Page 122 of When Darkness Calls

“He was leaving you notes?” My tone is cold.

She nods. “Pictures and notes, and he gave me a dahlia.”

Recognition sparks as I remember the plant sitting outside her balcony window.

“I meant everything I said to you. I’m also saying this now. We will find him, and he will pay.”

“I believe you…So, where does this leave us?” She asks me, staring at her hands in her lap, fidgeting with the sleeve of my hoodie.

“Well, I hope it leaves us right where we left off…” I murmured, coming up beside her, hand raising to hold her face. Her beautiful soft face, with those stunning hazel eyes, and soft rosy lips, and her adorable chubby cheeks.

“Yeah,” she breathes. “And where was that exactly?”

I hum. “Somewhere around here.” I lift her chin up, my lips hovering over her own. “May I kiss you, sweet girl?”

She doesn’t respond, only stares at me. The milliseconds I stood waiting for an answer were an eternity I never want to live through again. Just when I thought she was going to turn me down, and I began to pull away, she surges forward, arms wrapping around my neck, pulling me in close.

There are no sparks. No burning sensation where our lips meet or electricity shooting through my body. Kissing her feels like waking up on Christmas morning as a kid, to the smell of cinnamon rolls, and your family standing around the kitchen wearing bright smiles. Happiness, wonder, joy.

It feels like coming home after a long frustrating day and taking a hot shower and crawling into bed. Relief, contentment, comfort.

The cold barren place in my chest fills with light and warmth in a way that is so foreign. Being in her arms—being in Dani’s light— is like standing beneath the sun on a July evening, the golden rays soaking deep into your bones, shining from the inside out.

I don’t want to pull away. I want to stay here in this very fucking moment for the rest of my life. Until the universe collapses and all that’s left is the atoms of our lives floating infinitely.

She pulls away, burrowing her face into my shirt. I can feel the heat of it radiating through the fabric, directly in the spot her presence so often occupies in my chest.

“You ready to lie down? You’ve had a long day. You should get some rest.” My voice is strained, but she looks up at me, eyes dazed before nodding.

I turn and begin to walk to the living room, when her hand stops me. “What are you doing?” She tilts her head, staring at me confused.

“Showing you where the guest room is, sweet girl. You need to sleep.”

“I know, but… I kind of want to lay in your room,” she says pointing to the hall.

I shake my head in amusement. “Okay, if that’s what you want.”

I haven’t finished my sentence and she’s already making her way down the hall, jumping into my bed.

She wiggles around in the sheets, burrowing her face into the pillows, and sighs happily.

“We’ll be in the garage if you wake up, okay? Just come get us if you need anything.”

“Grays?” She whispers.

“Yeah?” I turned back to her in the doorway.

“Thank you.”

I nodded, shutting the door, but leaving it cracked.

If anyone should be thanked, it’s her for giving me this feeling again.

thirty-five

Dani

Iwill admit, willingly, that riding to school on the back of Grayson’s bike is so much better than Liz’s car.