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“Aren’t you scared?”
He kissed the side of my head. “The moment you aren’t in my arms or in my sight I will be.”
“Then don’t let me out of your arms or sight.” I shifted in order to kiss his neck. I gently bit his skin and he gasped in shock but he didn’t stay that way for long. Instead, he flipped me onto my back and pinned my hands on either side of me.
“Esther—”
“Malachi.”
I grinned and so did he.
MALACHI
Make her happy.
That was the only thing I could think to do at this point. It was the only thing I cared about. From now to the end of my life—however long or short that was—I wanted to give her as many breathtakingly magnificent memories as I possibly could. Starting from right where I’d left off the last time we were together.
“Not bad.” I licked the chocolate icing from my thumb.
“What in the…?”
I looked up as she came into the kitchen and her eyes grew wide as she looked over the chaos I’d unleashed onto the countertops, all of which were covered in flour, baking powder, and egg shells. She stood there, dressed in only my shirt, which she hadn’t even buttoned, and her lacy panties, forcing me to use all my strength to stay focused. Grabbing the lighter and the sorry excuse for a cake I’d made I stood in front of her.
“Happy Birthday Esth?” She read out loud.
“I ran out of space,” I shrugged. It was the thought that counted, right?
“Malachi,” she laughed shaking her head. “You know it’s not my birthday, right?”
“You wished for a birthday cake made by me so I’m fulfilling that wish,” I smirked as I clicked the lighter and held its flame above the cake. “Last year’s was not what it should have been and I’m sure this year was hard, so let’s re-celebrate it.”
Teary eyed, she blew out the light and took the cake from my hand, staring down at it as if it were gold.
“My wishes…you remembered.”
I lifted a pen and the now butter stained paper she’d written on almost a year ago. The ink was a bit faded and the paper itself had been folded and unfolded so many times the crease in it was weak enough to be torn with ease.
“You only wrote thirteen before…before leaving. You have ten more to add, well eleven since you’re now twenty-four,” I said as I swapped the cake in her hands for the pen and paper in mine.
“What?” She looked down at the paper.
“See the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World,” I repeated. “We’ve seen them all—and it’s a good thing too because the only one left to actually see is the Great Pyramid.”
The look on her face was hilarious. I knew when she’d written that list she was merely kidding. She’d written it not believing that I’d ever actually follow through. But if I could I would have and if it were within my power to do so I would.
“When was our first life?”
It was the most rational question she could have asked me and I wanted to tell her the whole story but the thing was that it was so long ago, so many lives had come and gone since that one. Of all my memories it was the weakest, the blackest.
“Malachi?” I loved how she said my name. How she whispered it, how she moaned it, how she screamed it out. It was all music to my ears.
“You’ll need a knife for this,” I finally spoke again. Putting the cake down on the counter, I looked for where I’d seen the utensils. However, the moment I turned from her, she placed her hand on my back. I couldn’t help but shiver when she did.
“You know, it’s funny,” she said tracing her fingers over my back, “I told my grandfather once that I didn’t know what I’d do without your words. Reading your stories always gave me strength to do better, love more, and be kinder. And he told me to be the bringer of your own happiness and optimism. Not a book. Not a man. But myself. And now I know it was myself…my past self-counseling my present one. It’s like I found a loop-hole. Grandpa, I’m not really obsessed with Malachi Lord’s books, I’m obsessed with myself and the man who loved me nine hundred and ninety-nine times over.” She kissed my spine and hugged me tightly, her hands on my bare chest. “I don’t need any other wish but to be with you.”
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I placed my hand over hers and tilted my head back to look up at the ceiling.
“You couldn’t have said that before I made the cake?”
