Page 24 of My Soul Is His

Fading behind a row of trees, I walk on until I see her. Long black hair cascades down her back. Marla is wearing dark pants and a crimson sweater.

With a glance at myself, I realize new clothes adorn my body. Jeans and a band tee were always my go-to, and it’s the same.

The sound of her carefree laughter reaches me through the trees, a stark contrast to the usual seriousness I’d seen on her face. I love her in any condition, embracing all her flaws and imperfections. Her spirit is my compass.

My dove talks rapidly. I can’t hear every word, but the girl opposite her beams with the conversation. They walk toward a big circle. Many cushioned chairs surround a large table, and a tall man with dark hair joins them.

Green envy runs through my veins, but he doesn’t touch my dove, instead clasping the hand of the girl.

Marla sits across from them, a smile on her lips as they chat, and I question if my presence is necessary. Leaving her with the ghost of a man who hurt her deeply shouldn’t be the last memory she has of me, and I’d be a coward if I walked away and lived in this rich environment without her.

Wiping my palms on my jeans, I inhale the fresh air and stalk towards them.

“Well, it’s been amazing to see your face again. It’s wonderful that you found someone, and your trauma from Earth has been wiped. I’ll see you soon. Okay, Jess. I love you,” Marla says to the blonde woman.

Finally, after searching for so long, she was reunited with the friend she had avenged at the mental-health centre.

I wonder if I have anyone worth finding in this beautiful place other than her, and fear I’ll have to face the wrath of those who did me wrong and on whom I’ve inflicted too much pain.

Stalking from behind the treeline, I drift through the shadows like I always used to before and follow her to a home away from all the cookie-cutter ones.

She climbs the steps to a large patio that wraps around a medium-sized brick house. Comfortable-looking furniture sits beside a small table. Marla glances over her shoulder before she disappears within the home.

Fear has never stopped me from anything in my life, but after my battle with the demons in Cavum I’m a different man, knowing our love will endure every challenge thrown at us.

I stand straighter and walk around the house, the cool air brushing my skin, until I find a side door, the wood weathered and worn.

As I enter, I notice the warm light illuminating the small yet inviting kitchen and dining area. Fresh purple flowers, their fragrance sweet and subtle, fill delicate glass vases on the dark table, their colour a vivid splash against the deep grain.

“Jess, is that you?” My dove’s voice floats through the hallway. Footsteps follow, and as she enters the room, my gaze locks with hers. Red lips, hazel eyes, and a face that’s been etched across my mind forever.

“My dove.” I smile at her. Emotions bubble under the surface of my skin, clenching my jaw, waiting for the worst. Rejection, abandonment and whatever else the world might throw at me.

Marla’s eyes mist over as she stares at me, but she runs at me with excitement. I capture her in my arms and let out a sigh of relief as her legs wrap around my hips.

“You found me.”

“Always, my dove. You should know that by now.”

I hold her with one hand and grip her chin with the other as I kiss her lips, needing to consume her but knowing she might need time. Marla will forever be mine, even if she doesn’t want me.

The only sound is my footsteps on the long hallway’s polished floor as I peer into each shadowy room, searching for a bedroom. Not as if I wouldn’t take her across the kitchen table, but I want to worship every inch of her and prove myself.

“I’ve missed you. Sorry I failed to find you before I left Cavum. I had to leave immediately, unless I wanted to stay there,” she says.

“Never be sorry. I’d have hated it if you stayed for me. You deserve this peace, Marla. I would crawl from the ashes to be with you. I’m devastated because of what the demon did to me.” I’ll never forgive myself for the way I spoke to her.

“Mental illness is a bitter disease that will take all you have, strip you of everything safe and kind, and shred you until you can’t cope anymore. Sebastian, you don’t need to apologize. You took the hardest battle for me, and while it twisted you into something you hated, I loved you through it all.”

She’s my entire world. I feel I deserve her freely given love, a love that feels like coming home.

I walk to the bedside and lower her to the soft covers. Everything here is comfort and beauty opposed to the trenches we lived in before. I undo her jeans and pull them off her legs as she rips off her top, eager for my touch.

Kneeling before her, I wrap my hands around her thighs and tug her to the edge of the bed.

“Sebastian, I love you. I’ve always loved you.” Her words dance on the folds of my mind like the sweetest song.

“There was never a doubt, my dove, but let me prove to you how much you mean to me,” I whisper.

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