Page 98 of Fireworks

“That’s the weird part about it. She knows we don’t get along, but she willingly helps him plan this day for me. I didn’t dare ask her about it because it’s just opening myself up to questions I don’t want to answer from her. I tried asking him multiple times. He just told me not to worry about it. So, we go for this pleasant hike. Even though I’m not huge on being out in the wilderness, it was really nice.

The best part was he mapped out the whole thing, and we ended up at the most gorgeous waterfall I had ever seen in my life. It was the most romantic thing ever. On top of the fact that it really was nice to just get away from everything for the day. Just the two of us without having to worry about who saw us or what people thought.”

Reaching over her seat, Ryder hugged me.

“I’m so happy for you, Katie. I mean, I know I don’t know that much about him, but he seems special.”

Smiling back at her, I looked over to where Paul, my father, and Nate still stood conversing like they had known each other for years. Nate’s head turned just enough for our eyes to catch as he shot me a wink. This was going to be so hard to hide in front of everyone. Hopefully, having Ryder and Paul here as a buffer will help.

“You better hope he doesn’t do that when your brother is around, or it will blow your cover in two seconds. But damn, that boy loves you.”

*****

Nate

If Katie knew the lengths I had gone through in the last two weeks for her, she would realize that stealing glances all day wasn’t enough for me. She took my suggestion and looked flawless in her dress. I found myself more than once wishing that I could rip it off her. It only took a minute to realize I needed to distract myself before anyone noticed how she made all the blood in my body rush down and settle somewhere not appropriate for a family party.

Once we were released from our obligations at her parent’s house, it would be easier to sneak away with her at the fair. Although, I wasn’t sure how that was going to work with Ryder and Paul being there too. Friday had been the perfect day. I had told her that the day away was my gift to her but snuck away during the barbecue to slip another present into her room. There was a part of me that wanted to be there when she opened it. To see her face light up. I knew how thrilled she would be when she realized she was now the owner of a signed copy of one of her favorite novels.

One piece of information that I left out about everything was why her parents were so passive about letting her leave with me and even helped me orchestrate the entire trip. I had made a confession to them. Growing up with them basically being my parents made it awkward at first. When I confessed that I deeply cared for Katie, they just rolled their eyes at me. Evie stood up halfway through my well thought out speech, placing her hand on my shoulder before cutting me off.

“Nate, you have always had a soft spot for her. Ever since the day she was born. Honestly, I’m just surprised it took you both this long to realize it. Your mother and I have been betting on how long it would take before one of you came confessing this exact thing to us. Granted, I expected it to be my daughter, not you in this room. Either way, you have our blessing. Just tell us how we can help.”

Being completely taken aback by their acceptance, I asked what they thought of me telling Asher. We were all in agreement that he would not accept it at first. Katie was his little sister, and he would always instinctively protect her, even if it was from me. They suggested I wait until after Katie’s birthday to sit down with him. No use ruining her day if he blew up over it. I agreed that was probably the best idea.

Walking around the fairgrounds, I watched as Ryder and Paul walked hand in hand, laughing and leaning on one another. Bridget and Asher were inseparable as we moved through the crowds on our way to our usual spot to watch the fireworks. Katie and I hung back as the two couples walked ahead of us.

Our hands dangling dangerously close, our fingers grazing every few steps and causing a jolt of electricity between us. Simultaneously, we looked down at our hands lingering so close, their desire to be touching an unspoken truth. Her breathing hitched as my index finger looped around hers for just a moment before falling away. The corner of my lip turning upward, knowing exactly what was running through her mind. Turning my head over my shoulder, I lean down closer to her ear.

“You look gorgeous tonight.”

Her cheeks immediately flushed as my breath hit her skin. She mumbled, and I couldn’t be sure she meant for me to even hear her confession.

“I wish I could kiss you right now.”

Grabbing her hand, I quickly pulled her to the side, rushing through the crowd. When we finally reached the edge of the woods on the outskirts of the fairgrounds, I couldn’t contain myself anymore. Grasping her face, my hands running the length of her jawline before settling on the edge of her neck, I pulled her in fast. Our lips crashing into one another, unforgiving as my tongue traced her lips.

I never prided myself on being patient. Watching her all day and not being able to touch her was killing me. My hands tangled themselves in her hair as her hand fisted my shirt, pulling me closer. She needed this as bad as I did. In a frenzy of tongues thrashing against one another, I didn’t want to stop. As we parted, just long enough to take a deep breath, I took in her beauty under the light of the night sky. The first set of fireworks set off above us, the sizzle of the explosions feeling the same to my ears as it did in my heart. Her eyes shifted up as I watched the colors sparkle in her eyes.

“We should probably get back before they wonder what happened to us.”

My words were low and uncertain as I spoke. She nodded in agreement but didn’t move immediately. She just stood staring up at me for another minute. The light of the fireworks shining in her eyes.

“Thank you, Nate. This was the best birthday ever, thanks to you.”