Elysian (70 page)

I steal a kiss as the party rages around us.

“I’ve got a graduation gift for you.” His dimples dig in, and I’m already plotting on how I’m going to sink my tongue in each one later for a half hour straight.

“I’ve got a graduation gift for
you,
” I say it sultry. I pluck out a tiny black velvet bag from my pocket and hand it to Gage.

“What’s this?” He pulls out the silver watch Mom helped me pick out. “Cool. A dive watch.” He flips it around and reads the inscription on the back, “
The time is right for you and me
.
Love forever
,
Skyla
” Gage sinks a smile and pulls me in. “I love it, and I love you.”

“I love you, too.” I can’t break our gaze. Something seismic is shifting tonight for Gage and me. I can feel it.

“As for your gift.” His dimples dig in and out. “Actually, I lied.” His chest rumbles with laughter. “I don’t have one gift for you, I have two. The first gift is”—he rubs his nose over mine—“I’d like to spend the day with you tomorrow at Host—give you the guided tour of my dorm.” His lips give a lewd curve, and my stomach explodes with heat. “And if you want, we can do a quick lap around the school.”

“Ha, ha, very funny. And I can’t wait to see your dorm.” I rake my hands over his back like a promise. “And, of course, the school, maybe.”

“Yeah, well, that’s the lame gift.” He averts his eyes, teasing me. “The good gift is coming up right behind you.”

I turn and see the most beautiful sight in the world.

Logan Oliver—alive and in the flesh.

Logan beams a radiant grin, and the dimple I gave him in a fit of rage slices down his cheek.

“Logan!” I throw my arms around him, and he spins me, turning the room and everyone in it into a kaleidoscope of color.

“Congratulations,” he whispers in my ear. “I’m proud of you.” He reaches over and offers Gage a high five. “I’m proud of you, too. Good job, man.”

“Are you back?” My insides tense up. I swear I’ll break like a mirror if he says no and damn him to a lifetime of bad luck.

“I’m back, Skyla.” He presses out a sad smile. “On my own terms.” He pulls Gage into our huddle, and the three of us partake in a lengthy group hug. Logan pulls away and takes us both in. “I think it’ll be too hard for me to be here all the time in your face, so I’m going to pull back a little. I want the two of you to settle in, to commence your relationship the way you should. I’m not here to get in your way,” he says that last part directly to Gage. “So I might be hard to find for a couple months, maybe even after that. But if you guys need me, let Dudley know.”

Shit. Logan seems just as elusive as he did before.

“We can’t go months without seeing you,” I say it low just under the music.

“You won’t.” He pulls me in by the shoulder.

“Logan’s here!” Brielle shouts, and a crowd amasses around us. Lexy, Michelle, and Emily, Nat, Drake, Ethan, Ezrina and Nev—then finally Ellis and Giselle round out our circle.

Ellis holds up his bright red Solo. “I just gotta say, you guys are the best effing friends a guy could as for. Thanks for making West Paragon a place I’ll always remember.”

“Here, here!” Lex sloshes her hips up and down like a pole dancer. “To West, baby!

“To West,” I say. “An experience I will never forget.”

I look up at Logan and Gage.

Nor would I want to.

***

After several hours of partying, Logan, Gage, and I decide to ditch the chaos and head across the street. My spirit soars as the three of us waft through a thicket of fog. It feels like old times.

“Would you guys mind if I took you someplace?” Logan asks as if he weren’t sure if we would say yes.

“Of course we wouldn’t mind.” I jump at the idea of going anywhere with Logan.

Gage pats me on the back. “Why don’t you go?” His dimples wink in turn, no smile. “I’ve already seen what he’s about to show you.”

“Are you sure?” It feels like we’re falling in that same trap again, and the last thing I want is for Gage to feel insecure in any way.

“I’m positive,” he says it like he means it, so I agree.

Logan and I take off in his truck, and I inhale the scent of his familiar cologne as it mixes with the leather. It’s bliss like this with him back on the island.

We drive in comfortable silence all the way to the bowling alley, but turn toward the house he built instead. His headlights flash over the street sign—Whitehorse.

I cradle the mirrored heart in my hand and smile.

“I love it, Logan.” I gaze over at the enormous house, mesmerized by this incredible token of his affection.

“I heard Dudley gave you the tour.” His brows bounce.

“He did, and I’m more than impressed with your architectural feat both above and below ground.”

“Come on.” He ticks his head toward the house. “There’s one more thing I’m hoping to impress you with.”

Logan takes me by the hand up the broad porch and unlocks the door. He reaches in and turns on the lights before pausing.

“Would you mind if I carried you over the threshold?” His lids grow heavy as if he were somehow overstepping his bounds.

“I was your bride once, Logan,” I whisper like a secret. “I would be incensed if you didn’t.”

Logan picks me up with a laugh trembling in his chest and carries me over the threshold of this love nest he built for the two of us, for another moment in time entirely.

He bounces me soft on my feet and drops a kiss on the top of my head.

“I’m sorry.” He touches my face. “I’m not going to lie. Seeing you with Gage is going to be painful.” He looks down for a moment and presses his lips tight until they bleed out all color.

I don’t know what to say or how to comfort him.

“But I know our happily ever after waits for us, Skyla. I’ll hold onto that,” he says just below a whisper. “Let’s go.” Logan races us upstairs, across the expansive hallways to the large master bedroom in the back. He flicks on a light, exposing the overgrown barren room and leads me to the closet off to the side.

“His, hers,” he touts.

“You did good, Oliver.”

“I was hoping you’d think so.” He waves me into the larger closet of the two, and I step in. It’s only then I notice a stairwell in the back leading up to a full-sized door.

“You didn’t.” I cover my mouth with my hand.

“I don’t know,” he teases. “Let’s find out.” He ushers me up the stairs, and we step on through the creamy white door. 

A beautiful room opens up and takes my breath away. Every wall is covered in an array of bright blue butterflies, every size, every unique shape. These aren’t the tissue-covered butterflies of days gone by—these are larger than life, beautiful silk renditions.

“Sorry, they’re all blue,” he whispers.

“They’re my favorite.” I spin, taking it all in. A small white couch sits off to the side with a round wicker table set in front of it. The floor is covered with glossy black granite with diamond-like sparkles strewn throughout, just like the black galaxy flooring of the butterfly room back home.

“I thought maybe this could be your space. You could come up here to think. Do your thing.”

“Thank you.” I pull him in and touch my forehead to his.

“I’ve got something for you. A graduation gift.”

“
Logan
.” I pull back and gaze up at his gorgeous face. I never want this moment to end. “You didn’t have to.”

“I wanted to.” He reaches behind the tiny table and produces a small, white bag. “Besides, this is the perfect gift.”

“You’re the perfect gift,” I correct. He hands me the bag, and I pull back the tissue extracting a simple white frame. “Oh my, God,” I whisper, looking at the amazing picture. “I love this.” There we are, the three of us at West with Logan on one side holding me and Gage on the other. I remember this night. Gage had me step onto his helmet, then Logan came. “Emma took this. It was the last game of the year, my birthday,” I whisper. “You’re right, this is perfect.”

“Remember us that way, the three of us together.” A moment of grief, heavy as the island, treads by. “I want you to know, I’m rooting for you and Gage. I’m not at all going to try and sneak you off to the bushes and have my way with you.” His dimple winks. “I think it’s important I lay low until you guys cement things between yourselves. I think Gage needs the space. I think you both do.”

“And what about you?” I swallow hard, not wanting to ask the question.

Logan presses into me with an intense gaze and a fire rakes through me.

“I’m not interested in anybody else, Skyla.” He shakes his head. “I guess I’m going to be the scary loner.” He holds out his hands and smiles. “And in all seriousness”—he takes me in his arms again—“this is a good time for us to build our friendship, and a good time for me to restore my relationship with Gage.”

“Logan.” I cast a glance to the floor. I can’t bear to look at him. “You’re coming from the future, you already know so many things.” I shake my head.

“The treble I’m in”—Logan tenderly lifts my chin—“this moment is the first minute your mother gifted me my life back. I don’t know a thing about the future we’ll have.” His smile widens at the mention. “I want it that way. I want to experience every part of those precious tomorrows right along with you. I also have no recall from this moment forward.”

“How is that possible? Did you hurt yourself?”

“No, I’m fine. I specifically asked for the tabula rasa. I wanted to experience these years with you, with Gage, with life just the way it was meant to be, full of surprises.” His features darken again. “But this, Skyla. This is your time to shine with Gage. Be with him. I want you to. He sacrificed his own time with you, so that one day we could have ours. Every year we’ll have together was gifted from him.” Logan lands a chaste kiss on my cheek. “Love him.”

“I will. But please”—my voice quivers—“for God’s sake, don’t be a stranger in my life. I need you, Logan. So does, Gage.”

He wraps his arms around me tight. I can feel his skin against mine, and I drink him down and memorize the moment.

“I won’t.” He runs his fingers through my hair. “I’ll never be a stranger to you. No goodbyes.” He presses a tender kiss over my lips. “Until I see you again, Skyla.” Logan starts to disappear, and I blink back into my bedroom in the Landon house, alone.

The picture Logan gifted me is still cradled in my hands.

The three of us together.

We have that again.

Sort of.  

***

My bedroom holds the dregs of my youth like a familiar scent, like a song from long ago that bookmarks an era of my life. It encapsulates the memories of Logan and Gage, Marshall, too. I glance over at Emerson as the caged bird, alert at this late hour, watching me. Though evil called my name through the voice of the Counts, the destiny my mother spelled out for me had prospered. I can only hope the future will prove me victorious in doing the things I need to. Gone is the girl, and here lies the woman. It’s time to leave childhood behind and embrace life anew with dignity, resolve, and passion for the Nephilim people. If this past year has taught me anything, it’s to love those around me while I still have them. There’s never a need to be lonely when you have a friend right next door. Life was meant to be shared—not encased in solitude, not with the power-hungry barricades Chloe put up at every turn. That’s where she went wrong. We could have been friends. We could have been closer than sisters, Chloe and me.

The dull light of the moon sprays over the room. There’s no way I’ll ever get to sleep tonight. I may never sleep again until Logan feels comfortable enough to reinstate himself in our lives. My arms fan over the cool sheets, so terribly empty. 

Everything in me craves Gage, so I send a quick text.

Would you mind coming over? ~S

Gage blinks next to me on the bed, dipped in a midnight blue. He gives a warm smile, and his face redefines itself in the shadows.

“You know if your mother finds out, she’ll frown on the teleporting.”

“It was sort of an emergency.” I give a little laugh and pull him in. “I think we’re safe for now.”

“What’s the emergency?” He sinks into the pillow with a look of contentment.

“I needed you.”

“I needed you, too.” Gage wraps his arms around me, and we lay there, listening to the sound of one another breathing.

“So what was Marshall telling you last fall at homecoming? You said you’d tell me after graduation.”

“Wow, you’ve got a great memory.” His chest rumbles with a laugh.

“And don’t you forget it.” I touch my finger to his nose.

A moment of silence thumps by as Gage inspects me lovingly under the silver glow of moonlight.

“He said I shouldn’t worry. That Logan would have you briefly but I would have you completely, then—” He bites down hard over his lower lip.

“Then what?” All of those things my mother told me flood to the forefront of my mind and now I’m sorry I ever asked.

His dimples dig in deep as a slow smile spreads across his face.

“Then”—he whispers pulling me in closer—“we do this a lot.” Gage crushes his lips to mine and we indulge in a kiss, potent enough to wash away an entire ocean of sorrow.

This is our time, Gage and me.

Gage rakes his hands over my back and I groan as I press my body to his. The room spins. It gyrates and shakes, and the two of us disappear.

***

In my heart I’m hoping for Ahava, but fully expecting Tenebrous—but not this, not in my wildest dreams am I expecting this.

Far in the distance sits the throne room of God with its emerald rainbow, the explosion of light that is the Master himself, the river of life that flows from under the throne and sails beneath the sapphire floor.

Marshall and my celestial mother are by my side. Her hair blows back, her eyes sparkle a unique shade of lavender, reflecting the sky here in the paradise of God.

“Welcome to your coronation ceremony, Skyla.” She lends a cool kiss over my cheek. “I’ll wait for you by the sword. When you’re ready, come and receive what is rightfully yours, what has been waiting for you all along.”