Page 53 of The Stars

Inside, she knew that her past self was sound asleep, blissfully unaware of the storm that was about to break.

Ryan sat a few feet away, his back to her, sitting on the stairs just outside their room, staring down at his phone as he smoked. He was unaware that she’d just traveled through time and had appeared out of thin air.

When she stepped forward, he glanced up, obviously startled when she walked towards him. His face softened in confusion, the boyish smile she had once desired flickering across his face as his eyes ran over her long gown.

“I thought you were asleep,” he said. “New getup?” He chuckled.

She sat next to him with a shrug. “I couldn’t sleep,” she said truthfully, ignoring the comment about her gown. He probably wouldn’t remember that detail when he left in the morning, because she had still been under the bed covers when he rushed from the room.

She hesitated, her heart constricting at the knowledge of what came next. Her entire future, hers and Dante’s future, depended on what she did next.

“Ryan,” she began, her voice barely a whisper. She cleared her throat, trying to steady herself. “We need to talk.”

He blinked, his brow furrowing in concern. “What’s going on? You look… upset.”

She shook her head, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes, but she forced them back. “I—I care about you, Ryan. I always have. But… things have changed. I’ve changed. And I need to be honest with you.”

His face fell, the realization dawning on him. “Amy, what are you saying?”

“I’m saying that this”—she gestured between them—“isn’t right anymore. I’m not the person I was when we met. I’m… different. I need to be somewhere else, and I need to be with someone else.” She swallowed hard, the words catching in her throat. “I’m so sorry.”

He stared at her for a long moment, his face a mixture of hurt and confusion. “Is there… is there someone else?”

Amy’s chest tightened. Dante. The name echoed in her mind, but she didn’t speak it aloud. She simply nodded, the weight of her confession hanging in the cool night air.

Ryan’s expression hardened, the pain evident in his eyes. He stood, pacing a few steps away, running a hand through his hair. “I… I don’t understand. After everything we’ve been through, after all this time, you’re just… dumping me?”

“I have to,” she said softly. “I’m sorry, Ryan. I am. I know you’re tired. Please, get some sleep before you head home in the morning.”

There was a long silence, broken only by the distant sounds of cars passing by on the highway. Finally, Ryan let out a shaky breath and nodded, though the sadness in his eyes cut her deeply. “I guess I can’t stop you, can I?”

Amy shook her head, tears finally spilling down her cheeks. “No.”

He sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat. “I hope… I hope you find whatever it is you’re looking for.”

She wanted to say more, to explain everything, but the words wouldn’t come. So she simply stood up and turned as if to walk back into their hotel room. His eyes stayed glued to the cigarette as she melted and returned through time.

She had done it. The choice was made, and the path was set. Now she could return to Dante.

Once more she was standing on the temple’s balcony, the cool night air brushing against her tear-streaked cheeks. She inhaled deeply, her chest heavy with the weight of the choice she had made, but also lighter, knowing that it had been the right one.

She turned and quietly slipped back into the room, her gaze falling on Dante’s sleeping form. He was lying on his side with his face relaxed as the moonlight cast soft shadows across his features. This time, her heart ached with the love that she felt for him. She knew that her choice, the pain that she’d put herself through, was worth it—every painful moment, every heartache, was to get her back to this moment.

She slipped back into bed beside him and sighed when her body fit perfectly against his. Dante stirred slightly but didn’t wake as she listened to his steady heartbeat and knew that the love she felt for him was beyond any cost she had paid in the past.

As the first light of dawn began to creep through the windows, Amy closed her eyes, knowing that whatever the future held couldn’t be stopped.

Chapter Eighteen

Dante blinked as the world around him shifted, the golden hues of the ancient temple vanishing in an instant. His heart raced, and for a brief moment he felt disoriented.

When everything stilled, his eyes darted around, searching for any sign of where—or when—they were.

They had decided to leave after the morning meal and after they’d freshened up. It was midmorning before they had stood on the balcony and wished the beauty and the serenity of that peaceful world goodbye.

Now the familiar scent and heat of Georgia hit him, and he realized with relief that they were back in Hidden Creek.

The giant cover of the silo loomed high above them. He knew that it was the same place and time when Brea had sent them away. A few candles flickered in the corners, casting shadows across the gathered faces. Everyone was still there, frozen in surprise as if they hadn’t noticed Dante and Amy had been gone for what felt like days. Everything was the same as when they’d been whisked away. Had only seconds passed here?