Abandon You Choose Dragon Chapter 04
The yard went half-silent the moment they saw me.
Ash still had an unlit cigarette between his fingers.
Chloe scurried over and grabbed my sleeve, her rabbit ears quivering.
“Iris! You’re back! I was just about to come find you—”
I raised my hand to pull free.
She tumbled backward with a little yelp and landed on the ground.
The sparkler rolled away across the stones.
“Chloe!”
Ash closed the distance in three strides, shoving me aside. I stumbled back, tripped over the pile of spent firework casings, and went down hard.
My palms hit the hot debris. The burn seared through me and I curled inward.
James and Liam rushed over too.
They hovered around Chloe like she was made of glass, helping her up with the tenderest hands.
Not one of them looked at me.
Ash turned his head in my direction. His eyes were blazing.
“What the hell is wrong with you?”
“Chloe was just worrying about you running off. She was worried about your safety.”
“And you come back and shove her? Is that how you were raised?”
The pain in my palms throbbed upward in waves.
Moonlight fell across my hands. Blisters were already rising.
He noticed me cradling my hand, and his tone softened—barely.
“…Are you okay?”
I didn’t look at him. I braced myself against the ground and stood up on my own.
A laugh escaped me. “Worried about my safety. So worried she’s out here setting off fireworks to celebrate.”
Ash faltered. “What are you talking about? Fireworks after the Praise Moon Festival—isn’t that your tribe’s tradition?”
Yes. Tradition.
But what did any of it have to do with me?
“Move.” My voice was quiet.
His brow furrowed. “You shoved someone and you’re just going to walk away without apologizing?”
I looked up at him. My palm pulsed with every heartbeat.
“Apologize?” I said. “Ask her. Did I even touch her?”
Ash didn’t turn around, but behind him, Chloe let out a soft, wet sniffle.
That single sound swallowed whatever words he might have said.
“Iris, for both our sakes, you’d better apologize right now.”
“If you really cared about us,” I said, looking straight at him, “you’d walk out of here with me. Right now.”
“Go register at the Alliance. Forget Chloe. Forget the Moon God’s blessing. Forget everything about this Festival. Do you dare?”
His lips moved.
I waited for him to speak. Waited for him to take that one step toward me.
But he hesitated.
His head turned, just slightly, and he saw Chloe sitting on the steps, gazing up at him. Those red eyes, glistening and wet. Those rabbit ears, drooping like wilted petals.
“Iris…” His voice sank low. “Don’t push me like this. There’s no rush for us. Chloe, she—”
“Forget it.” I cut him off and brushed the ash from my skirt. “I was joking.”
I already knew the answer. Why force him to say it out loud?
Behind me, Chloe choked out, “Iris got burned. Let me get the first aid kit—”
Ash grabbed her arm immediately, his voice going hard. “Leave her. She’s the one who shoved you first. Who is this act for?”
I pushed open the bedroom door and walked inside.
The footsteps outside faded.
I sat on the edge of the bed and looked at my hand.
The burn had blistered right across the softest part of my palm.
It hurt. It hurt so much that everything went numb.