Forbidden Cravings
Chapter 106: Returning Home

Chapter 106: Returning Home

Aeri and I locked eyes, the fireworks’ bright colors—red, gold, purple—reflecting in her gaze, her features soft and breathtaking, the bursts painting her cheeks.

Time seemed to slow, the crowd’s murmurs and the booms fading, our faces drawing closer, like gravity pulling us together, the unspoken love from our cubicle encounter hanging between us, her warmth drowning out the guilt of Sara’s touch. Our breaths mingled, the chilly air forgotten, the sky’s explosions a vibrant backdrop to the quiet intensity of our moment.

"Whaaaa!" Sara’s voice boomed, merging with the crowd’s excited cheers, shattering the spell.

Our eyes widened, our faces flushing as we snapped back, startled, the intimacy broken by the collective awe. A kid nearby squealed, his voice piercing the noise. "Mommy, look at that arrow! It’s shooting down the other lights!"

We turned to the sky, and there it was—a man made of fireworks, sparkling in gold, firing an arrow that streaked across the darkness, triggering a cascade of smaller bursts, a dazzling nuke of colors—blue, green, pink—blooming like a cosmic flower, raining light over the city.

The crowd gasped, phones flashing, capturing the spectacle, the hilltop alive with screams and applause.

"Aeri, look, that’s so cool!" Sara said, her voice bright, her eyes wide with childlike excitement, her cotton candy forgotten as she leaned forward, her boots tapping the mattress, the fireworks reflecting in her gaze, her earlier sadness buried under the moment’s thrill.

"Yes, it’s so great!" Aeri said, caught up in the excitement, her sweater shifting as she clapped her hands, her sneakers bouncing, her blush glowing under the sky’s colors, her laughter a soft melody that warmed me.

I watched silently, a faint smile tugging at my lips, the display mesmerizing, the bursts shaping logos of the luxury brand sponsoring the event, then hearts, then swirling patterns, each explosion louder, brighter.

I tossed my cotton candy stick aside, the sugary fluff no longer appealing, my hands brushing sticky residue on my jeans.

The show continued, bursts of silver and crimson lighting the sky, the crowd cheering, kids waving glow sticks, couples leaning close, the hilltop a shared celebration. For a few more minutes, we sat, lost in the spectacle.

Then, as the final burst faded, the sky darkening, the crowd began to disperse, their chatter filling the air, the stalls flickering back to life.

At the base, near a taxi stand, the street hummed with departing families and couples, the glow of taillights and streetlamps casting long shadows. A taxi pulled up in front of us and I stopped, turning to Aeri and Sara, my hands in my pockets, my face lazy but curious.

"So, you gonna stay another day with her?" I asked, my voice calm.

Aeri smiled, her expression tense but warm. "Yeah, just one more day," she said, her voice soft, apologetic. "Day after tomorrow’s the wedding. Sorry, Ezra, hehe."

I shrugged, my face twisting into a lazy, my eyes on Sara, who swayed slightly, her face flushed from the drinks she’d downed at the hilltop bar.

"Just leave her alone to self-reflect before she gets married," I said, my tone dry, my sneakers shifting, knowing Sara’s secrets and what kind of mess she has created behind her.

"Nooo!" Sara whined, her voice loud, her boots stumbling as she grabbed Aeri’s arm, her boobs pressed with Aeir’s arms. "I want my Aeri with me all the time for this!" She nuzzled closer, her eyes half-closed, her chatterbox energy softened by the alcohol, her neediness almost childlike.

I made a disgusted face, my lips pursing, my thoughts sharp. *Is she a child or something?* I wondered, watching her cling to Aeri.

"Yes, yes, I’ll be with you, don’t worry," Aeri said, her voice gentle, patting Sara’s head, her love for her friend unwavering.

I sighed, my breath visible in the chilly air, my hands burrowing deeper into my pockets. "Well, goodbye then," I said, turning toward the station, my sneakers scuffing. "I should leave before I miss the last train."

Aeri’s eyes followed me, her hand resting on her chest. "Take care, Ezra. Sleep well and eat breakfast properly," she said, her tone filled with care and worry, her gaze lingering on my back.

I lifted one hand, waving it lazily without turning, my voice low. "You too," I said, my sneakers carrying me toward the station.

"Burp!" Sara hiccuped, her voice loud, slumping into the taxi’s back seat, her boots scraping the pavement, her red nails clutching Aeri’s arm.

"Let’s go..." she mumbled, her drunken grin wide, her eyes half-closed.

Aeri glanced at me one last time, her smile soft, her hand still on her chest, then turned to help Sara into the taxi, her sweater a pale glow as she climbed in, the door shutting with a soft thud.

The taxi pulled away, its taillights fading, and I walked to the station, the platform’s hum greeting me, the weight of my secrets—Sara’s moans, Aeri’s love, the fireworks’ fleeting beauty—a silent burden I carried alone, the city’s lights a quiet backdrop to the tangled heart I couldn’t untangle.

The city’s restless hum faded as I stepped into my warm house, the quiet of the late night wrapping around me like a heavy blanket. The air was cool, carrying the faint scent of laundry detergent and the lingering trace of the day’s chaos—the mall, sex, the fireworks, the weight of my secrets.

My white sneakers were gotten muddy with mud from the hilltop, and remove them and my socks.

Washing my hands fast and having no energy to change my clothes to the casual house ones, My long black shirt and t-shirt clung to my frame, slightly damp from the chilly night, my jeans heavy as I shuffled to my room, the wooden floor creaking under my feet.

*PLOP* The bed sinked down, its sheets a familiar warmth, and I collapsed onto it, sprawling flat on my back, my arms flung wide, my eyes fixed on the ceiling’s cracked paint.

"Tiring day..." I muttered, my voice barely audible. Without bothering to change, I let sleep claim me, the silence of the room swallowing the city’s distant noise.

*Ring, Ring.* The sharp ringing of my phone sliced through the haze of sleep, jerking me awake.

My eyes slowly fluttered open, heavy and sluggish, the room filled with morning lights of the sun that came through the opening of curtains and windows, the ceiling a blurry shadow above.

"Urmm..." I groaned, my hand fumbling blindly across the bedside table, fingers brushing the cold edge of my phone. I grabbed it, not bothering to check the screen, to check who is calling me this early and pressed it to my ear, my head still half-buried in the pillow, my breath slow and uneven.

"Ezra!" Jonathan’s voice boomed through the phone, sharp and urgent, cutting through the fog in my brain. His familiar tone—part friend, part boss—carried the usual mix of enthusiasm and impatience, the kind that always meant work was calling.

"Hmm?" I mumbled, my voice a low rasp, not fully awake, my eyes still closed towards the ceiling, the weight of sleep clinging to me.

"How are you doing? Where are you?" He asked urgent, mixed with worriness.

"Hmm.." I mumbled, which expressed all the answers to him without me telling him about it.

"Ohh, so you are sleepy and tired like always." He said laughing to himself.

"Hmm." I expressed that told him that he is on spot and he was actually. I had no idea whej my drained life will be over.

"So are you free today?" He asked spinning the glass of wine in his hand. The ice softly craddling against the glass

"Hmm.." I expressed telling him that he is right to think that. Our connection deeper enough that we can chat in telepathy with each other.

"That’s good to know and by the way, you’ve got a client today. Come fast," Jonathan said, his words clipped, the sound of glass and drinks being poured rustling in the background,

"Hmm.." I mumbled knowing what he is talking about."

"Important client man, don’t be late." Jonathan said taking a sip from whatever he was drinking in that moment.

"Hmm." I grunted, my brain sluggishly processing, my free hand on my stomach holding the sheets, the pillow soft on my cheek.

"Will be waiting for you. Bye," he said, his voice already fading, the call ending with a click before I could muster more than a sound.

"Hmm." I muttered again, agreeing to the empty air. I pulled the phone away and tossed the phone onto the bed beside me, its soft thud muffled by the sheets. Dim screen for a second, Jonathan’s name glowing briefly before it went black.

I sighed, the sound heavy, drawn from deep in my chest, my body still craving sleep, the day’s chaos—mall, fireworks, betrayals—lingering like a bruise.

The ceiling stared back, unyielding, and I lay there a moment longer, the weight of the new day already pressing down.