“There, now it’s forever.”
He lets go of one of my arms and draws my hair away from my neck, kissing the spot and taking all my brains with him. The sparkler burns, almost forgotten, by my side, but then he spins away laughing and lights up another two.
He whirls back around, and I’m drawn into his orbit, swept up dancing with him, lost in his happiness. The sparklers swirl around, leaving light trails in the air. Mack gets up and joins us, while Elijah stays curled up in the sand with Danger, watching.
“When was the last time you did this?” Mack asks.
The memory comes clear as day.
“The night before I left. The family gathered in the backyard. It was my birthday, and Devon was there.”
Devon throws himself down on the sand beside Elijah, leaning over and kissing him hard. I wait for the jealousy, but it never comes, just a strange sense of rightness and warmth. I am relieved he’s not alone anymore.
“He wished me a happy birthday and gave me a sparkler. When I just stood there trying to work up the courage to tell him how I felt, he grabbed my arm and wrote in the night sky.”
“What did he write?” Mack asks.
I stare at Devon. He looks up and sees me and smiles. It’s a smile I’ve seen a million times, but it never fails to reach into me and just turn me upside down and inside out. He’s so beautiful.
“Rebel promises to come home.”
Mack touches my chin. I turn towards him, and he ducks down, kissing me. The sparklers fall from my hands, forgotten, as he walks me backwards, pulling at my hips, sliding his big hands up my spine and across my back.
“Dance with me.”
I wind my arms around his neck and sway with him.
“We used to have bonfires out here every year.”
“I remember.”
“You’d always be dancing with your friends, having a good time. Three years in a row, I watched you here.”
I freeze, but he lifts me up, swinging me around. “Three years?”
“Yep.”
“Why didn’t you ever say hello?”
Mack laughs, but it’s a self-deprecating laugh. “I had no self-confidence, and you were a Sol. Popular, beautiful, and the darling of Sunshine.”
My mind reels. “I wasn’t the darling of Sunshine. I was wild; they were always cursing my name. No, you’re wrong. I didn’t fit here.”
Mack laughs and swings me around again. “You like to think that, but that’s not what everyone would say. Everyone believes in you. You are so loved here.”
He drops me, and I catch myself on his chest so I don’t fall.
“Secret, do you want to do something naughty? One last adventure?”
I cock my head to the side, unable to resist that look in his eyes. “Like what?”
He pulls his t-shirt off and then shoves his shorts down.
I stare at him because even soft, he’s huge. I jerk my eyes up to his face, but it’s hard.
“Um, you’re naked,” I squeak.
“I am.”
