."
Rakki laughed. She pushed him toward the counter. "Throw the ring. Lose. Buy me a prize."
Ci N threw the ring. It missed. He threw another. It missed. He threw another. It missed.
Rakki was laughing so hard she couldn't stand.
"You're terrible," she said. "You're the worst. You're—"
Ci N picked up a ring. He put it on her finger. It was plastic. Pink. Too small.
"Now you have a prize," he said.
Rakki stared at the ring on her finger. Her face was red. Her mouth was open.
"You're an idiot," she said.
Ci N grinned. "I know."
She punched his arm. She walked away. She didn't take the ring off.
---
Mica was at the shooting game, her face focused, her hands steady. Calix was beside her, his voice loud, his hands waving.
"You're aiming too high," he said.
"I'm not aiming too high."
"You're aiming too high. You need to aim lower. Much lower. Like—"
"Calix."
"If you just let me show you—"
She handed him the gun. "Show me."
He took it. He aimed. He shot. He missed everything.
Mica looked at the score. Zero. She looked at him. Her face was calm. Her eyes were not.
"You aimed too high," she said.
He stared at the targets. "I aimed perfectly."
"You missed everything."
"The gun was broken."
She took the gun from his hand. She aimed. She shot. She hit every target.
She handed the gun back to him. She walked away.
Calix stood there, the gun in his hand, his mouth open. He followed her. He was always following her.
---
Care was at the bench, her medical bag at her feet, her face turned toward the Ferris wheel. Cole sat beside her. He had been sitting beside her for ten minutes. He hadn't said anything.
"You're quiet," she said.
"I'm observing."
She looked at him. "Observing what?"
He looked at her. His face was close. "You."
She stared at him. Her face didn't change.
"You're annoying," she said.
"I know."
"You're loud."
"I know."
"You follow me everywhere."
He smiled. "I know."
She looked at him for a long moment. Then she stood up. She walked toward the Ferris wheel. He followed.
She didn't tell him to stop.
---
Lyra was standing under the Ferris wheel, her arms crossed, her face blank. Alex was beside her, his voice loud, his hands waving.
"You're not scared of heights," he said.
"I'm not scared of anything."
"You're scared of the Ferris wheel."
She looked at him. "I'm not scared of the Ferris wheel."
"You're standing under it. You've been standing under it for ten minutes. You haven't moved."
She looked at the Ferris wheel. At the top, where Jay and Keifer were kissing. At the cars swinging in the wind.
"I'm waiting," she said.
He stepped closer. "For what?"
She looked at him. His face was close. His eyes were bright.
"For you to stop talking," she said.
He laughed. He took her hand. She didn't pull away.
---
Grace was at the food stall, her arms crossed, her face sharp. Denzel was beside her, his phone in his hand, his voice low. He was always on the phone. He was always working.
"You're working," Grace said.
He looked up. "I'm always working."
"At the amusement park."
He put his phone in his pocket. "I'm not working anymore."
She looked at him. "What are you doing?"
He looked at her. His face was calm. His eyes were not.
"I'm standing here," he said. "With you."
She stared at him for a long moment. Then she walked toward the Ferris wheel. He followed.
She didn't tell him to leave.
---
Mayo and Kit were at the bumper cars.
Kit was driving. Mayo was in the passenger seat. They were crashing into everyone. They were laughing. They were shouting. They were the loudest people in the park.
"You missed him!" Mayo shouted. "You missed him! He was right there! Right there!"
Kit turned the wheel. He crashed into Percy's car. Percy screamed. Aries was laughing. Yuri was watching.
Kit was grinning. "I didn't miss."
"You almost missed."
"I never miss."
Mayo looked at him. His face was close. "You always miss."
Kit crashed into another car. He looked at Mayo. His face was bright. His eyes were bright.
"I never miss," he said again.
Mayo stared at him. Then he laughed. He punched Kit's arm. Kit crashed into another car.
---
Keiran was running through the park, his voice high, his hands waving. Percy was chasing him, his voice louder, his arms open. Aries was watching, their face soft. Yuri was beside them, his arms crossed, his face cold, but his eyes were on Percy.
Ci N was filming everything. Felix was beside him, carrying the bags, his face calm.
Jay and Keifer stood at the center of it all. His hand was in hers. Her head was on his shoulder.
"They're all idiots," she said.
He kissed her hair. "They're our idiots."
She looked at the chaos around them. Freya and Erdix standing too close, pretending they weren't. Rakki and Ci N fighting over a plastic ring. Mica and Calix arguing about a game. Care and Cole sitting on a bench, not talking, not moving. Lyra and Alex under the Ferris wheel, her hand in his. Grace and Denzel walking together, not talking, not looking at each other. Mayo and Kit crashing into everything.
"They haven't figured it out yet," she said.
Keifer looked at his friends. His family. The people who had been through the war with them.
"They will," he said.
She looked at him. His face was close. His eyes were steady.
"How do you know?" she asked.
He kissed her. Soft. Slow.
"Because we did," he said.
---
END OF CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
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Did u guys get deja vu when jay said to keif that she wont let him fall