Chapter fourteen: Roof and Tops 2

Alex~

We slip away from the noise, up a narrow stairwell at the back of the house. Seth leads without explanation, his hand brushing the railing, his steps confident. We pass a locked door, then another, and he pushes open a small hatch near the ceiling.

“You’re kidding,” I whisper.

“Come on,” he says, ducking through.

I follow him onto the rooftop, it’s a flat stretch of concrete with a low wall, the city lights spread out like scattered gold below us. The night air is cool, carrying distant music down the street.

Seth drops onto the wall’s edge, legs dangling. I stay standing, still taking in the view.

“This is insane,” I say. “How did you even find this?”

“Leo showed me freshman year,” he says, leaning back on his hands. “We come up here after rough games. Or just when it’s too loud inside.”

I move closer, finally sitting beside him. For a while, we don’t talk. The city hums around us. The air smells faintly of asphalt and pizza grease.

“Your family close by?” Seth asks suddenly.

I