I turn to Hayliel, a smile tugging the corner of my lip. “Well? The choice is yours, firefly.”
She doesn’t respond right away. Instead, she peers around the booth once before nodding. “Auriel’s flame, please,” she tells the man, then turns to me and says, “Thank you, Theo. I can’t wait to snuggle the fuck out of it tonight.”
Raphael sidles up beside us, taking the stuffed flame from the carnival worker. “Feel free to think of Theo while you do. I’m sure he won’t mind.”
Her cheeks pink, but otherwise she doesn’t acknowledge it, absentmindedly stroking the soft fabric of the flame. “I had no idea you could throw daggers like that! Have you always had that skill, or?”
I go utterly still as memories flood through me. The reason I learned any of the combat skills I have was out of necessity. A need to defend myself and protect others in the hopes that maybe I’ll be able to actually save someone instead of watching on like a sniveling coward. Maybe someday I’ll be able to redeem myself.
A hand lands on my shoulder and Raphael’s voice finds me through the fog inside my brain. “Theo is an angel of many talents, my sweet sunshine. You may discover even more of them soon.”
The pressure of his fingers and the heat of his palm ground me, bringing me back enough that my vision clears, and I can make out the mischievous smirk playing on his lips.
Hayliel looks between the two of us, seeming to grasp that something almost happened even if she doesn’t fully understand what. Her hand lands on my shoulder, directly opposite where Raphael’s is. “Do you think maybe you can teach me?”
My eyes flash to hers, dreading that I’ll find pity there, but instead there’s something else. Awe, perhaps. And a touch of heat that travels through my body, scorching the wounds of my past until they don’t fester.
“Yes.” My voice comes out raw, as if I’ve gone decades without water. “Everything I have, everything I know, is yours.”
A beat passes, the sounds of the crowd fading away until it’s only the three of us. I watch as her gaze travels down to my lips and I wonder if she’s going to kiss me. Fuck, I wish she would.
“I’m just going to fly this back to campus,” Raphael says, snapping the heated moment.
“What?” I ask, caught off guard.
“You don’t have to do that, Raph. This was supposed to be a day of fun.”
“Itisfun, and I’ll be quick. Don’t worry. Just promise me you’ll find something exciting to do while I’m gone, okay?”
The look he gives me tells me he’s deliberately leaving us alone together. Ever since that night at the park, Raphael’s taken it as all the proof he needs that Hayliel would be more than happy to share us, but I’m not so sure. I want it to be true. More than fucking anything. But how can I know she won’t have immediate regrets? I’d rather stay their friend than risk losing them both if things go sideways.
Raphael gives Hayliel a quick, searing kiss before he takes off. I can’t deny the way it makes me feel to watch them together, but I try to keep the lust off my face when she turns to look at me.
“I think I have the perfect thing to do while Raphael’s gone.” She holds out her hand and I take it, curious as ever to find out what she has in mind.
She doesn’t make me wait to find out, tugging me through the crowded park until we stand at the edge of the pond. On the water are these weird boats with big rubber rings around them. Just as I’m about to ask her what they are, a cold shot of water hits me in the neck.
Hayliel’s peals of laughter break through the shock of it and I step back right before another blast of water comes from one of the boats.
She covers her mouth, eyes dancing with laughter.
“Oh. It’s on.”
We race to the line, which is thankfully short, and grab a boat. The ride operator gives us a spiel about how it works. Push both levers to go forward, pull them both toward you to go backward, and alternate levers front to back in order to turn. And there, on the top of each lever, are the damn water jet buttons. Now this is going to be fun.
We experiment with the levers, familiarizing ourselves with the best positions before steering the boats toward the center of the pond. The entire way there, we throw suspicious glances at each other as we wait to see who will make the first spray move.
I’m planning my first attack when something rams into my boat, jolting me forward enough that the thin strap of the chair rubs against my sides.
Her ensuing laugh is all I need to know that the game is on. Slowly, I turn my boat to face hers and she must be able to tell that I’m about to pounce because she shrieks and pushes the levers on her boat, trying to get away.
“Aww, come on, firefly. Play with me,” I taunt, following her with my boat and holding down on the buttons so a stream of water arcs between us. I’m too close for it to hit her, though, so I back off, slowing down until I hear her shocked cry.
She turns sharply, then barrels straight toward me, the arc of her water jets going past my head.
I laugh. “Missed me!”
Her eyes narrow as she presses forward, but I pull my own levers to back up and try to keep the distance between us enough that she can’t get me wet. Except she’s too damn smart for that.
