scoped out all the exits. It was a habit she had formed in the past six months. She needed to know the quickest way out of a building or a potentially dangerous situation. Summer hopped up onto one of the carousel horses as Abi got her bearings then chose to sit in the sleigh, which allowed Jonty to come onto the carousel with her but it also left room for Damien.
He sat beside her as that position allowed him to keep an eye on Summer. The sleigh was narrow, the seat just big enough for two. Jonty sat at Abi’s feet but Abi was aware of Damien’s thigh pressing against hers, the heat radiating from his body burning through her exercise pants.
Going on the carousel had been a mistake. Not only did it put her too close to Damien but the high sides and back restricted her view. As the music began to play Abi could feel her anxiety level building. She felt hemmed in, trapped, and as the carousel started to turn, panic really set in. She was losing sight of the exits, her sense of direction was being compromised by the rotation of the carousel, and the noise and repetition of the music was making it hard to concentrate. She reached down to stroke Jonty’s coat as she tried to calm herself. Her eyes darted back and forth as she tried to keep an exit in sight. Her breaths were becoming more rapid; she could hear herself panting.
‘Are you okay?’ Damien asked, but Abi couldn’t answer. She opened her mouth but she couldn’t form the words. She didn’t know the answer.
‘You’ll be all right,’ he said, putting his hand on her knee. ‘You’re safe.’
But Abi knew that wasn’t necessarily true. Bad things could and did happen unexpectedly, despite what she’d told herself earlier.
Damien lifted his hand from her leg and covered her hand with his. ‘Focus on me,’ he said, but now all she could think about was the sensation of her hand in his. Perhaps that was his point. She looked down, focusing on their fingers and the way his had wrapped around hers. His hand warmed hers and distracted her.
‘Look at me,’ he told her, and she lifted her eyes.
She looked into his eyes. They were dark and intense and everything around her blurred and disappeared until all that was left was Damien. The building and the ride merged into blank surroundings, indistinguishable from each other. Even the carousel music seemed muted. Only Damien was in sharp relief.
‘I’ll keep you safe. Trust me,’ he said. ‘Do you trust me?’
She wanted to trust him but she’d been let down too many times in the past. ‘I have trouble with trust.’
‘The ride is nearly over.’ His voice was quiet and sure. ‘You’re okay. You’re safe.’
The ride slowed and the music ceased and the building came back into focus. Abi looked around. She was safe, she could see no immediate threats, but she needed to get outside; needed to escape these four walls. She stood up, eager to get off the carousel. Her legs were shaky but Damien kept hold of her hand, steadying her.
Summer was already down off her horse. ‘Can I have another turn?’ she asked, but Abi barely heard her.
‘Not right now.’
Abi was itching to make a run for it but Damien hadn’t let go of her hand. She tried taking some deep breaths, focusing on the connection with Damien. Letting his strength anchor her, allowing him to stop her from taking flight. She had Jonty’s lead in one hand, Damien in the other. She should be okay.
‘But I want to ride on the bunny rabbit,’ Summer insisted.
‘Jonty needs some fresh air,’ Damien told her, and that was the end of the discussion. Summer didn’t bother to argue further. At the moment, whatever Jonty needed he got. He was Summer’s number-one priority. Abi forced her legs to move towards the exit as she wondered if she should suggest that Damien get Summer a dog of her own. It would be good company for her if she was destined to be an only child. Abi knew how much Jonty’s company had come to mean to her and she could imagine how much she would have loved a dog growing up. She saw a lot of similarities between her own childhood and Summer’s situation, though with one big difference. Summer had a father who adored her but that didn’t necessarily mean he had the time to devote to her. A dog would be a distraction, a responsibility and a companion for her.
Summer skipped ahead of them and if she noticed Damien and Abi holding hands she didn’t comment. Abi pulled her hand from Damien’s as they followed Summer outside. As nice as it felt, it also made her feel uncomfortable.
Summer was heading towards the Beach Bounce, a trampoline and bungee harness contraption that allowed children, or adults, to jump and twist and turn without the danger of falling. ‘What about this?’ she asked. ‘Can I try it?’
Damien turned to Abi. ‘Will you be okay here?’ he asked.
Abi needed to be where she could keep an eye on the situation, where she would be able to see what was coming her way. The Beach Bounce was on the edge of the pier. She could stand on the far side of the trampoline so that her back was to the water as she faced the pier. No one could come up behind her. She nodded and made her way around the trampoline.
Damien paid for Summer’s ticket, put her into the queue and then came to stand with Abi.
‘Shouldn’t you wait with Summer?’ Abi asked. Her anxiety was still in hyper-drive.
‘I can watch her from here. It will be her turn in a few minutes.’
Abi kept her back to the water and let her eyes roam over the pier. Jonty sat on her right and Damien stood to her left. He was turned slightly sideways, shielding her a little, his posture protective, and she felt quite safe.
‘She hasn’t been on this before?’ Abi asked as she watched Summer, who had been strapped into the harness and was now turning somersaults and bouncing higher and higher as her confidence built.
‘No. I don’t remember this being here last time we came to the pier or perhaps she was too small. Lots of the rides have a height restriction.’
‘Why are you spending your Sundays out exploring LA?’ she asked.
‘I’m from San Francisco originally but we moved here two years ago. Brooke pushed for the move to further her career. I admit I resisted the idea but when it became clear that she would go with or without me I realised I had to move, for Summer’s sake.’
So he had moved for his family, for Brooke, and now she had taken off again, this time to New York. Abi wondered whether he would follow Brooke again, for Summer’s sake. She would do well to remember that he was a man who came with baggage.
‘Do you miss San Francisco?’
Damien nodded. ‘I do. It’s taken me a while to feel like I belong here, I’m still not sure that I do. I love working at The Hills but LA is a completely different type of city and we’re still finding our feet. What about you? Where did you grow up?’
‘Here.’
‘Here? You’re a native?’
‘We do exist, you know.’
‘I know, it’s just that almost everyone I’ve met has moved here from somewhere else.’
‘That’s the movie business, no doubt.’
‘I
