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“Have you thought about what happens when her time on Earth is up?” I asked. It was something I’d been avoiding thinking about since realizing the blackness creeping over Joriel’s skin was a countdown. Sierra and Siren were both human. They were living countdowns. They’d continue getting older, and eventually their lives would end. Human lives were short compared with eternity.
“I plan on following her to Heaven,” he said simply.
“But she’ll be different,” I pointed out. Souls who’d passed on didn’t have human bodies. They weren’t the same as they’d been on Earth.
“And I’ll love her just as much that way as I love her now.” He made it sound so uncomplicated. He didn’t sound worried about what the future held for him and Sierra despite his insane level of protectiveness when it came to her well-being.
“How can you be so sure about all of it?”
He shrugged. “It’s called faith. I believe in Father’s plan for Sierra’s and my future.”
I couldn’t believe that was all there was to it. Nathaniel had a chance to stand in front of God and ask his questions. I was sure they’d talked about something that had given him this certainty and calm.
“What’s your secret?” I asked. “How did you get this life? And how are you not afraid of it changing, ending?”
Nathaniel stood from the couch. “She’s twenty-two. As long as I do my job and protect her, we have years to live this life. I’m not going to ruin it worrying about what our next life is going to be like.”
Maybe he was right. I was ruining my current life worrying about what was going to happen to Joriel and Siren and everyone else. But I didn’t know how to let go of that worry.
“You’re always welcome here, Sam, but whatever you’re hiding from by showing up at my doorstep isn’t going to be fixed by you sitting on my couch.”
Twenty-Three
Piper
I checkedthe time on my phone for the tenth time in fifteen minutes. There was a very real possibility that I was obsessed.
It was now nine o’clock at night and I hadn’t heard a word from Sam. He’d texted more than I’d expected over the past couple of weeks, but I still missed him to the point of it driving me crazy. I couldn’t think about anything but counting down seconds until he came back… which was supposed to be tonight. Emphasis on thesupposed to besince he’d yet to show up in the building or say anything to me.
“Earth to Adeline,” Shawn said, waving a hand in front of my face.
I blinked and focused on my friend. We were sitting at the bar inside Youngblood, hence him calling me Adeline. “Sorry. What did you say?”
Shawn rolled his eyes. “Have you always been such an obsessive girlfriend?”
I winced. “I’m not his girlfriend.”
“That actually makes this whole situation worse. And if you’re not his girlfriend, what exactly are you?”
I dropped my head onto my arms on top of the bar and let out a groan. “I don’t even know.”
“But you’re sleeping with him, right?”
“Jeez, say that a little louder, will you?” I muttered.
Shawn stroked my hair. “Don’t worry. I never said his name. No one knows who we’re talking about.”
“Everyone knows who you’re talking about. He’s been seen with me here too many times for there to be any question in the minds of the people who work here.”
“And you’re avoiding my question.”
“Yes, I’m sleeping with him. Yes, he’s every bit as amazing as he looks like he’d be. No, we’re not dating. And no, that’s not by my choice.”
“How did that conversation go?”
I lifted my head from my arms to look at him. “We haven’t had one. The last night before he left for his trip, someone asked him if I was his girlfriend and he avoided the question.”
“Do you think maybe there’s a chance he was doing that because he didn’t know howyoufelt about it? It doesn’t exactly sound like you’ve told him what you want.”
