Out of the corner of my eye, I see them again.
The dim light shifts, just barely. Shadows ripple across the floor, stirred awake by more than sunlight. They creep up the walls, faint and flickering like tendrils of smoke, drawn to us, tohim, as if they want to take shape around the exact center of this moment.
They aren’t menacing. Not sharp or dark in a way that feels wrong. If anything, they seem…soft. Gentle. They move like breath, syncing to his heartbeat, as if they know this is sacred.
Hayden stiffens, his jaw tightening like he’s afraid this is the part where I’ll finally see too much.
But I don’t let him pull away.
“Hey,” I murmur, sliding my hand to the back of his neck, fingers threading into the long hair there, grounding him. “They’re beautiful,” I whisper, afraid they’ll spook if I say it too loud as they swirl up the stacks, showing off.
His breath catches. I feel it against my cheek, shallow and shaky. He hovers for a moment, then speaks. “They’re never like this. Usually, they…linger at the edges. Wait for me to call them, I suppose.” He swallows. “But now? I don’t think they want to leave.”
I blink because I can feel them. They press close, warm where our coats meet. It feels like being held, not haunted.
“They’re drawn to you, Levi Wilder,” he adds. “They don’t usually…choose.”
I huff a quiet breath, my lips brushing the corner of his jaw. “Well, Iamincredibly charming,” I murmur. “Maybe they’ve had enough of your brooding and wanted to take another vibe out for a ride.”
He lets out something between a laugh and a groan, and I watch the tension melt from his shoulders.
“Perhaps,” he says, voice frayed as he traces my lip with his thumb. “I’ve wanted to do that longer than I’ll admit.”
I smile, breathless, pressing my forehead to his. “I’ve wanted it sincehello.”
His shadows retreat, drifting back to the corners. They’re satiated.
Even they have been rooting for us.
13
Hayden
I didn’t sleep.
Not for a lack of trying. I went through the motions. Lights off, sheets pulled tight, Seby balled at the foot of the bed, but my mind refused to cooperate. Instead, it replayedonemoment over and over, the needle catching on one groove: Levi’s lips on mine. As if memory wanted to make sure I understood what it meant to be alive.
I’ve kissed plenty of people before. Demi-gods, mortals, everything in between. The act wasn’t new. But this felt…different.
I can still feel the weight of it now, even as I sit at the kitchen table, my usual breakfast of toast, eggs, and black coffee in front of me, untouched. Seby is curled in my lap, his tail flicking lazily against my knee, oblivious to my existential crisis.
I scratch behind his ears, staring blankly.
The kiss didn’t undo me. Being wanted did. What it couldmeanif I let it. I shake the thought off, trying to redirect my focus to the mundane comfort of my routine, but it doesn’t help.
And neither does work, it would appear.
Irene’s off today. Some rare appointment she takes once a yearto remind me that yes, even she has a life outside of keeping me from drowning in administrative chaos.
I default to the prep room, gloves on, standing over Mr. DeLuca, a man I never met in life but with whom I shared his first moments after death. I’m useless for what comes next, but I can still…be here.
“Well,” I mutter, adjusting his collar with unnecessary precision. “I’d ask how you’re faring, but I think we both know the answer.”
Silence, of course. Though not empty…it carries the residue of a life just ended, lingering in the room with me.
I sigh, leaning slightly against the counter. “I kissed someone.” The words hang there, absurd in their simplicity.I kissed someone.Like I’m narrating a diary entry instead of confessing to a corpse.
Seby would’ve shown more judgment if he were here, but Mr. DeLuca keeps his opinions to himself. I glance down at him. “He’s…” I pause, trying to find the right words. None come, so I settle for, “Annoyingly bright. Quite verbose.” My lips tug. “I like him.”
