Free Nearly Broken by Devon Ashley

losing them when I
try to catch more.”
    “Wow!”
Nick cried with enthusiasm, leaning down to poke her jar. “But
it’s so big! Much bigger than any of Megan’s little bugs.”
    It was really no
different than mine, but she still got all excited about it.
    “Yeah, but they
choose the winner by how many, not by how big. My brother’s
caught three! He’ll probably win. He always beats me.”
    That last remark got
her a little down, and she looked to her bug with sadness. I leaned
down and quickly traded out our jars, lifting my finger to my lips in
a shushing manner. She got all bug-eyed with excitement again and
cried, “Wow!” really loudly, then skipped off to where
her mom was waiting, watching, and who offered us a quick wave in
acknowledgement.
    I held up the jar
between us, jesting, “So how’s my face look against the
light of just one little buggar’?”
    His face was still as
he looked my way, like he was seeing me clearly for the first time,
but there was a smile nonetheless. “Even better. Because now,
when I drag you just inside the tree line, no one’s going to be
able to see us.” He playfully tugged me about twenty feet
through the trees, then spent the next ten minutes supplying my lips
with some much needed affection.
    How had I ever
survived without these warm lips? Why did I ever think I would be
better off without them? And the way his arms wrapped tightly around
me, made me feel safe for once, even out here in the open, in the
darkness I’d come to hate.
    After releasing our
single lightning bug back into the wild, we snuck back out and
returned to the festival. Picking up dinner at the BBQ booth, we took
our plate to an empty table, but soon noticed Paul and Darla heading
our way.
    “Just to let you
know. Paul’s been giving me the look all night.”
    “The look?”
I asked curiously.
    “Yep. The look
that says we need to talk . He doesn’t have a policy
about not dating your co-worker, does he?”
    “Please. Paul
doesn’t have policies, period.”
    “Oh, goodie.
Then it’s probably just the don’t have sex in my
restaurant talk.”
    I chuckled, but
couldn’t say anything more, as they sat down across from us at
the picnic table. We chit-chatted over some nonessential topics, then
boring shop talk about work. When Nick and I were done eating our
sandwiches, Paul ever so subtly asked Nick to come grab a beer with
him. Darla and I gathered the trash at the table and threw it away.
    The wind picked up and
chilled me to the bone. As much as I loved living in Oregon, people
who were always on the chilly side pretty much needed some type of
jacket year round during the night time. And since I wasn’t
expecting to come to the festival tonight, I hadn’t grabbed one
on my way to work. Crossing my arms to huddle for warmth, I spotted
an unoccupied fire barrel. “Oh, yes! You coming, Darla?”
    I didn’t wait
for her to answer, but she hoofed it to catch up to me.
Unfortunately, the damn fire wasn’t exactly roaring, its embers
pathetically glowing at the bottom. Still, it was better than
nothing, and I dipped my hands inside until I felt the heat permeate
my palms. It was something I knew I’d never be able to do if
the fire had been really burning.
    “Girl, you know
if you’d put a few more pounds on, you’d have natural
warmth like me.” She playfully swung her hip into mine and I
shook my head in amusement. I wasn’t going to respond to that,
and luckily, I didn’t have to since Tish was catcalling us as
she made her way over.
    “You-hoo!
Girlies!” she sang, embarrassingly loud, drawing the attention
of several spectators. I could already tell she had a good buzz
going.
    “This fire
sucks,” I muttered, rubbing my hands to build up some friction.
Yeah, ironic for me to say, but I was pretty freaking chilly.
    “Yeah, it does,”
Tish blabbered. She splashed some of the clear liquid from her cup
into the barrel without warning. The embers kicked to life and its
fiery