“I want to be with you,” he whispered. “It doesn’t matter whereIam.”
“But what if you’re right?” Emilio asked in a broken whisper. “What if there’s nothing waiting for us?”
Olivier smiled.
“But what if I’m wrong?”
Emilio’s chest shuddered. His brown eyes gleamed with tears.
“Are you sure?”
“I used to think there was nothing more terrifying than the unknown,” Olivier explained, the words tumbling out of him, almostfrantic. “That only a fool would cross over to the Other Side without knowing what was waiting for them. But now I realize that I was wrong. Completely and utterly wrong. It’s far more terrifying toknow. Because now that I know, with utmost certainty, that my heart is yours, there is nothing more terrifying than the thought of existing without you.”
Emilio shut his eyes.
“Olivier.” He whispered his name and Olivier felt his soul draw him closer, that invisible tether between them tightening. If he closed his eyes, he swore he could feel the echo of his heart daring to beat—daring tolive.
“I know, my love.” Olivier pulled Emilio closer. “I know.”
Their lips crashed together. Olivier tasted the universe on Emilio’s lips. Felt eternity in his touch. He wanted more. More of Emilio. More of his hands traveling against the length of Emilio’s torso. More of his breath brushing against the lines of Emilio’s neck. But above all else…he wanted more time. He’d never have enough of it. Not here, anyway. But perhaps…on the Other Side…perhaps they could finally have the afterlife they deserved.
They parted slowly. Reluctantly.
Caught up in the heaven of Emilio’s touch, Olivier had nearly forgotten that Masika was still standing there, watching them. She’d turned slightly, offering them privacy, but her presence was nearly impossible to ignore.
Olivier cleared his throat.
“Okay.”
Masika turned back to face them.
“Okay?”
“We’ll cross over.”
Masika let out a breath—a strange mixture of relief and sorrow. She nodded.
“Very well.”
She raised her hand and the doorway transformed into another—this one gleaming in gold, a dozen rose-dotted vines wrapped around its edge. A ruby river of velvety petals flowed down its sides, cascading onto the floor.
“This is your stop.”
Emilio approached Masika tentatively, a sheepish look in his eyes.
“I trust you’ll watch over Benji?”
Masika smiled through her own tears.
“You have my word.”
Emilio hesitated, eyes darting over Masika’s face, and then he jolted forward, wrapping her in a tight embrace. Masika’s expression faltered, a single tear falling down her cheek.
“God, I’m going to miss you,” Emilio muttered weakly.
“I’ll miss you every second of every day.” Masika gently pulled away from Emilio, lifting his chin with her thumb. “But you deserve this. You deserve the eternity you always wanted.”
When Masika’s eyes landed on Olivier next, he found the breath snatched from his lungs, a sudden rush of panic traveling up his throat. What could he even say? They had quite literally been through hell and back together, seen things, done things that most couldn’t even fathom. And now…they’d reached their end.
