Axel and Grayson’s purple strands are overlapped, appearing as a single thread, and pointing in the opposite direction, back on the road from which we came. But this one is Darius’s.
He isn’t in the house, but somewhere nearby.
I just hope he’s okay. That I will in fact see him tonight.
***
Alone in the bedroom, with just my thoughts, the hours pass endlessly. A million scenarios running through my head.
What thebidcould possibly be.
If Darius will actually come.
If this entire plan was pointless.
If Axel was right and I am just a stupid girl.
My mind wanders to them, to what Grayson and Axel are up to. It has been four days apart. Three more until the next part comes into play.
But will that even be enough?
Hopelessness grinds its dull teeth into my gut.
My eyes cast a glance around the room I am in. I was shocked when I first was shoved into it. When I realized it was the exact same room I was in when Maxwell tried to feed me drugs months ago.
The room Axel rescued me from.
So caught up in my thoughts, I don’t hear the footsteps until the door swings open.
And there he is.
“Darius!” I shoot to my feet.
The air in the room expands as I rush towards him. It propels me further and faster.
We are two atoms that have been held apart for too long. Bound together by fate and love and chaos.
And one hundred lifetimes.
“Sunday,” Darius gasps. He was frozen, but now he is eating up the space between us. We meet halfway into the room. Coming together in a way that heals us both.
“Darius,” I sob. My arms wrap around his neck, tug him down to me. He bends, scooping me up and I wrap my legs around him.
“I missed you, Wildflower.” He buries himself into my neck, his nose nuzzling my sensitive skin there.
For a few minutes we just stay like that, reestablishing our connection, soaking up each other’s warmth.
I do my best to ignore the bags under his eyes, the bruise marring his jaw, the new scar across his cheek.
It’s worth it. No matter what happens, if I can rescue Darius, it will all be worth it.
“How sweet,” Sterling says.
Tensing, Darius drops me carefully to the ground. Before spinning around, he puts himself between Sterling and me.
“What is this?” Darius demands.
I can’t see him, but I hear Sterling snap his fingers. “Sorry to break up this heartfelt reunion, but you two have a curtain call.”
