Page 60 of Unspoken Love

“Back in high school I did.” He reached up and touched his ear. “Right here. I was really cool.” He wiggled his eyebrows.

They lingered as long as they could, getting some shaved ice and sharing a large bag of kettle corn as the sun dipped lower over the Pacific.

Finally, Nate tugged her hand. “Come on. I want to beat the rush to the good spot for the fireworks.”

He led her to the center of the grassy area of the square that sat directly facing the dock area, where the fireworks would be shot off from a barge sitting in the water. He had moved their blanket from under the tree so they had a perfect view. They stretched out on their backs, his arm under her head, her hand resting on his chest. It felt so good and so right as people crowded around them on their own blankets.

Families settled in with glow sticks and lawn chairs, murmurs of conversation blending with the soft strum of a single acoustic guitar from the gazebo.

The first firework cracked in the sky moments after the sun disappeared, and Faye sucked in a breath as the burst of red and gold exploded above them.

Nate turned his head, watching her instead of the sky for a beat. The colors flickered in her eyes. Her lips parted slightly, her expression full of wonder.

“I think I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be,” he said quietly.

She turned her head, met his gaze, and smiled. “Me too.”

He leaned over and kissed her, slow and unhurried, as another firework lit the sky above them—stars bursting overhead while the world faded away beneath their blanket.

“Faye, I’ve been wanting to tell you something for a while.” He rested his forehead against hers for a moment to build up his courage, then pulled back and looked deep into her eyes. “I’ve fallen in love with you.”

He felt her tense just as a larger firework exploded directly above them. He watched the fear flood in her eyes for a split second.

“Nate, I…” She shook her head and then winced. “I think the explosions are causing my implant to…” She grabbed the side of her head and closed her eyes as another round of loud booms echoed across the crowd, followed by cheers and shouts.

“Faye?” He jolted into a sitting position.

“I…” She glanced around, as if looking for an escape route, while holding her head.

He took her arm and hoisted her up. When her knees buckled, he lifted her into his arms and rushed her across the grass through the maze of people enjoying the fireworks.

“Is she okay?” someone called out to him.

“Yeah, just getting her someplace quiet,” he called back.

He fumbled for his keys to the Brew-Ha-Ha and when he finally managed to open the doors, his father was beside him.

“Son?”

“She’s okay,” he replied. “I think the explosions were too loud.”

“I’m better now,” Faye said as he set her down in a booth. She was still holding her head when his mother rushed in.

“Is she okay?”

Nate sat beside her, his hand lightly rubbing her arm as she leaned forward in the booth, her head cradled in her hands. When she glanced over at him, he noticed that her skin was very pale.

“I think so,” he said, glancing between her and his mom. “It’s her implant. I think that the noise from the fireworks just overloaded everything.”

His mother sat across from them in the booth, reaching gently for Faye’s free hand. “Honey, do you need me to call Dr. Stevens over here?”

“No, no,” Faye whispered. “I just need quiet. It’s easing already.” She let out a shaky breath. “That big one just felt like it cracked right inside my skull.”

Nate clenched his jaw, feeling helplessness deep inside him. There was nothing he could do to ease her pain now. He hated seeing her like this—scared, hurting, and struggling to pretend that she wasn’t.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured, brushing a strand of hair back from her face. “I should have realized the sounds would be too much. We should’ve left sooner.”

“You didn’t know,” she said, managing a faint smile. “Neither did I. I guess that’s one more thing I’ll have to learn to live without.”