Maybe we could visit the sea during our next trip.
Grayson’s voice floats my way gently. “Do you think it’s possible?”
“What’s that?”
“Reincarnation… An eternity of death.”
His words hit me like a blunt force to the stomach. I swim to the edge of the pool, holding on to the side as my pulse steadies. Grayson joins me, close enough I can make out the smattering of freckles across his nose.
“I don’t know,” I finally manage. “But considering human consciousness is still one of the great mysteries, I don’t see why not? Who’s to say what it is that sparks us being…us.”
He doesn’t respond for the longest time, and I watch him as he watches the stars. “I want to believe it.”
“Yeah?”
He nods, his chin on his crossed arms. “I have to, Ez. Leandros? The warrior?”
My breath catches as Grayson goes on.
“I have to believe he found his lost lover again. The thought of him being alone…” His words choke out, but pain flares bright in my chest, the memory of the starry warrior holding his love all too fresh in my mind.
“It’s probably just a story,” I say, the words ringing hollow even to my ears.
The look Grayson gives me tells me he doesn’t believe it. Not that it’s only a story. Not that I believe it, either. “I want it to be true. Because the thought of ever having to say goodbye to you…” He inhales a ragged breath. “It’s near crippling.”
The stark emotion in Grayson’s voice has me closing the distance between us in an instant, clasping the side of his neck with my palm. His skin is cool, the tips of his hair damp against my fingers. “Gray… You won’t ever have to say goodbye to me.”
“You can’t know that.”
“I can, actually. Goodbye is for parting. You and I? We’re bound, remember? You told me yourself. Never say goodbye to me, Grayson Fox. Only…see you soon.”
He swallows harshly, his lips together in a tight press. I can see the waver in his expression, the break in the shield he’s trying so desperately to hold up. But Grayson has never been a warrior. He’s far too good. Too pure for it. His heart is tender, a quality I’ve always admired about my friend.
I don’t mind being his shield. I’d shield him from everything given the chance. Even death.
Grayson allows himself to crack when I pull him close, pressing a soft kiss to his temple. His arms come around me tight, both of us soaked in our clothes, his inhales shuddering past my ear.
Maybe we can’t live forever. But I know down to my marrow—wherever his soul goes, mine will follow.
I hold Grayson for long minutes, losing track of time beneath the darkened sky. Neither of us moves. Neither of us wants to. It’s not until he starts shivering that I force myself to let go.
“Why don’t we get out of the water,” I suggest. “Before you freeze.”
“It’s heated. Remember?”
I snort. Such a smartass.
Grayson climbs up the ladder first, and I follow, both of us leaving wet footprints on the way to the shed. There are pool towels inside, and we each grab one, drying the best we can before heading into the house.
When I get out of the shower, washed and dressed, I look for Grayson. I find him standing just outside the slider door, sweatpants and a t-shirt on.
I crack the door open. “All right?”
He nods, his arms held high. I realize, after a second, he’s looking through the collapsible telescope he found at the antiques store.
“Can you see better with it?” I ask, stepping out beside him.
One of his eyes is closed, the other looking through the lens. “Only a little. The stars are mostly obscured. Just…larger blurs than before.”
