The Last Time I Cried Your Name novel Chapter 227

The moment she stood in front of him, she felt like she was standing way too close to a bonfire—her whole body just seemed to heat up all at once.

He was biting down on a cigarette, hair a little longer since he got back from the army. It wasn’t cropped short anymore, but his face still had those sharp, striking features.

She lifted the sparklers in her hand. “I want to play with these.”

He just glanced at her, then at the sparklers, and let out a quiet laugh. “Aren’t you a little old for that?”

Even though he sounded like he was teasing her, he pulled the cigarette from his mouth and used the burning tip to light one of her sparklers.

It crackled and flared to life, spraying tiny sparks everywhere.

She raised her eyes, and for a second, through all that flickering light, she met his cool, dark gaze.

The happiness she’d been holding in fluttered up to her eyes and set off a smile at the corner of her mouth. Just then, Franco’s expression changed. He looked bothered, pressed out his cigarette, and walked away without another word.

Someone brushed against her arm, snapping her out of the memory.

Petty turned and saw Malcom holding his phone out for her to see. On the screen, he typed, Want to play?

She shook her head, pointing off toward the other end of the beach. “I want to launch a sky lantern,” she said, her voice steady and calm.

Malcom looked where she was pointing. There was a little stall down there, with people huddled around, lighting lanterns and letting them go.

Those crumpled paper lanterns started to puff up over the little flames, and a couple lifted one together, letting it float up into the night sky.

More and more people moved that way, and lanterns dotted the sky above the ocean.

Petty picked out four lanterns from the stall. Before she could get her phone out to pay, Malcom stepped up, pulled out his wallet, and handed the vendor some bills.

She opened her mouth to say something, but Malcom already had a sleek black lighter in his hand. He pointed toward a quieter spot away from the crowd.

So he wanted them to go over there. Petty nodded, and before leaving, asked the vendor for a black marker.

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