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And with those words out in the open, I turned myself back to him. His grey eyes held vulnerability, revealing a fact that meant more than what was simply spoken.
He never had someone sleep in his bed overnight before. Whether that was by choice or not didn’t matter. This was different. This was new to him. Not only did he let me into the secrets of Purgatory, but he also let me into the simplicities ofhis life.
Our eyes held a stare for a moment before he quickly stood to his feet, closed the space between us, and kissed me. His hand found the back of my neck, threading itself through my hair as his lips pushed against mine, needing me. Aching for me.
Breaking the kiss, he pressed his forehead to mine, keeping his eyes closed.
“You wanted me to see the sunset,” he began, his words warm against my lips. “But what about the sunrise?” he asked, finally opening his eyes. Caius gently turned my body so I was looking back over the railing, his front flush with my back.
Daylight was starting to find its way above the horizon. Although the skies were still filled with gloom, they turned from a darkened black, to a charcoal, then finally to the slate grey I’ve become accustomed to.
I watched as the lingering spirits made their way through the paths, slowly dissipating as day approached. One by one, they found their mausoleums and stepped inside, vanishing until the next nightfall.
That’s why all the doors were open- so they could leave at night and return in the morning.
My eyes scanned the grounds until I found my uncle’s mausoleum. I could only see part of the side, but I knew it was his, even from a distance. I kept my eyes there for minutes, waiting to see him again.
And sure enough, with the sun rays lightening the clouded skies, I watched as he strolled back to his mausoleum, took the three steps up, and disappeared inside.
My body felt stuck as I remained rooted to the spot. I was torn. Half of me knew this was what he wanted; that was obvious, but the other half didn’t have the answer to why, and that absence of information couldn’t connect the dots.
But he was resting. He was at peace.
And with Caius’ arms around me, I inhaled the damp air as the rain began again. At first, it came in tiny droplets, then it formed into a steady fall. Caius grabbed my hand and pulled me back inside before we got too wet.
Between last night’s sunset and this morning’s sunrise, I knew I would never look at life the same.
Caius
Peering out through my second-floor window, I watched as Celeste drove her car up to the house. She parked right outside of the front door, got out, and locked it behind her. For a few weeks now, she hasn’t been bothering to see her uncle first. She comes straight to me.
I’d be lying if I said that didn’t set something off in me. I could feel my muscles tensing at the thought of her touch, and my already half-hard cock twitched at the idea of her body needingmebefore anything else.
But a small sliver of myself felt some sort of guilt, which felt foreign. Usually, I’m good at dissociating myself away from feelings and emotions, so the fact that I wanted her tofeelbetter, not just act as if she was, was new to me.
But I know how this goes. I’ve seen it time and time again- the layers of grief that never truly go away until time has healed them. And although everyone is different, I know that it isneveran easy path.
I could hear the front door open below. The fact that she’s comfortable enough to walk in the house without knocking, without waiting to be invited in, speaks volumes.
And it was like a light had been switched on in me.
Heading out of my bedroom in grey sweatpants and a white t-shirt, I made my way down the left set of stairs andmoved to the main staircase. Celeste was nowhere to be seen, but after a brief moment of silence, I could hear laughter coming from the kitchen.
Once I entered the hallway under the stairs, I could instantly smell something amazing. My mouth began to water at the delectable smell, and I had a hunch that Celeste followed it, too.
As I finally reached the kitchen, my eyes scanned the room. Ace sat on one of the stools along the far end of the broad center island, leaning over a plate full of food and taking a bite. Mel stood at the stove, stirring whatever smelled good in the pot in front of her. And, sure enough, there stood Celeste at the near side of the island, with her elbows propped up on the countertop and her ass barely resting on a bar stool. She wore jeans and a tight brown sweater, which complimented her curves beautifully. Her dark brown hair fell in waves past her shoulders, with half of it pulled back and away from her face. From the doorway, I watched as she smiled at something Ace said, and her expression lit up the entire fucking room.
Fuck.
Something struck a chord in me, something that I didn’t know I could feel.
“Hey, Cai,” Ace greeted me with a mouthful of food, acknowledging me as I remained in the doorway.
Celeste turned to face me, and my chest instantly began to swell.
She was barely wearing any makeup. Her three was prominently visible, and yet she still had a smile on her face.
She was comfortable not only with me but also with Ace and Mel. Her whole life, she spent hiding from herself and everyone around her, until now. Either I unlocked something free in her, or maybe Purgatory did, or maybe it was a combination of both.
