Amaryllis tugged him along, feeling his grip on her hand tighten in response as the two wandered off from the fortune booth. It was best to put that old woman and her crazy fortunes behind them. Rhys offered her one of his dazzling smiles, and she knew just from that he was feeling better. It was reassuring to see him smile. It let her know everything was going okay for him. She was good at reading people, and for the most part his smiles were always genuine. It was a pleasant relief from the forced smiles she was used to people sending her way.

The two continued on through the crowds, Amaryllis eying several attractions in mild interest but failing to point them out. She was waiting for Rhys to bring up their next target on the date agenda, but he seemed mildly quiet for the most part. At least it wasn’t an awkward silence, but more of a pleasant, comforting quiet. It was something Amaryllis was used to, as she wasn’t the naturally talkative type. Perhaps Rhys thought she’d be more comfortable in silence, and it wasn’t as if she were objecting to it, but it seemed odd without him chatting away as he normally did. Maybe he was still upset about the fortune. She hoped not.

A sign with the words ‘Tunnel of Love’ came into view, and the two neared it in silence with questioning stares. Amaryllis had never been to this side of the carnival, unsure what a tunnel of love even meant. Was it required to be in love to proceed? Did one become in love after the ride? Did that mean magic was used? She tilted her head at the thought, her long strands of violet hair falling over her shoulder and down her back.

Suddenly someone shoved the two forward, forcing Amaryllis to snap her head back and glare heatedly at those responsible. About to make a snide remark, she felt her body lifted and tossed into a nearby boat as if she were as light as a pillow, forcing her to stumble in the boat and catch herself.

“What the hell,” she snapped, feeling furious at the situation. The boat proceeded to carry the two through the tunnel, but not before Amaryllis made a sweeping gesture with her arm, creating a violent wind out of nowhere that pushed the men that pushed her in the boat into the cold water. She tilted her chin up in the air, satisfied with their surprised looks and shouts of complaint, before turning her attention to the tunnel, seeing them slowly being enveloped in darkness. She wisely took a seat beside Rhys to avoid falling overboard, mumbling out loud, “What is this, anyway?”

Amaryllis blinked her eyes, adjusting to the dim lights and the darkness of the tunnel. She’d never been on a boat ride before, let alone a boat to begin with. Most of her childhood was spent indoors under the strain of her mother’s abuse, although there were moments where she would watch boats and planes and trains on the television and wonder what it was like to be in a vehicle besides a car. Her sister was particularly fascinated with trains, owning her own train set and having Amaryllis help set up the parts. She remembered promising her sister they would ride on a train one day, waving their goodbyes to the strangers of the station like they did in the movies.

Rhys answered her question suddenly, interrupting her thoughts as she glanced over at him. So this was a ride for couples? Are they breaking an endless tradition of couples by coming into the tunnel and not being a couple themselves? She frowned at the thought, rubbing her chin in wonder at her questions.

Her eyes trailed over to him as a new question formed in her mind, asking nonchalantly, “Is kissing a prerequisite for a date?” She really should’ve done her research better, tsking herself for not doing so. All she nailed down was the outfit so far, the rest she was completely clueless to. She flattened out any wrinkles in her dress at the thought, brushing her bangs aside as she did so.

Amaryllis’ attention drifted away from her date and toward the mirage of colors around them, admiring the beautiful shades dancing along the walls of the tunnel in silence. She wondered if every boat ride was like this, or only certain ones. Were only couples allowed to ride boats? She could’ve sworn she’d seen singles lingering about when she watched passengers on the TV.

“You know… you really do look lovely.”

She turned back toward him at the sound of his voice, blinking in surprise. The hint of a smile crossed her features, barely visible in the darkness. He had one of his charming smiles directed at her, and she felt herself at a loss for words, staring deeply into his red eyes. “What a cheesy line,” she teased, feeling the mood lighten a touch at her words.

Rhys had yet to answer her question as the silence lingered on between the two, and Amaryllis chose to drop the subject. Maybe he didn’t want to talk about kissing. Maybe it was too personal. Maybe he had a bad experience with it in the past. Whatever the reason, it didn’t concern her all that much. He was in charge of this date, so he would ultimately decide what happened. She was here to learn, and as long as the request wasn’t too unreasonable, she would follow his lead.

He proceeded to squeeze her hand, and her eyes returned to his face questioningly. Navy stared into red, and she wondered what it was he was thinking at that moment. Rhys seemed awfully concentrated on something, staring back at her intently and with purpose. She tilted her head to the side, trying to figure him out but failing to do so. He was a mystery to her. The two were so different in personalities, yet throughout this date they found common ground together. It was an accomplishment for her, as most people tended to avoid her at all costs due to her introverted and sometimes violent nature.

Not Rhys, though.

If anything, he seemed attracted to her cold and standoffish nature, meeting her resistance at every turn with his charming grin and optimistic personality. She inwardly wondered how he managed to get this far with her. Was it his persistence? His charisma? His charm? Amaryllis gave a light snort at the thought.

His gaze continued to linger on her, and she chose to make a comment at this point. “Is there…something on my face?” she asked quietly, raising a hand to her cheek. Maybe he was being polite and trying to signal to her she still had food crumbs from earlier. Or maybe there was dirt smeared on her cheek from the dirty rides. Amaryllis stared at him questioningly, her hand still in his, waiting patiently for a response.

Amaryllis could see her reflection in his eyes, staring back as she waited for a response. Something. Anything. The silence was deafening. Normally she liked the quiet – thrived in it, even – but around him, it was strange. Rhys was always chatty and charming, and if he wasn’t then the whole world felt off. She knew she was being dramatic at this point, but the fact remained her company wasn’t being responsive, making their date fall into an awkward silence.

And then he spoke.

Rhys implied that there was, in fact, something on her face. Her free hand rubbed her cheek in response and, before she could ask where, his lips crashed on hers. Amaryllis widened her eyes, her body going ridged in surprise. Her fingers curled around his in their intertwined hands as her eyes gradually fluttered close, leaning into the kiss. Her first kiss ever. And with Rhys, of all people. She did not expect this turn of events. She wondered if her lips were as soft as his, enjoying the feel of his mouth against hers.

He pulled away after a few moments and she blinked her eyes open once more, staring at him in curiosity. Their faces were still close together, but Amaryllis didn’t pull back. “Was that…okay?” she breathed, wondering his opinion. Wondering if he felt as lightheaded as she did at that moment. His hand felt warm in her own, and her heart thumped in her chest erratically. She wasn’t sure what this feeling was; it made her feel tingly and excited and alive.

If kissing Rhys made her feel this way, maybe she’d have to do it more often.