Chapter 94

bez’x breath quickened her puler hammering in her ears * Li leaned closer The weight of his prearre, the prsimity tary’s

peechpri of his face to hers, made her feel as though the world had shrunk to put the reen of them. His eyes flickerf down briefly to her lips and in that fleeting moment, hey resolve wavered.

Was he really about to kiss her? In the middle of this crowd?

She wasn’t sure if her heart was racing out of anticipation, panic or a mix of both. Before she could process the answer, a She I ure it hat wa H tiny voice pierced the moment like a pin popping a balloon.

“Excuse me,” a child said, loudly enough to grab their attention

Both Izzy and Liam froze, turning their heads in unison to see a small boy–maybe six or seven years old–standing a few feet away. He was clutching a colorful stuffed shark in one hand and pointing at the large aquarium behind them with the

other.

I’m trying to take a picture of the sharks,” the boy announced with the kind of unfiltered honesty only a child could muster. He waved the small camera in his hand. “You two have been standing here for a long time, just staring at each other. Since you don’t like the sharks then…can you, like… move? This isn’t a place to do bad stuff, you know. It’s for looking at fishes.”

Izzy’s eyes widened in mortification as she processed his words. Beside her, Liam straightened, his lips twitching as if he was fighting hard not to burst into laughter.

“We weren’t-” Izzy began, she couldn’t help but be defensive. She glanced around and realized, to her horror, that several nearby visitors had turned to look at them. The boy’s loud declaration had attracted a small audience.

“You were too close,” the boy stated firmly. “Mom says when people are that close, they’re doing bad things.”

Izzy felt her cheeks flame, her embarrassment quickly escalating into full–blown humiliation. She instinctively reached out, grabbing Liam’s wrist. “We should go,” she hissed, her voice barely above a whisper.

“But I wanted to-” Liam started, his grin firmly in place.

“Now,” she snapped, cutting him off before he could make the situation worse. Without waiting for a response, she tugged him away from the tank and toward the nearest exit.

As they stepped into the open area near the escalators, Izzy finally let go of Liam’s wrist and patted her hot cheeks. Her face was still flushed, her mind replaying the scene over and over. She refused to look at him, knowing that the second she did, she’d see that smug, infuriating grin.

laugh, aren’t you?” she muttered.

low chuckle escaped Liam’s lips despite her warning. “I’m sorry, but did you see his face? That kid

and genuine. Liam joined in almost immediately, shaking his head as they leaned against the wall near the escalators. The absurdity of the situation–the boy, his innocent accusations, the awkward crowd–was too

you see his face?” Liam managed to say

was going to sink into the floor,”

Jan

Chapter 94

of

her breath. “Unbelievable. I’m never going to live that

them. Izzy brushed her

Liam glanced at her. “Come on,” he said, nodding

asked,

You’ll like it,” he replied, turning toward the escalator without waiting for her to object.

followed. “Alright. But if the food’s terrible, you’re paying

their way up the escalator, the buzz of the theme park below fading into a quieter atmosphere as they reached the upper level. The entrance to the

led them through the softly lit space. As they stepped inside, Izzy paused, taking in the sight before

below. Soft blue lighting from the tanks bathed the room in a tranquil glow, while the quiet hum

glass wall, where they could watch colorful schools of fish dart through coral

down, her gaze still fixed on

sat across from her, glancing at the menu the

she was too busy watching a pair of sea turtles lazily drifting past. She eventually picked up her own menu, scanning the options. Seafood was the obvious star, but there

back slightly, her eyes wandering back to the tank. “It feels

also on the

the stress of the morning fading into the background. Their food arrived shortly after, beautifully presented and as elegant as the

came with a vibrant side of vegetables and a light, flavorful sauce. They ate without much conversation, letting the view and the atmosphere speak

felt surprisingly relaxed. She sat back in her chair, her gaze once again drawn to the aquarium. “This turned out better than

glass down, glancing at her. “Glad you enjoyed

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