Page 38 of The Stars

She studied him for a moment.

“I’m not sure what I believe,” she whispered, moving closer, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. “For now, all that matters to me is this.” She kissed him again as his hands moved to her hips, slowly moving up and down her skin.

The passion she felt vibrating between them was something she’d never experienced before. It caused her body to heat to almost a breaking point. This time, when he slid inside her, twin moans echoed in the room, and she was pretty sure the entire world shifted around them.

Time and place no longer mattered to them. Exploring one another was the sole focus of the rest of their lives.

Once they were both breathless and she lay across his chest, it suddenly dawned on her. She had always felt this way about Dante.

How long had they flirted with one another? When had the attraction between them started?

Middle school? Earlier?

The first time she could remember thinking of him as more than a friend was when he’d stood up for her against a couple of bullies in gym class.

She’d been the awkward skinny and too-tall girl with no boobs or hips to speak of. As the only girl taller than every single boy in her class back then, she’d been an easy target. A few years later, none of that would matter when her boobs came in and all the boys in the class towered over her five-foot-seven frame after she stopped growing upward.

Dante had been the only one, besides her brother, to defend her. From that moment on, she’d looked at him differently. Then they’d gone to the dance together and had shared their first brief kiss. Every man she’d dated after had paled in comparison.

“How long do you think this will go on?” he asked as their skin cooled.

She didn’t want to answer because she didn’t want her time with him to end, here, where the entire world moved more slowly and, most importantly, wasn’t on the verge of being destroyed.

When she didn’t answer, he rolled over until she was pinned under him. “Amy?” He frowned as his eyes ran over her. “As much as I’m enjoying this, we have to get back.”

“Do we?” she asked, her voice a little sharp. “Why?”

He blinked a few times. “I can give you a million reasons why.” He brushed a strand of her hair away from her forehead. “Modern reasons…”

Amy stared up at him, her chest tight as she tried to find the words. His frown deepened, concern flickering in his eyes as his fingers lingered on her cheek.

“Modern reasons?” she whispered, trying to keep her voice steady. “What could be so important back there? You said it yourself—the Fates have their plans. They’ve already woven our threads. Maybe we can’t change anything.”

His hand stilled, his brow furrowing as he searched her face. “We’re not just puppets, Amy. We’ve talked about that.”

She closed her eyes, taking a slow breath. “But what if… what if I don’t want to go back?” The confession felt heavy, like a weight finally lifting off her chest. “Here… with you… it’s like none of it matters. Like the future isn’t this… inevitable disaster.”

Dante’s grip on her tightened, his body tensing above hers. “Amy, we can’t just hide here forever. As much as I’d like to.”

She met his gaze, her heart pounding in her chest. “But what if it’s the only place where we can be together? Where we’re safe?”

Dante’s expression softened, and for a moment, she saw the same conflict mirrored in his eyes. He leaned down, pressing his forehead to hers. “I get it,” he whispered. “Believe me, I do. But we have to face it. Whatever the Fates have planned for us, we can’t let it happen without a fight.”

Her throat tightened, the reality of it settling in. The future she’d seen… Moros. Death. The destruction of everything. She felt it every time she closed her eyes, the nightmares gnawing at the edges of her mind.

Dante kissed her gently, his lips lingering on hers as if trying to reassure her. “We’ll make every moment count, starting with right now. But we can’t give up. Not yet.”

She swallowed hard, blinking back the tears that threatened to spill. In the safety of this moment, in the warmth of the morning light, it was easy to pretend that none of it mattered. That the end wasn’t coming for them. But deep down, she knew he was right. They couldn’t escape forever.

“Okay,” she breathed, her voice barely a whisper. “But... can we just stay here a little longer?”

Dante smiled softly, his hand brushing over her cheek, gentle and reassuring. “Yeah,” he murmured, pressing another kiss to her lips. “Besides, we still need to figure out just how in the hell we get out of here.”

She smiled up at him. “How about a walk?”

He nodded. “Food first.” He glanced around. “Do you think they’re going to deliver food to us up here?”

She shrugged. “It does seem like we’re being ostracized. Separated from the town for a reason. Maybe punished?” she continued as he rolled away and they sat up to dress.