I ask him to grab me some fresh pajamas from my dresser and he obliges without question or hesitation. I should feel strange about asking him for his help like that, but it feels natural having this type of relationship with him, even after not seeing him for so long.
He picks out a light blue flannel pair of bottoms with a matching t-shirt and lays them on the bed for me. I have a hunch blue is his favorite color, but we’ve never really discussed it. I wonder whether he will start to take a liking to red in time.
Degory blushes, bites his lower lip, and turns away from me to give me some privacy while I change into the pajamas that he picked out for me. He’s such a sweet man, protecting and respecting my honor as a woman.
After everything we have been through, I want more than just the occasional kiss. I want to give him something that we will both remember, and keep him satisfied and hold onto until the next time we are able to see each other. I want to share a piece of myself that no one else has ever, or will ever have besides him.
We don’t know how long it will be until we see each other again, and I don’t want to waste any time thinking about it. This is the last time we’ll get to spend together with no strings attached, and nothing in our way. I want to take advantage of that.
I stand up from the bed gingerly and walk up behind him. I place my hands around his waist and he looks back at me, confused. He turns himself around to face me and I step back so I can lean against the bed without falling.
“Is something wrong?” he asks.
“No, just a bit nervous,” I respond, my breath becoming rapid and short.
“Why? What’s going on?”
For someone who is much older than me, he seems very slow to understand what I’m trying to say. That, or he’s hell bent on honoring my womanhood for the rest of my life. I can’t imagine this is going to be his first time, but what do I know?
It looks like I’m going to have to make the first move.
My breath is shaky, but I pull my shirt up unsteadily over my head, ignoring the pain it sends through my abdomen and shoulders. He hesitates, covering his eyes with his hand but not turning away from me again.
“What are you doing?” he squeaks.
I grab his hand and lower it.
“Trying to make the most of our last moments together.”
“Are you sure?” he asks, keeping his eyes trained on mine.
“More sure than I’ve been about anything in my life,” I reassure him.
That’s all it takes. He steps closer to me, closing the gap between us and pressing his body against mine. He stares into my eyes, amazed by everything that I am.
He places one hand on my cheek, and the other gently on top of the bandages holding my belly together. I gasp from the twinge of pain, but he doesn’t remove his hand. His touch cools the heat emanating from the wound.
Degory closes his eyes and lowers his head, kissing me more delicately and lovingly than he ever has before. He holds me close, breathing me in – everything that I am. We only part for a second to lay down onto the bed, he takes special care to make sure I don’t cause myself too much pain.
The instant he settles down, our lips lock as our passion explodes in a mixture of fire and ice. He’s gentle and giving with his love. It’s beautiful, like we are composing our own symphony with each thrust.
When we finish, he lays down next to me and holds me tenderly. He’s breathing heavily for a bit while we cool off, which is a bit shocking since he can do a lot of cardio without breaking a sweat. His normal body temperature being very cool helps us a lot.
I snuggle close to him, and he runs his fingers over my back. My head is lying on his shoulder, and his chin is resting against my forehead. We lay together nude as if it is as natural as breathing, our hearts beating in sync.
We don’t speak. There’s no need. We breathe each other in, taking all that we are and making us one. We know there will never be anyone else for us besides each other. No matter how much time passes without him by my side, or me by his, we will never know the touch of another.
No one will take our place in each other’s heart, and we’ll never need anyone else. No time or distance will take that away from us or cause our love to fade. There’s nothing more comforting than the love we share. I will spend every breath waiting my entire lifetime until we can officially be together, no matter when it’s my time to pass on.
We fall asleep in each other’s arms. It’s honestly a dream come true. I’ve never felt so safe and protected and loved before. I’m grateful that dad and my siblings are able to stop themselves from looking in on me. I really didn’t want them walking in and seeing me sleeping naked.
No one comes in my room, so we are left in peace all night. I sleep like a baby and don’t move at all. I don’t remember any of my dreams, and I don’t care – it doesn’t bother me in the slightest. My dream is to be with the man I fell asleep with, no dream I could ever have will measure up to what I have with him.
I’m almost afraid of falling asleep, actually. I stay up as late as I can, afraid he will be gone the next morning and back to Eden without saying goodbye.
I do everything I can to keep myself awake, but fail miserably. I end up falling asleep before Degory. I’m not surprised, though. A Captain of a Division of Eden would need to learn to stay awake for long periods of time on missions.
Plus, he’s very stubborn. It’s more difficult than I expect to stay awake anyway. His cold skin cools off the fire in my veins and soothes the burning in my soul.
When I wake the next morning, the sun is trying to shine through the window, but the curtains keep the sun at bay. It has to be around midmorning.
I yawn, stretching my body to test how far I can bend before the pain threatens to consume me. Degory is already awake and looks down at me. If not for the sleep that’s still fading from his eyes, I would have thought he had stayed awake all night.
“How did you sleep?” I ask.
“Better every night spent with you,” he says, completely genuine.
He smiles at me as if I have the world hidden within my eyes.
“It’s as if sharing a bed with you reverses the damage sleeping on the ground during missions has brought my body over the centuries.”
“Glad I can help,” I grin.
We get ourselves out of bed with both of us awake. He’s closest to the edge, so he crawls out first and helps me scoot to the end of the bed. He hands me the water bottle and I drink half of it in a few gulps.
Then, I take a moment to lay back down so he can check my wound. He holds my hands and lowers me onto the bed so I don’t overexert myself. He removes the bandages and cleans the injury as best he can with the first-aid kit I have in my desk.
He notices that the wounds look remarkably better from the night before. I wonder whether I have gained more than just fire powers from my connection with Degory. Or from the experiments King did. I’d rather believe it’s because of Degory.
I’m curious, but I don’t want to get ahead of myself. I won’t know for sure until I’m fully healed. He carefully re-bandages my belly, guilt like a shadow on his face. I wonder whether he will ever forgive himself for what Eden has done to me. I will continue to remind him it isn’t his fault even if he doesn’t. Maybe one day he’ll listen to me.
He, then, gives me the pajamas that had been laid out for me and long forgotten from the night before. I dress carefully and relax on my bed. We spend the next week or so just relaxing in my bedroom watching movies and talking.
We talk about everything and nothing: the weather, what our aspirations are, what we believe in. We wait for my stomach to heal so that we can start training. I, almost, don’t want to get better. I know that soon he will have to leave.
Even though the wound was deep, it doesn’t take longer than a week for my stomach to have a bright pink scar where it had just been a giant hole. For Degory and I, that’s enough to confirm I’m able to heal more rapidly than the average huma
n.
I’m sure there are limits to it, but it’s so cool knowing I’m some sort of super human. I’m excited to see what else I will acquire as time goes on. Of course, only training will help me find out faster. No matter how much I want to avoid it, it’s inevitable.
When it’s time for Degory and me to start training again, I tell my family that I’m going on another trip with my new friend from school for a week. It takes a lot of convincing for dad to let me go after coming home a complete mess, but he trusts me.
In reality, Degory takes me back to his cabin. It’s in the middle of nowhere, so it’s the perfect place for him to teach me self-training techniques without fear of being caught or seen by random onlookers. When we arrive there, I have to remind myself that Eden isn’t after me anymore and we don’t have to run from them. My own form of PTSD.
The first sight of being back sends shivers down my spine. I have to continuously remind myself that I’m safe now. I’m not on the run. I have an entire week to not worry about anything but training. I have to focus so I can enjoy the rest of the time I have with Degory rather than being paranoid.
We practice and train during the day, and spend our nights cuddled in front of the fire, and making love before falling asleep. It’s the best week of my life. He teaches me a lot about myself and how to control my powers.
By the end of the week, I don’t even have to think about producing flames, and it doesn’t have to be in the palm of my hand. I can make them appear ten feet in any direction if I so please. I can even make the flames look like tiny dragons, with minds of their own, and it’s amazing.
I, almost, want to keep one as a pet, but since they are made of fire, that isn’t the smartest idea I’ve ever had. Plus, they are meant for fighting, so there’s no positive outcome to keeping one as a pet.
After the week ends, way too quickly in my opinion, he brings me back home and we end up going straight back into my room. He has prepared me as best he can to train on my own, but it’s time for him to go back to Eden. I’ll never be ready for him to leave, and I’m having difficulty accepting it.
I’m, also, worried for him. I don’t know what he’s going to face. I hope that it will be some sort of pardon for his actions, but I won’t know until the next time we see each other. I know he will have some sort of consequences, but will they kill him after three Captains have betrayed them? Can you kill a Reaper? I forget to ask.
He gives me directions so that I can go up to his cabin whenever I want to find some peace from the world or a safe place to train. He, also, gives me a locket that’s completely silver with just a hint of powder blue that glints in the sunlight and reminds me of snowflakes.
Inside, there’s a picture of him. Something I can keep safe and remember him by. It takes me a long time to think of what to give him – it took me the entire week at his cabin to finally decide on what to I would send him off with.
He says he doesn’t want anything, since I have already given him everything he could ever ask for and more when I shared his love, but I can’t help myself. I want him to have something from me to hold onto like the locket he gave to me, and the scarf.
I think for a long time and settle on something simple, and small. It’s kind of lame, but I write him a note explaining how I feel about him and reminding him of everything we have done and faced together. It may not have been much in the grand scheme of things, but it’s more than most couples will have to go through in a lifetime.
I remind him about how we met, and how I felt when we kissed for the first time. What I thought was going to be a short, one-page note ends up being a four-page letter pouring my heart out to him. I don’t regret one word.
We return to the playground again for his departure. I want to see him off when he goes back through the door to Eden. The playground seems a fitting place, since it isn’t too far from home and it’s an open enough space for him to create the door.
“Do you know when you’ll be back?” I ask him.
We have our arms around each other, holding one another, and delaying our goodbyes for as long as possible. I’m holding tears back, but I’m not sure how long I’m going to be able to.
“I wish I did,” he replies, somberly.
“I know we can’t be together now, but will we ever be able to?”
“Yes, it’ll just have to wait until you are reborn in Eden.”
“Do you think you can wait that long?”
“Sunny,” he murmurs.
He pulls away so that our eyes lock. I can’t avoid the truth in his gaze as he talks.
“I’ve waited over two centuries to meet and fall in love with you. Waiting a lifetime for you will be simple.”
He smiles down at me and kisses my nose.
“Promise you’ll come visit me as soon as you can?” I choke between tears.
“You know I will,” he breathes, wiping the tears from my cheek.
“I know, I just like hearing it sometimes,” I grin, trying to lighten the mood a little.
I’ve never been good with serious moments like this. Goodbye is not my strong suit.
“I promise I will come visit you the moment I am able,” he chuckles.
“Good!”
His smile fades and I know we can’t prolong his leave any further.
“I love you, Sunny,” he whispers, staring at our tangled hands.
“I love you, too, Degory, I always will.”
Snot is trying to escape my nostrils, and I have to wipe it away with my sleeve. I feel extremely unattractive during this sentimental moment.
“I know,” he smiles.
He leans down and gives me one last kiss before he has to go. His lips brush against mine, and I can feel his longing and hesitation to go. He tastes of freshly fallen snow and I can’t ever get enough of it. It’s one of the many things I’m going to miss about him.
When he pulls away, my cheeks are wet again. I don’t realize I’m crying until he wipes away the tears with his thumbs for the second time.
He lays his forehead on mine and vows to always be mine, and always protect me. He pulls me to him, lying my head against his chest, and hugging me tight. His muscles hesitate this time, not wanting to let me go.
For his sake, I pull out of his grasp and pull us apart, this time with fresh tears rolling down my cheeks. I look up at him and he’s, also, fighting back tears.
He turns away and creates the door to travel back to Eden. The familiar white light welcomes him back. Taking a few steps forward, he turns to face me. Degory smiles in a way that melts my heart. He smirks seeing my reaction and walks backwards through the door. I laugh at him for wanting that one last look as he passes through.
The light seems to become brighter the closer he gets. It surrounds him until there’s nothing left of him. The door closes on itself and disappears before my eyes. I let my tears fall freely for a few moments before wiping them away. It’s sad to see him leave, but he makes me happier than I’ve ever been before. I will see him again no matter what it takes.
I vow to come back to the playground whenever I can. It won’t be a shrine or anything like that, that would be weird, but a place we shared that will always be ours. Another reminder of him while he’s gone, and it seems like he will never return. Something to keep my spirits up when it seems like hope is lost.
I’ll have this place to return to and help remind myself of what we’ve been through together, and what we have.
I walk back home, holding the locket he gave me. He promised to protect me, but I don’t want him to have to protect me. I make a promise to myself, and him, that I will train as much as I need to so that he won’t have to.
I vow to become stronger – strong enough so I won’t need protection. That way I can fight alongside him, protecting the Living World from Malighosts and monsters like Arensmeier. I will become strong enough so he won’t have to take it on alone.
END BOOK ONE
About the Author
After dedic
ating herself to helping authors edit their work, SAMANTHA PETERSON has begun creating her own novels. She has refined works for Elise Marion (author of the Chained Trilogy), Ed Bernacki (director of The Idea Factory), Karnika E. Yashwant (chairman and managing director of KEY Difference Media), and many more.
Peterson was just getting started with her first published work, Waiting a Lifetime, and is excited to share her latest novel, The Unfavorable, with the world. Working hard supporting her family and publishing hasn’t stopped her from continuing to write. If you’d like more information on other projects in the works, or to purchase a book, go to her website at http://samantharidenour.wixsite.com/samantharidenour!
Other Published works by Peterson:
The Unfavorable
Finding Home
Disappeared
In the works:
The PCB Mutation
The Chosen Six
The Secret Diaries of Ruby Ryanne and Aroura LeNayes
Waiting a Lifetime (The Waiting Series Book 1) Page 24