Trembling With the Strings

I screamed, running away from the fence when I felt something slimy slid down my cheek. Darius laughed, trying to promise me that it was okay. I couldn’t take him seriously when he was laughing at my discomfort.

“I want to go home!” I cried, tears streaming down my cheeks.

“Why? Because a little giraffe licked you?” he asked, this stupid look on his face.

“No! Because I’m scared!” I choked, trembling. Mothers were practically dangling their children over the beasts. “I want to leave!”

“Baby, they’re not going to hurt you,” he murmured, no longer laughing. I just kept crying. “I promise they won’t. Why are you scared?”

“I don’t know, but… I can handle dogs and horses, maybe a squirrel. But this is just too much! Please, just let me go home,” I begged, clutching his shirt as the giraffe stared me down through soul-searching, beady eyes. “I’m not having fun!”

“You will if you just give it a chance. I get that you’ve never seen them before, but they’re in a cage. You’re perfectly safe. Be brave. Baby, don’t you want to be brave for me?” I shook my head. “I’m here to protect you, remember? I won’t let anything happen to you. Not a thing. Don’t you trust me?”

I made a face, but nodded nonetheless, sobbing as he wiped the tears from my face. I think someone once said that “it is fear that we fear, and nothing more.” Now, I didn’t think that was quite true, for I feared a giant creature licking my face! Darius said that they were in cages, but it could easily bite me!

“I want to hear you say it, because I’m not buying it,” he mumbled, the saddest look in his eyes. I frowned.

“I trust you,” I murmured, looking past him and at the giraffe, which was eying me hungrily. I shuddered, pointing. “I just don’t trust that.”

“My brave little Gracie.” He kissed me chastely. “You know, I brought you here hoping that we could look past the whole engagement thing (be friends, you know?), but I don’t think that’s possible.” I gave him a funny look, but he silently pleaded for silence. “Dante told me that Cam and him are friends, not just lovebirds. I thought that might help our… situation. But I can’t think about friendship when I’m around you,” he mumbled, kissing me again.

“What do you mean ‘our situation,’ Dray?” I asked him, entirely confused. I wasn’t aware that we had any problems.

“We keep fighting,” he muttered quietly, making a face. “And I hate it. I love you, but I hate it. I just want things to be perfect; no screaming.”

“And you thought feeding me to a long-necked freak would help how?” I asked sarcastically, making a face. “Oh, God. I’m doing it again, aren’t I?”

“I didn’t say it was your fault,” he told me, wrapping an arm around my waist. “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. We can go home and spend the rest of the day alone, if you want,” he purred in my ear, kissing my neck.

I thought for a moment. “No. You loved coming here with Marcy and Anne. I want to do this.” I grabbed his free hand. “Just don’t let me die.”

He smiled boyishly, kissing my hand. “I swear that, for as long as I live, I will never allow any harm to come within five feet of you, love.”

“You’re in for a very long lifetime,” I warned him, smiling as I caught a glimpse of my engagement ring.

“And I’m going to love every second of it. Now, shall we catch up with my sister and the others before they leave us behind, milady?” He grinned, contenting himself with only holding my hand as he tugged me closer to the dreadful creature that other children seemed to love.

“I love you so much,” I told him softly, wiping away a tear. He meant so much to me, but he would never know how much.

“I think I have an idea,” he murmured, kissing me for the last time before we caught up to the group. “And I guarantee I can top it.”