“Hurry up!” Lukas calls down the flight of stairs, stopping for a quick second to watch the two of us try and keep up with him. I readjust my backpack on my shoulder and stumble up the rest of the stairs, Mia on my heels. The thrumming noise of our shoes echo in the empty stairwell.

When we make it to the top, Lukas opens the door onto the building roof. A burst of warm July air flies into my face, making my skin tingle. The roof is flat and wide, a five-inch wall bordering the ledge.

“I don’t think we’re supposed to be up here...” I say, my feet refusing to step through the door.

“If you don’t like what we’re doing, you can go back down,” Mia says in a mock-sympathetic tone. She makes sure Lukas isn’t looking when she rolls her eyes at me. I glare back.

“Jess, I promise we’ll be fine. Besides, we’ll have the best view of the fireworks!” Lukas insisted, making his way toward the edge of the roof.

I swallow the lump in my throat and slowly follow him. Why I actually didn’t want to be up here was because of my fear of heights, but I didn’t want to admit it.

The three of us sit on the ledge facing the bay (I make sure to stay a foot back) and take in the breathtaking view of the city. The buildings tower the streets below like pillars, their lights illuminating the night sky like makeshift stars. In the distance is the beach, where I could make out a few bonfires and groups of people. That is where they will be igniting the fireworks.

It had been an hour when I start to daze off. I close my eyes and lean back when—

Pew.... Bang! Bang! Bang!

I jolt up and suck in a breath when I see colorful lights blooming like flowers in the night sky. The sparks of these blossoms are drifting away as more fireworks begin to ignite.

The three of us stare in awe as bright colors burst in the sky and into mini vibrant suns, then showering down like rain. Each erupting bang rings my ears, but I don’t look away.

I turn to my right to find Mia in Lukas’ arms, her head resting on his shoulder. I watch Lukas’ eyes stare down at Mia with the unmistakable expression of being in love. My heart plummets and a knot forms in my throat.

‘You knew it would happen eventually’ the voice in my head says. It tells me to turn away and to become entranced by the fireworks once again, but I couldn’t will myself to. Jealousy rises in my stomach, a monster that claws out my insides.

The fireworks become unappealing, only making the scene more romantic for them. My head is spinning, and soon my fear of heights rushes back to me. I quickly stand up and stumble away from them, away from the two things I fear the most. Heights and them in love.