Paint The Sky

Chapter 5

  "I was trying to restart your heart, genius," I reply, trying to be mad, but really just happy that's he's alive.
  "Oh. Why am I on the ground?" He asks.
  "You fell off your horse, because you decided that it would be a good idea for you to ride bareback! You shouldn't have don't that! You don't even know how to ride!"
  "You're right...you're right."
  "Yeah! Now come on! You're riding with me on the way back." I grab his hand and help him up.
  He stands up and lets me help him onto Storm. I take a rope and tie Pharaoh to a bush thing.
  "You're just going to leave him here?" Finnick asks me.
  "No, I'll come back for him later," I say.
  I hop on Storm in front of Finnick. "Hang onto me," I tell him.
  I feel his arms wrap around my waist and I know my cheeks are turning bright red.
  I turn Storm around and we ride toward the stable again.
  The sky begins to turn dark again, streaking the same colors as it did last night.
  I can't help but put my hands in the air and feel the wind on my cheeks.
  Finnick's arms disappear and I turn around. I see him putting his hands in the air too.
  I feel a sudden surge of love toward this sweet boy who almost died in my arms today.
  He opens his eyes and sees me looking at him. "Hey, I'm just following your lead."
  The corners of my mouth turn upward in a smile. The first smile I've had on my face since Brandon died.
  Brandon.
  I quickly turn around and put my hands down. I flinch when Finnick's hands find my waist again.
  We get back to the stable, and it starts to rain. Great. We're stuck here.
  I jump off Storm, with Finnick behind me. I put her in her stall and sit down.
  "Coral?" He asks softly.
  I feel my heart melt. "Yeah?"
  "Why're you so sad?"
  My heart almost shatters, hearing the innocence and longing in his voice. He wants to get close to me, I can tell. And I want to let him.
  "Because my boyfriend died trying to save me," I say bluntly.
  "Oh..." I can tell he's trying to piece together what my dad told him and the bitterness and sadness in my voice.
  He sits next to me and takes my hand. I flinch.
  "That doesn't mean you can't move on," he tells me.