Afterlife Academy (25 page)

“Anthony, I’m so sorry,” I
mumble into his shoulder. “For everything.”

“It doesn’t matter,” he says
against the top of my head. “But be careful, okay? We have no idea where that door
actually leads. It could be to anywhere.”

We eventually pull apart from
each other and that’s when he leans down and kisses me. It’s just a quick kiss
on the lips, but my brain short-circuits and all I want to do is stand here and
hold him forever.

“What can I do to change your
mind?” he asks, leaning his forehead against mine.

“Unngh,” I mumble.

Then I pull myself together. I
push away from him and walk back over to the door. I stare at the swirling
vortex.

“Riley…” Anthony says.

I don’t look at him. I can’t.
I’m crying. I couldn’t see through the tears in my eyes even if I wanted to.

“Did you ever think that maybe
we were supposed to end up here?”

I shrug, still not looking at
him.

“I know it was hard to accept at
the time, but maybe all this
things happen for a reason
bullshit isn’t complete nonsense after all. Riley, think about it, please.”

I stare at the vortex swirling
in front of me and I do think.

I think about Wade. I think
about all the good times before letting some of the bad times that I had
steadfastly blocked out filter into my head.

Wade was cheating on me. I had
suspected it a few times, but I had never had any proof, and Wade was always so
sweet when I confronted him that I told myself he would never do that to me and
somehow I believed it.

Then there’s Sophie. Wade and
Soph had been going at it long before I ended up dead.

Huh.

Some friend she was.

What was my life even about?
Spending time with two cheating best friends and making life miserable for
anyone who dared to look or act different.

I think about Caydi and how
often we used to make fun of Goth girls. I think of how Sophie came into school
dressed up as one of them on a non-uniform day.

We were so cruel.

I can’t go back to that. I don’t
want to go back to that.

I turn to look at Anthony. He
has tears running down his face too.

I can’t leave him.

He died for me. Because of me.
Because he was going to tell me what that prick was doing behind my back,
despite the fact that I had been nothing but horrible to him and honestly
didn’t deserve him to so much as look in my direction, let alone tell me what
the selfish twit was too chicken to tell me himself.

I feel such a surge of love for
Anthony that I’m sure he must be able to tell.

I reach my arms up behind my
head and unfasten the catch at the back of my neck. Then I tug at the rose
necklace, hold it in my hand for a final minute, and hurl it into the vortex
with all my strength.

I give it one final glance and
kick the door shut.

Anthony is grinning when I walk
back over to him. I wrap my arms around his waist and his wrap around mine, and
then he leans down and kisses me.

Properly, this time.

“Come on,” he says after a few
minutes snogging. “Wouldn’t wanna miss the ball.”

I couldn’t stop the grin that
spreads across my face if I tried.

As we emerge from the chemistry
lab, it doesn’t feel as cold and misty as it did before and Anthony smiles at
me as I squeeze his hand.

For the first time it feels
right.

This is where I’m supposed to
be.

*x* THE END *x*

About the author:

Jaimie is a 28-year-old English-sounding Welsh girl with an
awkward-to-spell name. She lives in South Wales and enjoys writing, gardening,
drinking tea and watching horror movies. She hates spiders and cheese &
onion crisps.

She has been writing for years but has never before plucked
up the courage to tell people.

Afterlife Academy is her third novel and she hopes you
enjoyed it. There are plenty more on the way!

Website:
http://www.jaimieadmans.com

Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/be_the_spark

Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/jaimieadmansbooks

Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/jaimieadmans

Pinterest:
http://www.pinterest.com/notprettyenough

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Also by Jaimie Admans:

Kismetology

A feel-good romantic comedy about finding the perfect man… For
your mother!

Creepy Christmas

If you listen closely, you can hear the faint sound of
screaming over the Jingle Bells... Can Kaity help Santa's daughter save
Christmas from being destroyed by Anti-Claus?

A fun, festive, family read!