When Kit pulled away, Edison didn't let her go far, his hand's still cupping her face, but he gave her enough room to catch her breath. The rest of the world fell back in around them, but there was only silence.

It was as if the world was frozen and they were the only ones breathing.

Then a sudden rush of noise filled the empty air, as the crowd around the lake sent their cheers and shouts out into the night. Kit pulled further away and looked around.

She looked back to Edison, the last hints of his breath still on her lips. He was still looking at her with a look that was both familiar and new. It was wonder with a hint of something deeper. She thought she could melt under that look.

But just as the idea came to her, the feeling began to disappear. She grasped at it, desperately trying to keep a hold on it, but it slipped away. In it's place came a single phrase, Jaxon's question: "Whats going to happen to Edison when this was over?"

She gave a quiet smile and placed her hands on top of Edison's, removing his hands from her face. The cheers continued and the boys began to grow rowdy, threatening to push each other in the water. The girl's squealed as they quickly moved out of the danger zone but the energy didn't touch Kit. She felt more like the cloud of smoke the fireworks had left behind in the sky, a faint reminder of something great that had already passed.

"Happy Fourth of July Kit-Kat!" Jaxon yelled. He pulled her away from Edison and spun her around. "For life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness!"

He threw her over his shoulder and jumped into the lake. Water shot up her nose and she came up coughing, but clear headed.

She laughed loudly and reached for him. She jumped on his shoulders, trying to push him under water, but he quickly grabbed her and threw her back into the water. When she came up, she had swallowed a large amount of lake water but she felt energized and ready for a fight.

Several of the guys had jumped in and the scene was chaotic. She searched for Jaxon, but between the low light and the splashing water fights, he was lost to her. She swam for the dock, hoping to get a higher vantage point and found Edison waiting for her. Grinning, he offered a helping hand.

She took it and pulled. "Come in!" she said. She tried to drag him into the water. "Edison, get in the water. Get in the water!"

She put the full force of her weight behind her attempt, but he easily slipped his hand free.

He shook his head and stepped back. She shrugged and turned back to her original task of finding Jaxon. She didn't have to look far when he popped up in front of her. She tried to reach for him but he dunked her under before she could grab him.

She left Edison on the dock as she chased after Jaxon. It was a futile attempt on her part. Jaxon had been on the swim team since freshman year and his arms were almost as long as she was tall, but that didn't stop her from trying.

She quickly tired. Her strokes became slow and heavy, and she couldn't grab him even as he swam circles around her, but she kept up the fight. Drew lit the fire pit and the warmth and appeal of s'mores pulled everyone from the water until it was just Kit and Jaxon. After a few minutes of swimming bored circles, even Jaxon lost interest and pulled her along to the dock.

Edison was waiting for them. He offered her his hand and pulled her out. Her shorts and the shirt she had borrowed from Jaxon clung to her.

"Jaxon, look what you did," she said. "These are the only clothes I have."

Jaxon was pulling on a dry shirt and she reached for it. He just chuckled as he dodged her hands.

"Dry by the fire," he suggested.

He grinned as he ran his hand through his hair and jogged to join the crowd around the fire pit. She grumbled under her breath as she started after him, but Edison caught her hand.

"I have some clothes in my truck you can borrow," he said. "Come on."

He didn't let her entertain any thoughts of retaliation against Jaxon as he pulled her up the dock and past the fire pit.

"I can't believe Jaxon," she grumbled.

"Really?" Edison chucked. "You two are always bickering."

"I'm just annoyed because this is the second shirt he has ruined today," she said. "Did I tell you he threw my other shirt into the lake?"

He just nodded in amusement and unlocked his truck. He reached in the backseat and grabbed her a t-shirt and a pair sweatpants.

"Here," he said, tossing them to her.

"Thank you. Now turn around." She motioned with her finger for him to look away.

He grinned. "You're in a bathing suit. It isn't anything I haven't seen."

"Still," she said. She walked around the truck before she took off her shirt and shorts. He chuckled, but turned away.

The sweatpants were way too big on her and she had to roll the waist band several times in order to keep them up. The t-shirt hung way past her waist but it was soft and smelled familiar.

She balled up her wet clothes and threw them in the back of the truck as she rejoined Edison. He smiled warmly when he turned back around and, despite the baggy clothes and messy hair, she felt beautiful.

"Let's go make s'mores!" she cheered.

"No." He reached out and kept her from walking away. "For the sake of all s'more everywhere, I'm not letting you near the marshmallows or the fire," he said. "The last time we made s'mores is still fresh in my memory. Honestly, I'm surprised the S'mores Officials haven't banned you from ever making them again."

She rolled her eyes. "I get it, I'm bad at making s'mores," she said. "It's my one flaw."

"You think you only have one?" he teased.

She grinned. "If you ask Jaxon, I have a lot more."

"And if you ask me..."

"Yes...?" she took a step closer, giving him a warning look.

"I would say you have none."

She scoffed. "What happened to keeping me away from the fire pit for the sake of s'mores everywhere?" she asked. "Hmmm...?"

She gave him a playful smile and took another step closer.

"I only said that for you own good. I didn't want the officials showing up and carting you away," he explained. "If someone didn't know you and all your amazing qualities, they might hold your horrible s'mores against you."

"But you don't?"

"I'm a very forgiving person."

"And my 'amazing qualities'" she made air quotes, "have nothing to do with that?"

He squinted as he playfully thought about for a moment. "Maybe a little bit."

She smiled. "Well, Mr. Reigns, if we can't go back to the fire pit, what do you suggest we do? Because the night is young and far from over."

"I agree," he said. He walked her to the passenger side door and opened it. "Did you know Al's has a s'mores milkshake?"

She gave him an intrigued look. "Sounds delicious."

"It is. And it requires no cooking on your part, so we won't get in trouble with the officials."

"S'mores without trouble? Sounds a little mundane, but what's life without the mundane?" she joked.

"That would be life with you," he said.

*****************

Downtown was still bursting with the Fourth of July celebration when they reached main street. There was a large crowd still gathered around the town hall and main street was littered with groups. The night was alive with energy.

Al's was busier than Kit had ever seen it. The booths were overflowing with families as kids chased each other up and down the aisles. Kit and Edison glanced at their normal back booth, but they weren't surprised to find a large group crammed in it.

A waitress hurried by with a tray full of drinks. She told them to find whatever spots they could, barely getting the words out as she continued down an aisle. Edison took Kit's hand and pulled her through the crowd. Tucked into a back corner were two vacant bar stools.

Once seated, Edison tried to wave down a waitress but his attempts were in vain. The waitresses disappeared as fast as they appeared, and they were always heading in the opposite direction. After a few minutes, he gave up and shifted his attention to Kit.

"I promise you'll get a s'mores milkshake, but I can't promise how soon you will get it."

She shrugged and smiled. "I'm in good company. I'm in no rush."

He grinned and leaned in closer, their knees bumping against each other.

"Good. So, why don't you have any furniture in your house?"

She threw her head back and laughed. "We could talk about anything and you want to talk about that?"

"Yes!" he said. "Who doesn't have furniture?" He thought about it. "I guess a house squatter doesn't. Are you a squatter?"

"Not professionally, but I do have amazing thighs," she joked. He laughed and shook his head. "Honestly? I'm just waiting until my parents get here."

He eyed her skeptically. "Is that the truth or just another story? I'm still not convinced you actually have parents."

"You talked with my mom this morning!"

"Did I? How can I be sure? Maybe you hired an actor to play your mom."

"That would be crazy!"

"You're crazy."

She chuckled and playfully pushed him. "Maybe, I'm crazy enough to tell you the truth."

He still eyed her skeptically. "You're waiting until your parents arrive?"

She nodded. "They offered to have furniture delivered, but I didn't want to deal with all the fuss. They'll be here soon enough and they can deal with all of it. Until then, all I need is a bed and television."

He nodded in understanding. "Why did you come here alone?"

She shrugged and rested her arms on the counter, settling into her spot.

"My dad's business trip included a lot of traveling and I was over it. I didn't feel like spending the best part of summer in an airplane," she explained. "We were going to come here once the trip was done and they let me come a little earlier. Besides, Jaxon and my aunt and uncle are here, it's not like I'm really alone."

"What do your parents do for work?"

She looked at him playfully. "Is this an interrogation?"

"Can you blame me if it is? You've given me nothing." She gave him an innocent look, but he cut off her argument. "I don't know anything about you."

"You know I like waffles," she offered.

"And you drive a moped and you really like to annoy me," he listed them off like he had long ago memorized them. "But that's it!"

"What if that's all there is?"

She gave him a challenging look, but they both knew there was no fight behind it.

"Bullcrap," he countered. "If I have learned anything in the last two weeks, it's that when it comes to you, there is always, always something more."

He spoke with certainty and she liked it.

"My dad's a financial business strategy consultant," she said. He gave her a blank look and she smiled. "Don't worry, I've lived with him my whole life and I still don't really understand what he does. Simply put, he tells people what they are doing wrong and helps them fix it... He's really smart," she added when his expression didn't change.

"It sounds like it," he said. "And being a whatever consultant means you travel a lot?"

She nodded. "He works with different companies and groups all over the world. Sometimes its for a couple of months, sometimes a year, sometimes weeks."

He nodded pensively, like he was having a hard time wrapping his head around the job description, and the fact that she was telling him something about herself.

"Has it always been like that?" he asked. She gave him a questioning look. "Traveling around? Has it been like that your whole life?"

She nodded, her eyes on a passing waitress. She waited until the waitress looked up then gave her a small wave.

"Hi Wanda!" she said.

She gave Wanda a sweet smile to let her know they understood the delay in being served. Wanda gave her an appreciative look before she disappeared into the kitchen.

"You said you've lived all over. Where specifically?" Edison asked.

Kit smiled as she took her eyes off the distracting crowd.

"You wanna know all of them?" she asked. He nodded. Her eyes drifted up as she thought about all the places. "Italy, Paris, Norway, New York, Copenhagen, San Diego, Berlin, Tokyo, Sweden, Charlotte North Carolina, Denver." She scrunched her face thoughtfully. "Those are a few."

She smiled as he sat in silent shock. Wanda appeared in front of them before he could find words.

"Hey kids," she said in throaty voice. "Sorry about the wait."

"Don't even worry about it," Kit said, waving away her apology. "It's insane in here."

Wanda rolled her eyes. "It always is on the Fourth of July. What can I get you two?"

"One s'mores milkshake, and..." Both women turned to Edison, but he still struggled for words. "Make that two s'mores milkshakes and fries," Kit said. "And no rush."

Wanda smiled warmly. "Don't worry," she said, "I'll bump your order to the front." She winked and was gone. Kit turned back to Edison.

"Does that satisfy your curiosity?" she asked.

He shook his head. "Do you speak a million different languages?"

She chuckled. "If my mother had it her way, I would. But I don't. I speak a tiny bit of everything and insults in German."

He smiled. "What about school? How did you learn if you didn't speak the language?"

"My mom home schooled me and I learned to speak the language of whatever country we were in. But once we moved to a new place, there was a new language to learn so I would forget the old one."

"Your mom doesn't work?"

She smiled. "On top of home schooling me, she has a full time job making sure my dad stays alive and gets to the right place on time," she laughed. "For being brilliant, my dad can be extremely scattered brained. My mom makes sure he eats, sleeps, makes his appointments. We always joke that being a consultant is a two person job. My dad brings the brains, my mom brings everything else."

"That's why you came here alone?"

"Yup. My mom could trust that I would remember to eat and sleep on my own. The same can't be said about my dad."

Edison chuckled. "It was the opposite with my parents. My dad was the really organized one and my mom was more scatter brained." He paused. "Well, she was until he left."

Kit sat up in interest. She couldn't fault Edison for being curious about her when she felt the same way about him.

"My grandma use to always tell me stories about how forgetful my mom was as a kid," he said. "But once my dad was gone she couldn't really be scatter brain, hold down a job and take care of two kids."

"Do you see your grandparents a lot?" she asked, focusing on the safest topic.

"After the divorce, they took care of my sister and me every day after school. My grandpa took me to most of my football practices. But they passed away a few years ago."

"I'm sorry."

He shrugged. "It's okay." He sat up straight and looked around like he had lost track of where they were. "Wow, we got really off topic," he said. "What were we talking about? Your German insults?"

"Du bist dumm und du riechst!" she said loudly.

He looked at her amazed. "What did you just say?"

"You're stupid and you smell. Don't judge me. I lived in Germany when I was eight. Those were the hard hitting insults."

His head went back as he laughed loudly and she didn't mind that his laughter was at her expense. He was still laughing when Wanda delivered their milkshakes and fries. Kit took a sip of her milkshake, then dipped a fry in it and ate it. Edison didn't hesitate as he followed her example. A pleased smile spread across his face as he chewed.

"That's kind of amazing!" he said. He reached for another fry and dunked it.

By the time their milkshakes were gone and their fry basket was empty, so was Al's. All that remained were tables littered with empty plates and glasses, and a few waitresses cleaning up. Kit and Edison left cash on the counter for Wanda and waved goodbye as they left. Roger made his first appearance just before they reached the door.

"Hey kids," he called out, looking worn out.

"Roger!" Kit returned. She began to turn back towards him but he waved her on.

"I'm not much for conversation tonight," he said. "I need to clean up and get out of here fast, but I just wanted to say hi."

"Happy Fourth of July!" Kit said.

He smiled and headed back towards the kitchen but paused. "Should I play you out?"

Kit grinned. "If you aren't too tired."

He scoffed. "I'm never too tired for that."

He went to the jukebox and selected a song. Patriotic horns began to play through the speakers. Kit's shoulders danced along to the beat as they waved goodnight.

Downtown had been abandoned by the crowds. The only hints left of the Fourth of July celebration were the red confetti dotted along main street and discarded flags. Kit picked up a flag and twirled it between her fingers as they walked back to Edison's truck.

"Your parents will be here by the end of the week?" he asked.

"That's what the actress on the phone said, so yes."

She bumped shoulders with him jokingly.

He bit back a smile. "What then? You'll furnish the house?"

"Furniture is definitely in our future. Does that ease your worry?"

"It does. Although, I can't really imagine you in a house with furniture. Or with parents. It will be so... normal."

"I know. Imagine that. Me, normal!"

They both laughed the moment the words were out of her mouth.

"I really can't imagine it," he said.

"Well, you won't have to because it will be reality in a few days."

"What? You normal?"

She laughed. "That will never happen. I was talking about furniture and parents."

"Does furniture mean you will be here for a while?" he asked. "What about your dad's job? I can't imagine anyone in Lighthouse Point has need for a strategy consultant or whatever he is."

She laughed and danced the last few feet to his truck.

"He's between jobs," she said.

He opened her door for her and she climbed in. When he got into the drivers seat, he took her hand and she scooted closer as they pulled away from main street.

"How long is your dad usually between jobs?" he asked. His tone was casual, but she could sense he was digging for information.

She didn't respond right away as she sat taking in the moment. The vinyl seat, Edison's summery scent, the faint patriotic music floating from the truck's speakers. It was all she needed to end the perfect day. She breathed it in, holding on to it like a souvenir.

"It depends," she finally answered. "Sometimes it's weeks. Sometimes months."

"And when his next job comes up, what then? Will you leave?"

He pulled into her driveway and put the car in park, but didn't turn it off.

"What's with all this talk about the future? Didn't we already settle that I'm getting furniture? Isn't that the most important thing?"

She scooted back to her side of the truck's bench to get a better look at him.

"Is talking about the future a bad thing?" he asked.

"I don't think it's as important as right now. What will be, will be. Why waste time thinking about it?"

"But I have been thinking about it," he said. "The future, and I've been thinking about you."

"You flatter me," she said, twirling her flag.

"I'm serious," he said.

"Sounds boring."

"Not to me." His tone was serious but soft and it made her stop, long enough for him to say what he wanted to. "This is probably crazy and I don't ever do this, and I mean ever, but whatever this is," he motioned between them, "I don't want it to end. I don't want it to stop, even if you leave."

"When," she corrected him silently.

"Hanging out with you has been crazy and the most fun I've ever had. You're wild and unpredictable and..." he paused stuck on words and just looked at her. He looked at her with warm eyes, like he too wanted a souvenir from the night. A souvenir of her.

Her heart might have skipped if it wasn't on the ground, weighed down by hopelessness at what he was saying. She shook her head, unable to find words to tell him to stop, and he continued.

"The truth is, I've never known anyone as thrilling or as enchanting as you. You're like sunshine." A small worried crease appeared between his eyes. "I don't know what the future holds but I know I want you in it, whatever that means. Whether your here or in another country, I'm in."

He chuckled softly and shook his head. "That sounds absolutely mad, but I don't even care. That's what you've done to me Kit St. James. I'm crazy and I don't care because you're..."

The thought of him continuing on, singing her praise, made her move. She rushed forward, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

She kissed him, knowing it meant something to him, when it didn't mean the same thing to her. She kissed him because she needed him to stop talking. His words only made her feel worse.

When she pulled away, she barely allowed herself a last peek at him before she slipped out of the passenger side.

"Happy Fourth of July!" she said, running towards her house. She didn't look back as she unlocked the door and ducked inside.

Her heart was racing as she leaned back against the door, and slowly slipped to the ground. What had she done? How had this happened? He wasn't suppose to care about her. He was Edison Reigns. He just liked to flirt. Her mind began to race, questioning every move she had made since arriving in Lighthouse Point.

She was beginning to feel dizzy when the phone rang. The shrill noise cut through all her thoughts and gave her a simple and immediate step. She obeyed. She stood up, walked to the kitchen and answered it.

"Hi, honey," her mom said.

She let out a deep breath, releasing the tension that had been building in her shoulders.

"Hey mom," she said.

"How was your Fourth of July? What did you do?"

She leaned against the counter. "I just hung out with some friends at the lake. It was all very southern small town."

"Was Jaxon there?"

"He was, but he wasn't happy about it."

"He never is," she said. "Was Edison there?"

Kit hesitated. She looked down and realized she was still holding the small flag.

"Yup," she finally answered.

Her mom gave a weighted pause. "He seemed nice when we spoke this morning. Who is he?"

Kit twirled the flag, the red, white and blue blurring together. For a moment, it reminded her of the fireworks.

"Edison," she said.

She stopped twirling the flag and put it on the counter.

"He's just a friend."

**********************************************************************

Duck and cover!

*hides behind closest object*

Yes! I know you hate me right now but that is no reason to throw things at me! Especially tomatoes!

*peers out from behind shield*

Are you done yet?

Good! Now let's talk about how completely and utterly depressed we all feel that Kit has not only turned down the cutest guy ever, but openly admitted that she has no feelings for him to her mother!

Hey! I said no tomatoes! *hides again*

Truly what do you think is up with Kit?

She was all flirty flirty with Edison the whole day and now she rejects him! Gosh darn it what is that girl thinking! He's a cute piece of muffin and she should not be treating him this way!

Okay my rant is over. And since it was so intense I'll move onto the final question because really there is no way to smoothly transition into a story about Paris, a baguette and a cemetery. Oh well.

So if you could have one super power what would it be and why?

I would be able to teleport, cause come on, you can go where ever you want in a matter of seconds.

"Miers, mīlestība, saldējums. (Latvian)

☝️Does anyone understand what this stands for, not just the literal translation?

(It's a replacement for vote, comment, follow, I just got tried of saying it and felt like I was bugging you)