Page 86 of Ethereally Redeemed

“Don’t worry. It’s not something I bought.”

His cryptic words only make me more curious as to what it is.

“Sit on the bed and close your eyes,” he instructs, and I do as he says.

I hear movement of fabric before the vibrations of his footsteps resonate through the wooden floor. Then he grips my hand, holding it out before laying something in my hold. It’s a paper of some kind.

“Open your eyes,” he whispers, leaving a nervous flutter inside my stomach.

I look down at the letter in my hands, tears brimming my eyesas I see his handwriting on it.

I’m not the romantic kind, but bear with me.

The first day I saw you, you looked so lost, trying to find some place to sit in the cafeteria—a lost little lamb wandering through a forest full of hungry wolves. Your eyes clashed with mine across the room, and for a second, I didn’t know how to breathe. When you sat down with us, breathing became impossible as I stared into those beautifully mismatched eyes. In them, I recognized a kindred soul, mirroring my own. You asked all those stupid questions of where you were, and I couldn’t help but laugh. You were different, yet you called to me in a way I had never known. You struck me like lightning striking a tree, setting my insides on fire with the knowledge that I could never be untouched by you.

From that moment forward, I was utterly, foolishly lost in your depths.

Before you, I hated myself—an utter failure that had fucked up in life, locked inside a psych ward. But day by day, you pieced together the shattered pieces of my tainted soul and made me whole again. You loved me when no one else did, and most importantly, you made me love myself. I am nothing without you.

All we’ve been through, the trauma we’ve survived, all proves to me what a strong woman you’ve grown to become. I know things are tough for you, this recovering bullshit—I see the tiredness in your eyes and how it haunts your mind. Sometimes, you wish you could just give up, but I know you won’t. You’re the strongest person I know.

Yes, my darling love, you have corrupted my soul, ruined me for anything else.

I choose you, Naya. Over and over again. Until death do us apart—and even then, I will find you. When death claims us, I will hold your hand and never let go. It’s you and I, forever.

My demons call to yours, and I feel you.

My little tainted serenity

Yours,

Grey xx

My heart squeezes inside my chest. Words are lost on me as Grey leans down, leaving a trail of kisses in his wake.

Our love burns brightly, guiding us home even when the chaos absorbs us. And as he lies above me, our hearts connect in a dancing storm as the chaos of our minds fades away, belonging to each other forever and more.

Epilogue

Naya

The battered bracelet Istole from the attic of the dollhouse sits in my hand, looking so out of place. I take a deep breath, my eyes drifting to the tranquil lake before me. I stroke the bracelet gently as I kneel in the dirt beside the water. It’s the one piece of my mother I’ve kept since finding it at the dollhouse.

With a final, resigned glance, I throw it into the water. It hits the surface with a squelch before slowly sinking.

There are no words to be said; this is my goodbye to the mother I once loved. Loving a parent is complex, because even when they fail you, there’s a part deep inside you that still loves them. I hate that I still do.

A lone tear trickles down my cheek that I let fall, watching as the bracelet vanishes beneath the lake’s surface. I wrap my arms around myself, shivering against the overwhelming emotions.

Grey wanted to be here with me, but I told him I had to do this alone. This is my farewell.

When the bracelet is out of view, a weight has been lifted from my chest. Mom’s buried underneath my heart now.

I think of my dad—who always provided for me and took care of me when mom wasn’t in her right headspace. He who only smiled at me—he is who I will remember, not his battered corpse.

I think of my grandparents, who took me in after I lost everything.

I also remember the lives lost at Grimhill Manor and the dollhouse—each deserving to rest in peace. Aubrey, Calvin, Jaqueline—who all lost their lives at the hands of Emilio Ricci.

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