Evie

No expense had been spared. It was obvious the second we walked in.

My socks slipped and slid over the marble tile when I removed my gym shoes and set them aside. It was nice to finally be out of them after traveling so many hours. The seamless, black and white stone stretched from the foyer, well beyond the kitchen, and into the nook. It was a straight shot across hundreds of square feet, allowing visitors to see clear through from one end of the massive house to the other. To my right, stairs with a massive landing decked out with floor to ceiling bookcases. Elise had her decorator fill them to the brim. To my left, a coat-closet the size of my old bedroom. Echoes of our steps ricocheted off cathedral ceilings adorned with ebony-toned, wood beams, forming diamonds against their white backdrop. In the center, a wrought-iron chandelier the size of a small car.

So many windows. They were everywhere, showcasing the beauty that lie just beyond them—the woods of Seaton Falls, made more beautiful by the freshly fallen snow, the incoming winter storm. A gentle squeeze to my shoulders brought my eyes toward Elise when she approached with a smile.

“I know we’ve only just walked in, but … do you like it so far?”

When she asked, I glanced around at the breathtaking views beyond each window—leafless trees with branches dressed in sleeves of white snow. That was all there was to see for miles from what I could tell. Out here, it was just us and nature.

“It’s … amazing,” I breathed, trying to take it all in.

My answer made her smile grow wider. “I’m glad. I wanted nothing but the best for you.”

She’d done all this for me?

Her arm slipped from around my shoulder and she moved forward. “Let me show you the rest,” she beamed.

A quick glance toward Liam proved he was far less impressed than I was, which may have meant he’d seen better.

Lived in better.

Maybe my father’s kingdom in Bahir Dar, our home, made this house look pitiful in comparison. I’d never know.

“A large kitchen was a must,” Elise explained. “I intend to prepare homecooked meals for everyone. I know the food at Damascus left much to be desired.”

No one disagreed with her. Hilda had mostly converted to a diet of fruit and muffins because she said those were the only edible items in the entire dining hall. If you ask me, including the muffins was pushing it.

Pristine, white cabinets with brushed-metal knobs reached the vaulted ceilings. Countertops of white and black quartz gleamed in the daylight, the sun bringing out small flecks of glitter. The appliances were all state-of-the-art, and glancing around, it was easy to tell who had inspired the facility’s décor. At every turn, clean lines and bright white surfaces met my vision. Potted plants had been placed strategically around the room—near windows, beside detailed floor-to-ceiling pillars, beside doorways. While, no, this house wasn’t nearly as cold and sterile as the facility, the similarities were just enough to catch my attention.

“There’s more to explore here on the first floor, but I’m sure you’re anxious to see your bedroom.” That broad smile was back as her voice echoed in the large space. She paused, seeming to read my expression, causing the corners of her mouth to turn down again.

“Of course, if you’re not completely satisfied once you take a look, I’ll have the decorator come back and redo it to your liking.”

I didn’t say it out loud, but I’d never consider having someone come back and do double the work. Not even if I hated whatever design ideas Elise had for my space. Love it or hate it, I’d live with it.

“You always liked turquoise,” she rambled as we climbed the stairs. “Does that still hold true?”

I nodded. Turquoise was my favorite color, actually. I noted that this was another small piece of me that hadn’t changed—another missing piece I could now fill in.

Liam’s and Dallas’ heavy, boot clad feet thudded against the wooden steps behind Elise and I as we approached the landing. My fingers trailed a row of books on the shelf as we passed, on our way to more steps that curved us toward the upstairs hallway. A word came to mind. One I wouldn’t typically use to describe a house, but it was so fitting here.

Grand.

This house was enormous and elaborate, fit for a queen.

At that word, my eyes flitted toward Elise, to the long, black coat trimmed in fur and the sleek pumps she’d worn during the long trip we’d just taken. Only a queen could be so poised, so glamorous all the time. This home suited her.

But I, on the other hand, felt out of place.

In this house.

In this town.

Doing my best to ignore the sense of being … unfit … the feeling spread through my gut as I stepped into the doorway of a bedroom.

“This is it,” she announced with a hopeful grin set on her face.

I stared, blinked, stared some more. The sheer size of it had me speechless. White carpet met our feet once we ascended the stairs. It carried on through my bedroom and all the others from what I could see. Left, a huge walk-in closet. Right, a bathroom big enough to live in if I wanted. Even from here, silver fixtures gleamed in the sunlight through a large picture window above the tub. Outside it, the same breathtaking view I’d have beside my bed when I awoke every morning.

A black and white striped comforter covered a king size bed adorned with pillows. So many pillows. Black, white, turquoise. A dark desk with a clear chair tucked underneath it, a laptop the same shade of pale turquoise found sprinkled throughout the entire room. It wasn’t so much that it was overwhelming the otherwise muted tones she selected, but enough that it broke up the stark contrast of black and white. Beside a lamp at the desk’s corner, sat a glass jar filled with colorful candy. I smiled at that, the small touches of me she hid here.

Above my head, I peered up into the shimmering crystals of a chandelier I was afraid to know the price of. Straight ahead, French doors with white sheers at either side drew my attention. I stepped closer until my hands touched the cool knobs. Pulling them open, I moved out onto a balcony that overlooked the woods. Just beyond the trees, the sound of rushing water. The falls were close by and hadn’t been frozen by frigid temps.

“Well?” Elise asked, that hopeful look returning to her eyes.

I glanced left as a strong gust of chilled wind lifted her dark hair into wispy swirls of brown, looking not a day older than twenty, although I knew that to be false. There was such emotion, such warmth emanating from her, it transferred to me.

“It’s perfect.”

The trouble she’d gone through to make sure I’d be comfortable here, despite all the drama and scrutiny surrounding the facility we just left … it was an incredibly sweet thing to do.

She seemed shocked when I attacked her with a hug, feeling her arms tighten around me, too.

“Thank you for taking time to—”

“It was no bother,” she interjected, her accent coming through stronger as she wrestled with emotion. “Anything for you.”

Connecting with her hadn’t been easy. Mostly because I’d set a barrier between us. I had a mother already, and all this time, I’d been vigilant to remind myself that Elise was not her. There was no substitute for Rebecka Callahan.

But … the more time I spent with Elise, the better I got to know and understand her, see her strength, her fierce love … my heart expanded to let her inside it, too. So, while there was only one Rebecka, there was also only one Elise—the woman who’d brought me into this world twice and proved her love and loyalty at every turn.

We finished touring the upstairs, including Liam’s room directly across the hall from mine. His had a rugged set up that suited him—dark grays and navy blues against dark wood. Elise knew us both like the back of her hand. Liam and I, her children.

A room had been decorated for Hilda as well, despite her stay being only temporary. She was fond of purple, finding a way to work it into every ensemble she wore, even if only a bracelet or two. So, it was no surprise that Elise had been thoughtful enough to have subtle hints of plum and lavender tastefully arranged throughout—throw pillows, a vase on the dresser filled with fresh lilies, a candle on the nightstand.

She knew us all, had taken bits and pieces to make these foreign dwellings feel like home.

This was home now.

Dallas grabbed his, Elise’s, and Hilda’s things from the trunk of Elise’s car. They all retreated to unpack and start settling in, but not Liam and I. We lingered in the hallway alone, taking it all in—the house, the adjustments to our lives, everything.

“She did a great job with the place.” My eyes danced from one elegant furnishing to the next—crown moldings that trimmed the ceiling and each light fixture, the banister and its ornaments carved from a single piece of wood, the view down into the foyer from where we stood.

A grin touched Liam’s lips and the sight of them had me licking my own.

“It’s nice,” he crooned, “but still not the most beautiful thing she’s ever created.”

His gaze lingered on me as the subtle compliment brought heat to my cheeks. Large hands swallowed my waist and I moved into his arms, correcting a thought I had a moment ago. No, this house was not home.

This was … locked in his embrace, close.

“I’ve got an idea,” he breathed, soft, fleshy lips grazing the rim of my ear.

Inhaling the mild, earthy scent of him, I managed a question. “What’s your idea?”

He shrugged and, for a moment, seemed too distracted by whatever rogue thoughts rushed through his head as we gravitated closer.

“We’ve been on the road all day. What do you say we head outside for some fresh air?” When he smiled, I was intrigued. “I think I know a way we can all blow off a little steam.”

My head tilted as I tried to make sense of the cryptic statement, but before I could ask, Liam traipsed toward Elise and Dallas’ room, pounding a heavy fist against the door.

The sound brought Hilda out into the hallway as well, standing beside her door with both fists perched on her hips. She stared at the back of Liam’s head, clearly fighting the urge to chastise him for keeping up so much noise. He caught her watching and countered her scowl with a smile.

“Get your coat, Hilda. You’re joining us, and I won’t take no for an answer.”

“Joining you where?” she huffed.

He didn’t let her iciness back him down. “We’re heading outside for a lesson.”

The word ‘lesson’ only confused me further. I didn’t feel much like training today, but wouldn’t shoot down his idea with how excited he seemed.

Hilda glowered at him a moment longer, and then, like me and every other woman I’d seen in Liam’s presence, his charm got the best of her. She smiled the easiest smile I’d seen her give since arriving. Snorting a laugh when he broke her, she waved him off.

“It’s cold out there, and unlike you, I’m not a walking furnace,” she pointed out, heading back into her room where I guessed she intended to stay.

But Liam had other plans. He rushed to her doorway and gently took her shoulders. “That’s what coats are for,” he reasoned.

To my surprise, Hilda didn’t argue. The most resistance he got was an eye roll to accompany the half-smile she gave.

Elise finally surfaced with clothes draped from both arms. The urgency of Liam’s knock had startled her while she unpacked if her tense expression was any indication.

“What is it? What’s the matter?” she asked, bearing that heavy, concerned mom tone.

The look faded when she took in Liam’s light expression.

“Grab Dallas,” he insisted. “Meet us outside. Thought now would be a good time to show Evie around.”

My eyes flitted toward him. Show me around? I’d gotten to know my way around the woods and the rest of Seaton Falls pretty well. Why would he think I needed a tour guide?

My hand warmed in is and I didn’t have time to think or speak as I was rushed down the stairs, and then spun toward the kitchen. Liam scooped my shoes from the front door on the way. Apparently, we were headed out through the back.

“Wait … my coat,” I protested, thinking the hoodie I wore wouldn’t be enough.

“Don’t need it,” he called back over his shoulder. “I’ll show you how to keep warm once we get outside.”

My brow twitched at more vague words.

We paused at the sliding door that made up a large part of one of the nook walls. I only had time to slip my shoes on before Liam swept me outside behind him, into the blistering cold and blowing snow.

February in the Midwest can be brutal and that was the perfect way to describe the weather today. Coming from Chicago, I hadn’t forgotten, and Michigan was no exception to that rule. Frosty air stung the tip of my nose and my eyes watered accordingly. It was practically a blizzard out here, reducing visibility to half a mile at best. Even for those of us with supernatural vision.

Being half dragon, I was sure I ran hotter than the average person, but still. I could feel my knees quaking as I hugged myself when an angry gust of wind swept between Liam and I.

Speaking of, he was seemingly unaffected by all of it. While I felt snowflakes gathering on my lashes and in my hair, it landed on him and instantly trailed down his skin like he was standing in a rainstorm and not a blizzard.

“How’re you doing that?” I asked through chattering teeth.

It was clear he’d tapped into some secret ability I didn’t realize I was capable of.

“Hold out your hand,” he called over the sound of howling winds.

Dreading the idea of pulling my arms away from my body, I did as he asked. My wrist was gently twisted until my palm faced the sky.

“Now watch,” he said, nodding toward his arm.

I stared, thinking he was insane for being out here in only a t-shirt, jeans, and boots—nothing covering his flesh other than the snow turned to water.

But then, there was something else—streaks of light just beneath the surface of tanned, inked skin. His veins were alight with glowing movement, like lava flowed through them at a sluggish pace. I squinted, watching as warmth spread from his body to mine.

My eyes lifted toward his. “How’d you do that?”

He quirked a smile. “It’s easy. Focus on shifting,” he instructed, “but right before your flames ignite, you’ll feel a surge of heat. Contain it. Hold it inside and let it move through you.”

A deep breath puffed from my nostrils, the warmth of it crystalizing in the bitter cold. I sucked at new things. It generally took me weeks to master an unfamiliar technique, so I was almost positive my effort would result in fireballs shooting out my ears or something stupid like that.

As if he heard my thoughts, Liam laughed a bit before encouraging me to give it a try.

“You can do it,” he insisted.

With another breath, I closed my eyes and did everything he said to. First, I awakened my dragon, and then, just as she was about to burst from within, I harnessed the energy she supplied and concentrated to spread it through my limbs, my quivering lips.

“First try,” Liam said. Even with my eyes closed, I knew he was smiling. I could hear it in his voice.

My lids fluttered open and my vision was settled on my wrists just beneath the cuffs of my sleeve. I took in the sight of the same glowing veins and slow-crawling lava moving inside mine as I’d seen in Liam’s. Pushing my sleeve further up my arm, I noted that the glow ended somewhere between my elbow and shoulder, but it kept me warm all over.

Pleased with my progress, I smiled up at him. Suddenly warm, I only kept my hoodie on to stay somewhat dry.

Behind us, the sliding door opened and Hilda stepped out bundled in a coat, scarf, hat, and gloves, clutching a mug of coffee. She conjured it, I guessed, seeing as how there hadn’t been time to brew any. Elise and Dallas emerged next, wearing nothing more than athletic gear. His black shorts and tank matching Elise’s. She wound her hair into a tight bun before bouncing her brow at Liam.

“I knew exactly what you had in mind,” she smiled. “And it’s been far too long since I spread my wings.”

At first, I thought it was just an expression, but as Dallas made a show of stretching and readying himself with a watchful eye trained on the sky, I knew I’d been wrong.

Elise, literally, meant it’d been too long since stretching her wings. I whirled to Liam and I could only guess how the excitement showed through on my face.

“Wait … you’re teaching me how to fly?” I asked, bouncing on the balls of my feet as I stuttered.

Liam gave a nod.

Excited didn’t even describe how I felt about this. Since finding out flying was even something I could do, I’d been looking forward to this day. Once or twice, I pressed him to teach me, but understood there were more important things to perfect first.

But now … Liam thought I was ready.

My gaze lowered when he gripped the hem of his shirt and raised it a few inches, revealing skin the shade of sand, covering a tight, ridged stomach. I swallowed a breath and forced my eyes toward Dallas when he spoke.

“May as well ditch the sweatshirt, kid,” he said with a laugh. “It’s gonna get soaked once we get moving.”

He was right. I was already drenched and had only stood in one place. I could imagine how it’d be once we were hundreds of feet in the air. So, reluctantly, I took it off, draping it over the ledge of the porch. I never would’ve thought I’d be warm standing outside in freezing temps, wearing only a tank and yoga pants, but I was.

“Since this is your first time up, you’ll be with me,” Liam explained. “Eventually, once you’re comfortable, I’ll show you how to get airborne on your own.”

I couldn’t contain the huge grin his words brought to my face.

“See you up there,” Elise winked.

The very next second, my head shot back to follow her into the sky—a blur of smoke and flames. She took off like a rocket emerging from the cloud of displaced snow where she once stood. It wasn’t at all what I expected. I thought it’d be more like watching a bird take flight, but … it wasn’t. There was so much force, so much power in the motion.

I stared at two streaks of fire in the sky, Elise and Dallas. He chased after her and the sight of it made me so much more anxious to get up there on my own.

“Hold on tight,” Liam instructed, lifting my arms to his neck where I gripped him, knowing I’d need to if his takeoff was anything like Elise’s.

I stepped closer, chest to chest, face to face, body to body, feeling the smooth heat of his shoulders as I clung to them. My eyes followed his when he lowered just a few inches and I noted the devilish grin he wore just before the backs of my thighs warmed. His palms pressed into them as he hiked me up off the ground, locking my legs around his waist. The movement made a breath hitch in my throat, but my gaze never left his.

My heart thundered in my chest. Or maybe it was his. We were so close it became impossible to tell one from the other. That was us—a tangle of warm flesh, scorching emotion, and thundering hearts.

“Don’t let go. Getting off the ground can be kinda rough,” he warned, grazing my ear with a breath. “Then again ... I can’t recall rough ever being a problem for you.”

The words registered, but I barely had a chance to take note of their double meaning when the ground disappeared from beneath my feet. Snow-topped trees became greenish-gray smudges, roads reduced to winding streaks of dark thread. My stomach sank at the feel of being flung into the air, weightless.

“Breathe,” he said against my ear, making me aware that I hadn’t exhaled since leaving the ground.

My arms cinched his neck, forcing my cheek against his. The only thing that kept me from plummeting to the ground was his unwavering embrace—solid arms locked around my back, squeezing me to his bare chest.

Following the surge of power that went into getting us off the ground, it was easy to feel the instant we slowed, losing momentum as gravity took hold of us again. That churning in my stomach was back tenfold. Liam must have felt my body tense against his because he spoke to calm me, more whispered words, so soft they made no sense amidst this otherworldly experience.

“I’ve got you,” he promised, forcing me to suspend reality a moment as we drifted back toward Earth, sinking like stones in water.

When he first came back into my life, before I accepted that we were timeless, he often asked me to trust him. And I did. With my life, my future, my heart. So, despite feeling it’d be perfectly okay to panic right now, I didn’t. Because he had my trust now even without having to ask.

One word fell from his lips, one that sparked confusion. “Ready?”

Unable to speak, I only nodded, waiting with great anticipation. What more could he possibly show me? What more was there than flying?

And then, I got it, understood fully why he posed the question.

Brilliant orange and white light seeped through my closed lids, and when I opened them … beautiful.

Large wings that spanned nearly twenty-feet commanded the wind, moved it to-and-fro with authority. This space between heaven and Earth, it belonged to us. Heat cut through the cold, warming my face with every burst of movement. The elegance had me in awe, trying to imagine myself possessing something so stunning.

We reached the peak of Liam’s intended flying height. As we leveled off, the ground was no longer beneath my feet, but beneath my back. So I’d feel secure as he hovered above me, those solid arms were like bricks now, rigid as they locked me in. I’d never felt so alive, never more free than miles above the ground. It was a rush, like adrenaline times a thousand. My breathing was wild and erratic. Not from fear.

From excitement.

My face rested in the crook of his neck, inhaling his scent—still potent to my heightened senses even as air whipped around us at a greater speed than I’d ever traveled. One might think the experience would be disorienting, but it was the opposite.

I was more aware of my dragon, more aware of Liam.

Especially … Liam.

He didn’t flinch when my mouth brushed the tender flesh beneath his ear, feeling his pulse surge against my lips on contact. They trailed the length of his broad jaw, desperately seeking more, suddenly needing to be closer. The motion was slow and unhurried, unrushed despite being in flight. When I found his lips, he released a tightly wound breath that breezed over me, telling of how much he was holding back, contradicting the incredible willpower he seemed to possess in every moment except this one.

We were weightless, drifting in this space like nothing else mattered. Because it didn’t. Our physical limbo mirrored that which we existed in emotionally every day—two hearts sure of the love they share, desperate to reconnect after so many years had been stolen away.

A tug to my bottom lip followed the sensation of teeth lightly grazing it. A jolt coursed through my limbs—a deepening hunger for him when I hadn’t realized such a thing was even possible.

 He spoke and I swallowed the words greedily. “Are you ready?”

My head swirled and intentions were relative at the moment. Hence the reason I moaned a misguided, “Mmm hmm,” against his lips.

It was the sound of his deep laugh vibrating in his throat that alerted me we were talking about two totally different things.

“I’m asking if you’re ready to fly solo,” he clarified.

I should have been embarrassed he’d so thoroughly turned my head into a marvelous mess … but I wasn’t. There was no shame in feeling the way I felt for him. After all, we were mated and he was, technically, mine anyway.

Slightly more sober, I forced myself to abandon the kiss. Still, I couldn’t speak and only nodded against his cheek.

“Ok, good. When you’re ready … I’m gonna let go.”

That made my heart race even more than it already was. “You mean … we’re doing this way up here? We’re not starting on the ground?”

He shook his head. “It’d be too hard to synch up with you quickly enough if something were to go wrong. For now, just don’t let go and focus on bringing out your wings. I have to move my arms out of the way.”

I didn’t even know where to begin, but nodded anyway. He waited a moment before releasing me, but then cool air replaced his warm embrace. It was time for me to give this a try. I wriggled my back muscles, thinking I’d feel something instinctual that would help. But there was nothing—no feeling, no wings.

“It’s not working,” I sighed.

“It might be easier if you shift,” he suggested, but I didn’t want that.

He was … well … him. No flames to speak of aside from his wings. I wanted to know how to control my shift the way he could, choosing to allow certain parts of my body to burn while others didn’t.

“Okay,” he agreed, “but it’ll be harder that way.”

That was fine with me.

“Call up your dragon,” he instructed. The term made me imagine myself summoning her from a dark corner, seeing the faint light of her flames as they came into view, growing brighter with each step.

“Now, let her show you,” he went on. “Everything doesn’t have to be logical. In fact, the less things make sense, the better.”

I smiled at that, unable to help acknowledging how that statement also applied to the two of us.

“She’ll guide you if you let her.”

I closed my eyes again, surrendering to that side of myself, allowing the dragon within total control. I made a request and would wait for her to do the rest.

And, as always, she was happy to oblige.

A powerful thrust nearly ripped my arms from Liam’s Neck, but he seemed to expect it, grabbing my hands before I drifted away. He brought me in and slowed his speed until we weren’t moving at all, only hovering as his massive wings kept us both afloat.

My nerves were shot. Trusting him was one thing. Trusting myself was another. I got distracted by Elise and Dallas a good distance away, shaming my remedial dragon skills as they soared elegantly, swirling around one another in brilliant bursts of light.

“Focus,” Liam said firmly, bringing my eyes back toward him. His hands settled on my waist and I was painfully aware of the difference in how my wings moved compared to his. Mine weren’t in sync. They fluttered irregularly like a graceless baby bird. My chest heaved as I struggled not to panic.

“Breathe,” he said again gently.

“I am breathing,” I snapped, which brought a laugh out of him. “Breathing I can do. It’s this flying thing that’s scaring the crap out of me.”

He bit down on his bottom lip to keep from chuckling again. “Remember what I taught you,” he asserted. “Your dragon is more you than you’re you.”

I nodded, trying to convince myself.

‘She’s me and I’m her,’ I chanted inside my head hoping false confidence would be enough until the real thing kicked in.

But that left me as soon as I felt Liam’s grip loosening. I pawed him like a cat headed into the bathtub, flailing my arms and legs to get a better hold on him. He suppressed another laugh, but I didn’t care. It was a long way down from here and I wouldn’t depend on these clumsy wings to save me.

“Relax, Evangeline.”

“That’s easy for you to say,” I scoffed. “You’ve been doing this for hundreds of years.”

He grabbed my hands once again so I’d focus when he countered with, “So have you.”

Things shifted into perspective. He was right. Completely and totally right. Although, it’d been a while for me, I still had centuries of flying experience even if I didn’t remember it. My body had done this before. Maybe it was like what they say about riding a bike, how you never really forget. It might be like muscle memory. Maybe I just needed to try it and …

“Okay,” I blurted, knowing I’d lose the nerve quickly if I didn’t. “So … I should just … let go?”

Staring with certainty, Liam nodded. “Yes, and you’ll be fine.”

He’d never lied to me before, never steered me wrong. I had to trust he wouldn’t start now.

Deep breath.

Deep breath.

Slowly, I drew my hand away from his, feeling my balance tilt the moment I was no longer relying on his strength, but my own. I gasped, but with a nod, he assured me I wouldn’t die today.

“You’ve got this,” he insisted.

The tips of my fingers teetered on the ends of his … until it was just me. I was up here, hovering above the world … all on my own.

An elated laugh burst from my lungs and Liam smiled. I wanted to celebrate, wanted to scream, but I was too afraid I’d lose concentration if I did. Clamping my bottom lip between my teeth, I slowly reached for his hand again. All I needed was to prove to myself that I could do it. That was enough for today.

Retracting the wings was much simpler than spreading them. There was no longer a counter-wind pulling me from Liam as he held me close. I wrapped my legs around his waist again and our descent was slower than the takeoff. On the way down, I got to soak in the beauty from here, drifting among the falling snow.

We came close to a white pine and I reached to graze the needles, my heat melting snow from the tips on contact. It amazed me how much perspective changed the world, brightened it, made it seem wide open.

Liam’s boots hit the ground with a thud, sending snow shooting up into a plume of white that surrounded us, settling and melting on our hair and shoulders when it fell again. The massive wings tucked away gracefully, disappearing beneath the flesh like they’d never been there at all. With wide eyes, amazed, I ran my hands down his skin when I finally let go of his neck.

I was mildly aware of Elise, Dallas, and Hilda heading back inside, leaving the two of us alone in the worsening blizzard. But … you couldn’t have told me today wasn’t perfect. Couldn’t have convinced me the sun wasn’t out, shining against the bluest of skies, because for me, it was. Always. Whenever we were close.

Our lips met when the gravity that exists between us got to be too much. He’d shown me so much today, including another side of my abilities.

I barely remembered the time before him, back when each day was a little lonelier than the last. That feeling was so foreign to me now. The loneliness had been replaced by moments like these that made up for all the lost time.

In so many wonderful ways … he’d given me my life back.