Crossing all the lines

Rebound

"I wanna dance among the stars." I confided as the night had fallen pretty quickly over the sleeping town. Elle and I had grabbed a coffee after school and had then decided to grab something to eat by McDonalds. Something cheap, fast and good to eat. We stopped by the park and ate in silence, enjoying the soothing breeze of the wind against our skin. I was burning down, and all I needed not to fall was for her to catch me eventually. As long as she was there, I was safe. I laid down on the fresh grass to look at the sky in awe, my lips parted slightly.

"What makes you think you can't?" Her question had been dropped onto the silence, teasing my mind with possibilities, all more crazy than the others. Why did I feel like that? I had no idea, I just did. I shrugged, bitting my lower lip. She laid by my side and waited, I don't know what for, she just stared at me intently, making me wonder what she wanted to say that she was keeping to herself, I could easily read that in her awaiting eyes.

"Say it." I said simply, looking back into the sky, diving into it.

"The fire's running low, you can still escape it, then you'll reach the stars. You'll be free." I couldn't tell whether she wanted me to escape it, or if I wanted to. I was slowly losing my mind, and she wasn't helping. Although I could tell she was trying to.

"The fire's high, it's like a wall, and I can't escape without getting burned somehow." I explained, letting her see my point of view on how things actually were at the moment. She nodded, unsure. The more we talked, the more she seemed to want to convince me that things weren't like they seemed to be, that I was stronger than I thought I was. I wish I could have believed her, but I didn't.

"Look at me." She whispered, teasing my curiosity. Slowly, just slowly, she leaned in, and captured my lips. It was soft, nothing too much, it was just enough. Moving her lips against mine delicately, she seemed to enjoy the texture of them, licking them in, drinking them in. Until she stopped. She leaned back, a gentle smile playing on her lips. I, for myself, swallowed hard.

"You can escape. Escape through me." Pursing my lips, I considered her words. But decided against it. I couldn't play with her, not could I play with my own feelings. So I just shook my head slightly, making her smile fade somehow. I knew she wanted this, I could tell just by looking into her eyes.

"I do not want you to be some rebound Elle. You deserve better."

Broken, I straightened myself and let my eyes wander away. I wish I could love somebody else, I wish I could let myself, but it wasn't that simple, it felt like a betrayal. I just couldn't. She stopped talking, but kept on staring at me in wonder. She nodded, showing that she understood my decision. She waited a few minutes before she dialed someone to pick us up as we were far from both our houses. I expected it to be her parents, but reality would hit me like a truck.