Page 61 of The Rhythm of their Souls

I place my hands on her knees, focusing my gaze on hers as I reply, “Then pull me down with you, baby. Infect me. You are a disease worth spreading in this world.” I reach up and connect my thumb with the fresh tear on her cheek.

Her eyes close as she takes my hand and presses it against her face. “I don’t deserve you, Theo. I deserve nothing. I’ve let you down; I’ve let Nora down...” Her voice cracks. “You’ll eventually grow tired of me.”

Anger slams through me, not towards her but towards how hard she is on herself. “I’m not going any fucking where, Olive! At least, not on purpose. We can’t control everything in this life. Things happen; people die for no reason. You can’t sit here and dwell on it; you’ll be miserable for the rest of your life if you do. Good people die, along with the bad.

“And there will never be an answer as to why, not here on earth, at least. I will gladly let this world take me out however it pleases as long as the time I have here revolves around you. Don’t you fucking get it? Please look at me, baby,” I demand.

Her lip quivers as tears stream silently down her cheek. She brings her watery eyes to mine.

I take a deep breath, keeping our eyes connected. “You were made for me; I know it. We just had to find each other. Our souls can’t survive this fucked up world without each other. And I know this to be true, and when I die, my soul will wait for you on the other side, and no matter how fucking long it takes, our souls will meet again.” My voice breaks. “Death isn’t the end of us; there is no end to us. This is only our beginning. Do you understand me, Olive?”

Tears prick at my eyes as I confess my love to her.

“I love you so goddamn much. Never hold that shit against me. If you’re going down, I’m going down with you, baby. You’re the match, and I’m the flame. We’ll burn to the ground together until there’s nothing left but our ashes.” My throat tightens at the realization of my own words.

A cry leaves her mouth as her face falls into her hands. “I’m so sorry, “ she cries.

I quickly stand and move beside her on the couch. I grab her and pull her into my arms as I lay back on the couch. “Shh, it’s okay. You’ve done nothing wrong. I’m here,” I whisper into her hair.

She nestles into my neck as sobs vibrate through her tiny body. This fucking hurts me.

I hold her tight to my chest, rubbing her back.

“She’s dead, Theo. Nora’s dead. Oh, my god!” I barely understand her words behind her sobs. Remorseful tears slowly fall from my cheeks into her hair.

“Baby, I know. I’m so sorry,” I rasp out.

I know at this moment, all I can do is be here and comfort her because no words will ease the pain of her losing her sister.

“Nora wouldn’t want you to beat yourself up. She’d want you to heal and be happy. Let her memory live through you.” I continue rubbing her back, trying to soothe the pain of her tragic loss. She sniffles against my neck as her crying calms.

We lay in silence for a good while, just embracing each other’s warmth.

Olive props up on her arms, using my chest as leverage. Her eyes find mine as she runs her hands along my jaw. She moves her eyes to my lips.

She then leans forward, connecting our mouths. Warmth shoots through my entire body, feeding the hunger I’ve felt since not seeing her. Our tongues reunite, swirling around one another as we drink in our tears. She pulls her mouth away and speaks, “I love you, Theo.”

A shit-eating grin tugs at my lips. “I love you too, Olive. So damn much.”

I watch her as she gives me a lazy smile, almost reaching her eyes. “Happy birthday. I’m sorry I didn’t get you anything,” she whispers. She remembered my birthday.

I gently grab her face, resting my thumbs under her chin. “All I ever wanted was you, and I couldn’t have asked for a better way to end my birthday,” I admit.

She gives me a genuine smile, laying her head on my chest. And we say nothing more. Everything is silent. We lay holding each other, filling up the emptiness we felt while being away from each other. Our souls once again danced as our hearts beat against one another.

I missed being this close to her, and right now, I never want to let go.

Chapter 31

It has been three months since Nora left this world and today would have marked her twenty-fifth birthday. I have been dreading and anticipating this day in equal measure, knowing how much it meant to her. I decided to come to the beach, our special place filled with memories of laughter, where we spent countless summers together.

As we arrive at the familiar access point, I feel a wave of nostalgia wash over me. I tightly grip the urn resting on my lap, feeling its cool surface. Being reminded that it contains the ashes of my sweet Nora. I hope that somehow, I can honor her memory today. This is what she would have wanted.

I gaze out of the car window, my eyes drawn to the shimmering reflection of the full moon dancing on the water at the pier. The sky, a deep indigo canvas, is peppered with twinkling stars that seem to whisper secrets of the night. Theo, sitting beside me, tenderly places his hand on my leg, his fingers warm and reassuring as they give a gentle squeeze.

“Are you sure you want to do this alone?” he asks, concern etched in his features, his voice soft yet firm.

Turning my gaze to him, I lean in and plant a quick, lingering kiss on his cheek, feeling the warmth of his skin beneath my lips. “I’ll be okay, I promise,” I assure him, trying to convey my confidence amid the flutter of nerves in my stomach.