Page 74 of Firefly
So, I lean forward and kiss him back. His hands slide against my waist while mine grip the front of his expensive jacket.
It deepens quickly. Hotter. Heavier.
Brayden kisses me like he’s trying to claim something he’s wanted forever.
But even with his mouth on mine… something feels wrong.
Empty.
Because kissing Brayden feels like pretending.
And kissing Hayden always felt like drowning willingly.
Brayden moans into the kiss as his tongue swirls around mine. I suck his bottom lip into my mouth and his grip on my waist tightens then slides over my rib cage, but I pull back, and he smiles, resting his forehead against mine.
“You have no idea what you do to me,” he murmurs, and I force myself to smile.
Because maybe this is what survival looks like.
Pretending until it becomes real.
We sit here under the stars for a little longer, laughing about the dumb shit that happened at school today. I guess I missed a lot while I was suspended. Then he takes me home and walks me to the front door kissing me softly goodnight.
“I love you,” he whispers. “I’ll see you at school tomorrow.” He smirks while his words make my chest ache. Not because I feel them back because I don’t.
That’s the tragedy of it.
By the time I reach my bedroom, exhaustion weighs so heavily on me I can barely think. I kick off my shoes and reach for my phone.
One missed text.
Unknown number.
My stomach drops instantly.
Then I open it and my entire heart shatters.
A picture of the stars.
The exact stars from the clearing tonight.
No words. No explanation. Just proof.
Hayden was there and he saw us.
A broken sound leaves my throat while tears instantly blur my vision.
God. He saw us.
He saw me there with another man in our spot.
Fuck!
Pain crushes through me as I sit down hard on the edge of my bed clutching my phone tightly. I don’t even know what hurts more. The fact that he saw or the fact that some pathetic part of me wishes he would’ve stopped it. That he would've dragged Brayden away from me and reminded me exactly who I belong to.
Hayden’s text burns behind my eyes long after the screen goes dark.
A picture of our stars. Our spot. Proof he was there watching while I tried to force myself to move on from him.
