My walls go up. 揑抦 going to find a restroom.?
The nearest house is the Kingsleys挆technically we抮e on their stretch of private beach梑ut I don抰 actually have any intention of going to the bathroom. I抣l stay long enough to make it clear no one chased me off, and then head back to my parents?
My plan all along was to go to bed early tonight. For the first time, I抣l be sharing a bed with my husband. Ideally, I抣l be fast asleep by the time he heads to bed.
I pause by the fire. Now that the sun is gone, the heat from the flames counters the cool sea breeze.
揋ot chilly, huh??
I don抰 turn right away. A second seems necessary. When I glance back, he抯 closer than I expected. 揧ou sure you never wanted to become a meteorologist? You seem to have a strange fascination with the weather.?
揑抦 sure.?
揘o one else finds your fascination strange??
Crew sort of laughs, but it quickly turns into a sigh. 揑 don抰 know what else to say to you, Scarlett.?
I look away, like I always do when we gravitate toward anything meaningful. 揧ou don抰 need to check in on me. Go have fun.?
He抯 so close I can feel his sigh. His chest expands and his breath weaves through my hair as he exhales. I wait for his retreat梖or his body to move away. Instead, he puts his hands on my waist and spins me around. So fast I have no time to react or protest.
We抮e even closer now. Mere inches separate our faces as his hands loosen their grip on my hips. 揑 don抰 do things I don抰 want to do, Scarlett. If I don抰 want to check on you, I won抰。 If I don抰 want to spend time with you, I won抰。？
揙kay.?I say the word softly. Too loud, and it might shatter this moment the way words have done before.
揙kay.?His echo is just as quiet.
The first firework startles me. It explodes in a spectacular display of sound and color, illuminating the shore and the sea and all the surrounds previously hidden by the night. The burning wood and the moonlight were weak in comparison. Distant strains of music from the house and the rhythmic battering of waves on the sand seem muffled.
Another explosion lights up the sky, sending pink arcs flying that fizzle and drift back down. Followed by another and another and another. Laughter and shouts are audible nearby, but I pay them no attention. I抦 consumed by the sight of the dazzling display that keeps replacing the lingering smoke. I turn so I抦 facing the fireworks, but I don抰 pull away from his hold. I lean into it條iterally梤esting my back against his front. Crew抯 arms remain looped loosely around my waist. Warm and secure and strong.
This moment feels magical, and I know it抯 not the fireworks I抦 watching or the champagne flowing through my bloodstream.
I resigned myself to marrying Crew. He was the best of decent options.
It wasn抰 supposed to be like this. Our relationship is supposed to be based on mutual understandings and airtight legal documents. Not on trust and lust and all the other things squeezing my chest right now. Exciting, terrifying feelings. I can抰 leave him, can never walk away. When he gets sick of being the doting husband and domestic life, I抣l be the one stuck waiting at home.
That will only hurt if I let it.
I tell myself I won抰， even as I relax my body against his and ignore the envious looks aimed my way. Crew may have married me for my money and my name, but he did choose to marry me. He doesn抰 do things he doesn抰 want to, like he just said.
揥ho do you think came up with this??
I tilt my head back so I can see his profile. 揅ame up with what??
揟he fireworks for the Fourth. What about a bloody war says let抯 light up the sky??
揟hey抮e celebratory,?I reply. 揗y mom wanted fireworks for our reception.?
揜eally??His hand glides around the curve of my hip. It抯 an innocent movement, a shift in position. Yet it sets my skin on fire. It抯 been months since I had sex. I blame that for the awareness pooling in my stomach.
We抮e sharing a room tonight. A bed. Up until now, I didn抰 think there was a chance anything might happen. My comment earlier was a tease, a reminder that we haven抰 before. Now, I抦 consumed by the possibility that something could happen. That I might want it to.
揜eally,?I confirm.
揥hy didn抰 we have fireworks at our reception then??
揑 told her no.?
揧ou weren抰 celebrating.?It抯 not a question, but a statement.
揟hey抮e bad for the environment.?
He chuckles against my hair, and I feel the vibrations everywhere. 揝o is flying private.?
揘obody抯 perfect.?
He抯 still laughing. There抯 a strange gooey sensation in my chest, like something is melting inside of me.
Rapid bursts of color pepper the heavens, signaling the start of the finale. We抮e both silent through the end of it, staying still as the final flashes fade.