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!"
