Page 68 of Semblance

“Can’t you find your parents’ killer without the entire ‘ruining their life’ part of it?” I asked.

He shook his head. “An eye for an eye,” Shadow said. “And fuck the entire saying of how it makes the world go blind. It’ll result in a bunch of eye patches, which I’m okay with.”

“I’m sorry,” I said sincerely, “I don’t mean to lecture you or anything. I just want you to find happiness…to be at peace.”

“I’ve found some of it with you,” Shadow said. “I promise, when this is over, Iwillleave it all behind us. Then it’ll be just you and me, exploring the world and making love in those places. How does that sound?”

His words moved me like a beautiful song.

“Wonderful,” I said as I laid my head down on his chest and listened to his strong heartbeat. “Do whatever makes you happy as long as in the end we wind up fucking on the beach somewhere. In the meantime, I’ll wait for you.”

“Until the end of the world?” Shadow asked.

“Until the end of the world,” I agreed.

We fell asleep in each other’s arms and that night, I dreamt of long lost kingdoms, breathtaking ancient ruins, and of a man who climbed up and out of the earth, in search of what he desired most.

When I awoke, Shadow was gone, but there was a note left behind where his warm body had laid beside me.

It read:

Will you go steady with me?

- Shadow

For a man tortured by invisible demons, it was good to know that he was still a goofball.

#

Chapter Nineteen

I must have had a smile on my face the entire flight back. Abraham couldn’t help noticing and commenting on how rejuvenated I looked.

I told him about our dates, the wonderful food, and the Cambodian New Year street party, though I decided to leave out the details about Shadow doing the Macarena. I feared that would tarnish his image as a mysterious, brooding billionaire.

The pleasant conversations with Abraham about my trip and a few long naps made the sixteen hour flight back home feel much shorter.

Soon, Abraham was driving me back to my condo.

“So I take it I’ll be seeing a lot more of you and Shadow together?” Abraham asked as he dropped me at the front of my condo.

The smile on my face said it all. “Maybe,” I teased.

“That’s excellent news,” Abraham said. “I had a feeling you and Shadow would fit well together.”

We did fit well together, both emotionally and physically. The chemistry we had was enough to turn lead into gold.

“You know, you kind of remind me of someone I once knew,” he said.

“Oh yeah? Was she smart and pretty?”

“She was the prettiest girl in the world,” Abraham said. “No offense Ms. Valencia.”

I knew in his heart who he was thinking of—imagining what could have been.

“None taken,” I replied, feeling sad for the man. Over the past couple of weeks, I’d grown extremely fond of Abraham and his fatherly gestures. Though he could never fill the void left by the death of my own father, I could still look at him with the same affection.

“Well, you must be tired and it’s best to leave you on your way now.”

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