The Story Of Us

Sparks Fly

Lilly’s P.O.V

I can’t believe I'm doing this.

I can’t believe I'm doing this.

I can’t believe I'm doing this.

I couldn’t stop the thought from racing through my head. I wasn’t reckless like Hardin was, and I tried my best not to be a heartbreaker, but I still found myself like a house of cards when it came to people with strong personalities. Yet here I am, flung over the shoulder of a man I was not engaged to as we escaped my wedding, together. I was laughing more than I had in a long time as Hardin spewed profanities back at the crowd that had gathered, taking photos and calling me names meant to degrade my worth as a human being. I knew that I deserved it, seeing that I left my wedding with a different man, but I didn’t care. All I could do was laugh and laugh at this situation and the emotion that was stirring inside me.

It was the kind of feeling that should send me running, but I knew that I wouldn’t get far.

It all started when he dropped in when I was in the dressing room before my wedding, standing in front of me. He was so close to me, so close I could touch him. I had to hope that he couldn’t see what I was thinking of.

I wanted to drop everything at that moment. It was the kind of meet-me-in-the-pouring-rain feeling people dream about having every time he or she goes on a first date. The kind of person that, when you kiss them on the sidewalk, the pain just…goes away. That special person that makes sparks fly whenever they smile.

We were a few rooftops away now, and he dared to shift me to look up for eye contact, and wow. I was hit by those brown eyes that made me feel like I was everything to him when he looked at me. The twilight of the night had set in, and the lights were low, framing the streets with lighting that supported the city. Barely anything had begun between the two of us, and yet he had already given me enough to haunt me when he was not around.

Because I could see sparks fly as he smiled up at me.

It wasn’t like me to do something like this, but for whatever reason, my mind forgot to tell her it was a bad idea. I felt something from the very first touch, and I could tell that Hardin found more, found something better, in her than he could have ever thought. The gaze between us was strong enough to confirm that the other was precious, no words necessary.

It was strange. I had spent years on guard for the rest of the world, but for him, it was no good. I felt my lips burn and knew that I should wait patiently, but I wished he would drop everything to escape from the wedding, the navigating rooftops-and, by some miracle of God, kiss me on the sidewalk. Take away the pain.

Why? I thought to myself. Why do sparks fly whenever he smiles?

I reached out and ran my fingers through his hair as he gently sat me down on the rooftop, securing me with his arm around my waist. The lights went wild as they bubbled up into giant snowballs and I realized my vision was getting blurry with tears. His eyes focused on me and I felt the weight of the engagement ring on my left hand as he took it and pressed it to his face. It was just wrong enough to feel right—an accent to the butterflies in my stomach.

“Let's go,” Hardin whispered, leading me by the hand up to a house built on a hill, creating a perfect staircase of rooftops for the two of us. He cradled me close on top of the tallest building, whispering to me soft and slow. “Please,” he begged, his breath tickling my ear, “Can we just take a moment here?”

Had he always been so captivating?

I closed my eyes, unable to meet his brown ones. No more butterflies were flying in my stomach.

There were sparks.

And as he held me close, I could feel them fly.