AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“How this bathtub is my favorite part of the whole house,” I said with a small laugh, and I could feel him smile behind me. “And how I don’t want to leave,” I added, my fingers swirling in the hot water around me.
“Then don’t,” Caius whispered, and I could feel my insides flutter. His lips moved down to my shoulder as he kissed the skin delicately.
I blinked away the blunt reply and pictured it myself, in my own mind.
I could see us, wrapped up in his silk sheets, listening to the rainfall patter on the roof above us. The spirits would surround us every night as we entwined our bodies, focusing on nothing or no one else but ourselves.
A hint of a smile grew on my lips as I became fond of the idea.
But then I thought of reality, and how simply staying wasn’t anything more than a dream.
“I can’t,” I rasped, letting the flower petals slide between my fingers, even though I desperately wanted to stay.
His lips moved up to my neck, and I tilted my head away to give him better access to my skin. “Why not?” he asked, then didn’t give me a chance to answer. “I will give you everything you need. Anything you want, it’s yours.”
“And if I want to behere,forever?”
His kisses stilled, understanding my implication.
I wanted my soul to be tied to Purgatory.
“No.”
I could feel his body tense behind me, his shoulders tightening, the muscles in his arms stiffening. He was willing to keep me on Earth, but he wasn’t willing to tie me to Purgatory for all eternity.
I dropped the conversation, realizing we were both aiming for different things with different outcomes. But with his lips by my ear again, his breath hot on my skin, he whispered, “I will never guide you in the wrong direction.”
And I believed him. I trusted him with everything in me, with all of my mind, body, and soul, and I knew he was being honest. I knew he would never lead me astray.
But I ached for that promise, the sacred vow of committing myself to something bigger. Something that was fact and truth, something I could physically see with my own eyes.
Something I had fallen in love with, with or without the ties to the afterlife.
My gaze traveled back to the steady rainfall against the window. The sound was soothing, the sight was relaxing, and I found myself slipping deeper into Caius’ embrace. The warm water and floating flower petals were only adding to the serenity.
And with that, I knew there was nowhere else I could imagine myself.
“Caius,” I began. I turned my body slightly, angling myself so my back was no longer pressed against him, but against the side of the tub instead. His grey eyes met mine as his armscontinued to rest against my skin, the water softly lapping against us, and I could tell that our gazes were no longer simple. He could read me, just like I could read him, and there were three words I so badly wanted to say.
“I know,” he replied before I had a chance to speak. His hand moved to tuck a stray lock of hair behind my ear. “I do, too.”
The beat of my heart jumped at the underlying admission. It was there, swirling around us, the exhilarating feelings and emotions with no chance of settling.
Without thinking, I leaned up and kissed him, letting the action lead my emotions. His hands cupped my face as he kissed me back.
Celeste
The coffee shop needed me for a double shift, so by the time I clocked out, I was exhausted. My feet were aching, my back was tight, and all I wanted to do was fall into Caius’ silk sheets. Maybe take a bath first.
Oh, yeah. Definitely a bath.
Turning onto the fog-covered road, I didn’t bother to concentrate. My hands knew the way, and at this point, it was all muscle memory.
That is, until a car faced me head-on, the headlights barely breaking through the thick white cloud between us. I slammed on my brakes, silently hoping the car could see me and do the same.
Thankfully, whoever was driving took notice. But instead of going around me and continuing on, the person in the car got out and looked to the ground, trying to see how much room they had on the road.
I rolled down my window, and fog instantly seeped into my car. “If you move a little to your right, you’ll be able to get around me,” I said, unable to fully see who I was talking to. The person was tall, and had the silhouette of a man, but those were the only features I could make out.
