He takes my mouth with his, a hand grazing my throat like a warm, rough necklace.
"Touch me," he breathes onto my lips.
My hands slip under his shirt, over his abdomen, his muscles tight and warm against my fingertips. I touch the places on him I'...
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8:55 PM
The crescendo of the Middlebridge Summer Fest always culminates in a fireworks display, painting the night sky with bursts of colours.
Greyson leads me away from the swelling crowd to a secluded spot on the edge of the park, a small clearing that offers an unobstructed view of the sky.
As I settle on the grass, Greyson stays standing, his silhouette outlined against the dimming light. "I volunteered for the setup this year." He rubs his neck. "To make it more special."
"No, just stay here," I whine, patting the grass beside me. "It's not like we're a couple. Let Mayor Thine figure it out on his own and show off to his new wife."
Greyson's smile falters, the light in his eyes winking right out. I've hurt him. Somehow.
"Hold on," I begin, scrambling to explain, to fix whatever rift I've just created. "I didn't mean to—"
He cuts me off with a raised hand. "I'm going to make sure everything's set."
"Grey, please wait—"
"Enjoy the show, okay?" He clears his throat before turning and walking away, up to the small hill, leaving me alone.
I missed something. I shouldn't have asked him to stay with me. I should've been grateful and smiley and giddy about a new set of fireworks picked out just for me. I'm leaving for school, and we're both sad about it. He's just trying to do something for me. Why couldn't I just shut up?
As the first firework paints the sky with vibrant red, a boom echoes—a sound too sharp, too close, not part of the scheduled display. People up front gasp; a child's scream pierces the night.
I'm on my feet the next second, running toward the setup, heart pounding in my chest.
"Greyson!" I shout, pushing through the crowd that has started to form.
Smoke billows from a spot where Greyson and Mayor Thine stagger. Greyson drops to the ground, wrists on his upturned knees, his face streaked with blood. Mayor Thine is flinging his hand with a wince, his skin reddened as though burned.
I drop to the ground in front of Grey. There's a clean line cut across his left eyebrow, dripping red as he blinks.
"You have to go to the hospital," I breathe, taking in the blood.
Mayor Thine grunts. "No need for that."
Someone from the crowd, a volunteer with the fire department, I think, comes forward with a first aid kit. She asks me to move so she can start unloading gauze and antiseptic, focusing on stopping the blood from trickling into Greyson's eye.
As she works, I try to meet Greyson's gaze, but he won't. My heart throbs.
