9. Firework
Firework
C assie checked her reflection in the hallway mirror for the dozenth time, smoothing down the front of her sundress.
It wasn’t too much. Casual, breezy, perfect for a summer night.
She exhaled sharply, shaking her head at herself.
This wasn’t a big deal. Just dinner and fireworks with a new friend.
She had no reason to be nervous. “Maybe I should change…”
Then the doorbell rang, and her stomach flipped.
She opened the door to find Alex standing on her porch, one hand shoved into the pocket of their jeans, one holding the strap of a backpack over their shoulder.
They wore a crisp button-up with the sleeves rolled to their elbows, and their dark hair was neatly styled, though a few strands had fallen across their forehead.
They looked... adorable, in a way that made Cassie’s heart do something annoyingly soft in her chest.
“H-hey,” Alex said, offering a small, shy smile.
“Hey yourself,” Cassie replied. “You’re right on time. ”
“Figured I’d start the night off with at least one thing going for me.” Alex chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of their neck. “Y-you look—,” beautiful , “nice.”
“So do you.” Cassie smiled, her eyes flicking to the bag Alex carried. “You can leave that here if you want.”
Alex shook their head. “I’m good.”
Cassie raised an eyebrow, intrigued, but didn’t press.
Instead, she locked up the house, and they started down the sidewalk toward the restaurant.
The evening was warm, the scent of the ocean lingering in the air.
It wasn’t a long walk. Just enough to enjoy the summer breeze and the fading sunlight.
The streets were alive with holiday energy.
Laughter and chatter buzzed around them, the distant sound of music filling the air.
Cassie glanced at the bag again, curiosity getting the best of her. “You sure you don’t want to drop that off at my place?”
Alex adjusted the strap of the backpack. “Nope. It’s coming with me.”
Cassie arched a brow. “What’s in it?”
“That’s for me to know and you to find out,” Alex said with a wink.
Cassie let out an exaggerated sigh. “You’re killing me here.”
Alex just smirked and kept walking.
After a few minutes, Cassie glanced sideways at Alex. “So, I’ve got to ask—how does someone who just moved to LA know the best walking route to dinner?”
Alex smirked. “Google Maps is a wonderful thing.”
Cassie laughed, shaking her head. “I guess that makes sense. Still, you seem pretty comfortable here for someone new to the area.”
“I grew up near here,” Alex admitted. “My parents still live in the house I grew up in. ”
Cassie nodded, then gestured vaguely to their surroundings. “You know, speaking of living here… I’m surprised you didn’t say anything about my place. Most people comment on how expensive it must be to live here.”
Alex hesitated before replying, choosing their words carefully. “I mean, I did wonder. This area isn’t exactly cheap.”
Cassie tucked her hands into her pockets. “I don’t actually make enough to afford this neighborhood on my salary alone.”
Alex tilted their head. “Oh?”
“My grandma left me the house when she passed,” Cassie explained, her tone softening.
“That makes sense.” Alex’s gaze lingered on her for a beat, something unreadable in their expression. “It looks like a great house. Must be nice to have a place with that much history.”
Cassie smiled. “Yeah. It is. But it’s also expensive as hell to maintain.
It’s old and needs a ton of work. Old pipes, foundation issues, roof issues.
The whole nine yards. Half the time, I feel like I’m just patching things up and hoping nothing else breaks.
” She sighed, a wistfulness to it. “But it’s mine. ”
They continued walking, the conversation shifting to lighter topics as they neared the restaurant.
At dinner, the conversation continued to flow easily. They talked about everything…favorite movies, childhood stories, even a bit about hockey. But when the subject of work came up, Cassie stiffened.
“What about you?” Alex asked, taking a sip of their drink. “Do you like your job?”
Cassie exhaled, swirling the ice in her glass. “I do, yeah. But it’s... complicated right now.”
Alex tilted their head. “Complicated how? ”
She hesitated. “Let’s just say I’m dealing with some unexpected frustrations.” She forced a smile and waved it off. “But I don’t want to talk about work tonight.”
Alex nodded. “Fair enough. No work talk.”
“Good.” Cassie smiled cheekily. “So tell me, is there a trail of broken hearts in New York?”
Alex groaned. “Oh, come on.”
“You brought up work, you suffer the consequences.”
Shaking their head, Alex chuckled. “I’m pretty sure exes trump work.”
Cassie smirked, raising her eyebrow in a silent challenge.
Alex exhaled, long and slow. “You sure you want to hear about my ex?”
“If you’re willing to share,” Cassie shrugged.
Drawing in a deep breath, Alex’s fingers picked absentmindedly at the napkin in their lap.
“My ex… uh… s-she assumed I had a lot of money because my family’s well off.
That I was sitting on a trust fund or something, just waiting to be spent.
But I’ve always been pretty frugal. I don’t have a trust fund, and I don’t take money from my parents.
” They paused, shifting in their seat. “T-that… didn’t sit well with her. ”
Cassie frowned. “So she got upset that you weren’t rich?”
Alex let out a small, dry chuckle. “Pretty much. I think she thought dating me would mean fancy vacations and expensive gifts. At first, it was just jokes, little comments. B-but then it turned into… expectations. When she realized I preferred saving money, and I had to budget like a normal person… it was like I’d misled her or something.
” Alex cringed. “I didn’t see it at first. Took me way too long to figure out what she really cared about. ”
“Is…” Cassie hesitated. “Is that the reason you broke up? ”
“It wasn’t the only reason… but, yeah, that was a big part of it.”
Cassie shook her head, a look of disgust on her face. “That’s messed up.”
Alex gave a small shrug, as if they weren’t sure how else to respond. Cassie studied them for a moment, then lowered her eyes, looking at Alex through her lashes. “For what it’s worth, I like that you’re a normal person.”
A faint flush crept up Alex’s neck, but they smiled. “G-good to know.”
After dinner, the sky had deepened into a soft navy, the first hints of fireworks already crackling in the distance. They made their way toward the pier, where groups of people were gathering on the sand in anticipation of the main show.
Cassie glanced over as Alex slowed their pace, reaching for the zipper of their backpack. “Alright, now I’m curious. What’s in the bag?”
Alex flashed a quiet, triumphant grin before pulling out a neatly folded blanket and two small, padded seat cushions. “Figured we’d be more comfortable this way.”
Cassie blinked in surprise, then burst out laughing. “You really came prepared.”
Alex shrugged, a faint blush coloring their cheeks. “D-didn’t want to risk sitting on cold, damp sand for an hour.”
Cassie blinked again, still chuckling. “Wow. That’s… surprisingly thoughtful.”
Alex raised an eyebrow in mock offense. “Surprisingly?”
Cassie smirked. “Okay, very thoughtful.” She shook her head, reaching for one of the cushions. “I get the feeling you’ve done this before. ”
“Maybe once or twice,” Alex admitted, the blush on their cheeks deepening.
They found a good spot on the beach and settled in, the cushions making a significant difference against the firm ground. As the first explosion of color lit up the night sky, Cassie found herself sneaking a glance at Alex. In the flickering light, their expression was open, unguarded.
The fireworks reflected in their eyes, their lips slightly parted as they watched.
The shifting colors illuminated their features—prominent cheekbones, a strong jawline.
They were handsomely beautiful, and for a brief moment, Cassie forgot to be nervous.
She could feel it… the pull between them, something deeper than just a casual date.
But she wasn’t sure what to do with that information yet.
Alex turned, catching her staring. Instead of teasing, they simply held her gaze. “Thanks for joining me tonight.”
Cassie swallowed, then nodded. “Thanks for inviting me.”
As the fireworks continued, their arms brushed, neither of them moving away. The tension was there, undeniable. But neither of them spoke it aloud. It was too soon, too fragile. And yet, it lingered between them, electric and unspoken.
On the walk back, the streets were still lively with people finishing up their celebrations. As they passed an ice cream shop with a glowing Open sign, Cassie nudged Alex’s arm. “Feel like some ice cream?”
Alex glanced at her, then at the shop. “Was that part of the plan?”
Cassie shrugged. “I just thought it might be nice to have something cool and sweet.”
Alex’s lips curved into a small smile. “I like the way you think.”
They stepped inside, the cool air a relief from the lingering heat of the day. The sweet aroma of freshly made waffle cones tickled their noses as they scanned the array of ice cream flavors. Cassie chose chocolate, while Alex went for mint chip.
“You’re one of those people,” Cassie teased, wrinkling her nose.
Alex raised an eyebrow. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Mint chocolate chip? It tastes like toothpaste.”
Alex gasped dramatically. “I can’t believe you just said that to me.”
Cassie smirked, taking a slow, exaggerated bite of her chocolate cone. “I stand by it.”
Shaking their head, Alex laughed softly as they held the door open. “After you, my lady.”
The sound of their laughter, so light, so genuine, caught Cassie off guard, making her heart skip just a little.
She hadn’t expected the warmth in their voice, and it sent a ripple of unexpected warmth through her, too.
For the first time that evening, Cassie felt the heat of bashfulness travel up her cheeks, her pulse quickening in a way she hadn’t anticipated.
Stepping back onto the sidewalk, she hesitated for only a moment before casually looping her arm through Alex’s, blush be damned.
She had nothing to prove here. Besides, it felt too good, this closeness, this effortless connection between them.
For once, she allowed herself to lean into it, to just be.
Alex’s breath hitched for just a fraction of a second, but it was enough to make Cassie wonder if they, too, were feeling the subtle weight of the moment.
Neither of them said anything. They didn’t need to.
By unspoken agreement, the pace of their steps slowed.
Every step was deliberate, measured, as though they both wanted this moment to last a little longer.
The city around them hummed with life. Cars whizzing by, people laughing, streetlights flickering.
But all of it seemed to fade into the background .
It was just them, walking slowly under the orange glow of the street lamps, their shoulders brushing now and then, the evening air cool against their skin.
The simple act of being close, of walking in sync, felt like something profound.
Neither of them was ready to admit it, but they both knew this was something worth holding on to.
Something worth savoring before the world came rushing back in.
Cassie’s heart thudded softly in her chest, but it wasn’t with the usual nervous energy.
No, this was something else, something steadier, something more real.
And for once, she didn’t pull away, didn’t hold herself back.
She let herself lean into the connection, trusting that maybe, just maybe, it was enough for tonight.