13 Flames | gxg

8 - finding the stars

Palmer

I hear her heels clicking softly on the floor as she comes up behind me. She stands to my right, leaning forward like me. I can feel her eyes examining the side of my face but I keep my gaze on the sky. I'm hyperaware of her bare shoulder so close to mine.

A few minutes of silence pass. She keeps looking at the sky, back to me, back to the sky, trying to figure out what I'm looking at.

The answer is nothing. Everything. Anything but her.

Finally, she breaks the silence. "What are you looking at?"

I keep my gaze up. "I'm trying to find the stars."

The sky is black but I'm blinded by neon lights competing to take over the darkness. Clouds blanket the sky, the only twinkling lights up there coming from the many airplanes flying low over the city.

She doesn't say anything, so I continue. "I didn't grow up in Boston. I grew up in a small town further north in New England. You could always see the stars, unless it was a cloudy night." I pause and take a breath.

"The summer before my sophomore year of high school, me and my friends would stay out past dark and buy candy and soda from some general store nearby. My dad would pick me up around ten in this little blue convertible he had."

I have no idea why I'm telling her this. But I want to.

"I would sit with my head tilted back against the headrest, watching the stars through the trees."

I lean my head back just as a breeze passes through. My hair waves in the wind, replicating the feeling of driving with the top down. I stay silent and wait for her to say something.

"You can't see the stars here."

I finally look at her. Her green eyes are on the sky and I can see the perfect curl of her lashes, the curve of her nose, the fullness of her red lips. Her face is lit by the neon sides all around us, her skin glowing in blues and greens and reds and yellows. She's breathtakingly beautiful.

"No, you can't." My voice softens, nearly drowned out by the city noises around us.

She suddenly turns to look at me, smiling widely. "Come with me, I want to show you something." She holds her hand out but I hesitate.

"What?" I ask curiously.

She takes my hand, her fingers closing around mine. My fingertips spark at her touch. "Just trust me"

She pulls me off the balcony and back through the casino, nearing the front entrance.

"You know we just met, like, a few hours ago? What if you're going to murder me or something?" I ask as she continues to pull me along.

She rolls her eyes. "I promise I won't murder you."

I shrug. "Good enough for me."

We pass by Alex and Peyton at the same table, now joined by Brayden.

"Hey, where are you going?" Alex shouts as we rush past.

Lexa turns back to him, talking quickly. "We're just heading out. We'll see you guys at the hotel tomorrow."

She grabs my hand again, dragging me behind her. Alex gives me a strange look and I barely have time to shrug before she pulls me away.

She finally lets go of my hand once we leave the casino and are back out on the strip. She turns and starts walking in the opposite direction of our hotel.

I grab her shoulder, pulling her back to me. "Slow down, Lex. Where are we going?" I ask again.

She smiles. "I want to show you something."

"So you've mentioned."

"It's not that far. Please, okay? I promise, you'll like it."

I look back in the direction of the casino, then at her. Her green eyes pierce into mine, her expression hopeful.

I sigh and give in. "Okay, let's go."

She smiles and starts walking again at a slower pace. We walk mostly in silence, but it's not awkward. We're just enjoying each other's company.

About ten minutes later we stop outside a building near the end of the strip. I read the white and blue neon sign, the words Vegas Planetarium scribbled across the outline of a star.

I turn to find Lexa smiling at me. I smile back, pulling open the door and following her inside.

We buy tickets, and she uses her own card to pay. We head to the theater and I open the door onto a dimly lit room. It's completely empty. Of course, it's late for the planetarium. And it's Vegas. Who comes to Vegas and goes to a planetarium? Lexa, apparently.

We sit down in the front row and I sink into the cushioned chair. I pull the handle on the side and the end flips up. I smile, reclining all the way back. Lexa does the same on my right.

"You've been here before?" I ask her. She shushes me as the show begins to start.

The entire room goes pitch black as the lights vanish. The screen above me remains dark until a small light shines in the middle, getting larger and larger until there's a bright explosion, colors sweeping my face. A quiet narration plays in the background, the sounds leaking out from the headphones on the seat beside me. I don't put them on, and neither does Lexa.

Instead, we sit in comfortable silence, the stars painted across the ceiling.

Every few minutes I turn my head to look at her. She stares up at the display, her eyes wide with wonder and a small smile touching her lips. The scene changes above us to the northern lights, beautiful purples and blues washing across her skin.

She looks back at me, catching me staring. She simply smiles, her red lips parting.

I return the grin, a strange sensation of butterflies swirling in my gut. My left hand rubs anxiously against my dress where she can't see it. We both turn our heads to look up at the screen.

She found the stars.

Another ten minutes pass. The show will be over soon and I frown in disappointment, knowing we'll have to leave. I'd rather stay here, her beside me and stars above us.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Lexa whispers, almost to herself. I look over, her hands resting on the arms of the chair and her feet crossed on the end. Her head is tilted back, her neck exposed.

"Yes, it is," I reply softly.

The stars are pretty, sure.

But beauty? All I see is her.