Page 30 of Fade With Me

His expression softened with a quiet tenderness. “Israel—Izzy, as I call him, he’s kind of like a lighter version of me. He’s got nearly white-blond hair, skin so pale he practically glows, but we share the same eyes.”

He pushed a stray curl from his face. “And like me, he’s a jokester. Always trying to make people laugh. Sharp with the jokes, but deep down he’s got a heart of gold.”

His voice dipped, quieter now. “He’d literally give you the shirt off his back. He’s the kind of guy you want in your corner.”

I felt a warmth as I watched him speak so fondly of his brother. It was clear how much Zeke cared for him. There was no doubt in his words, no hesitation. It made me wonder what it would feel like to have someone who cared for me in the same way.

“He sounds great,” I said, keeping my voice steady. But inside, a quiet stir of something—longing, maybe—unfurled low in my stomach.

His smile deepened, his eyes warm with affection. “He really is. You two would get along well.”

“What about aspecialfriend?” I asked, watching him.

Zeke shot me a quick sideways glance, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. “No girlfriend,” he said casually. “Work’s too demanding. I don’t have time for a relationship right now.”

I nodded, letting it settle in. Obviously he was too busy. That had to be the reason. With that face, it definitely wasn’t for lack of options. “Makes sense.”

We walked in comfortable silence, our steps naturally aligning. The crisp air filled my lungs, the coolness making the excitement buzz through me. After a brief pause, I turned to him, a spark of mischief brightening my eyes. “Now for the most critical, personal question of all…” I drew out the pause, barely keeping a straight face.

Zeke cocked his head, his brow quirked in playful curiosity. “Oh? This sounds serious,” he teased, stuffing his hands into his jacket pockets.

I locked eyes with him, keeping my face completely neutral, as if this were the most important question he’d ever face. “What’s your favorite color?”

He reeled back as if I’d just delivered a scandalous accusation, pressing a hand to his chest. “Whoa, slow down! You should’ve at least bought me a drink first if you’re gonna hit me with questions like that!”

After a dramatic pause, he relented. “Fine. It’s green,” he confessed, grinning goofily.

I narrowed my gaze, feigning suspicion. “Hmm, I would’ve pegged you as more of a black kind of guy.”

Zeke moved closer, his devilish wink paired with a breath that brushed against my skin, carrying the faint scent of mint. “Oh, Bryn,” he said, his voice dipping low, teasing and full of something else I couldn’t quite place. “I’m full of surprises.”

I nudged him playfully but lost my balance, stepping onto a slick rock. My feet flew out from under me, and Islid uncontrollably down the steep hill, the ground slipping away beneath me. My stomach lurched as I picked up speed, my frantic attempts to regain my footing only sending me further out of control.

As I tumbled downward, my mind blank, my body heavy, numb to everything but the rush of falling, the trees blurred into streaks of green. Jagged rocks surged toward me from all sides, and a sickening wave of panic coiled inside, tightening my chest and clouding my thoughts.

I heard Zeke’s voice—faint, distant—calling my name, muffled, as if it were coming from underwater. I tried to brace myself, but everything around me was nothing but air and speed, and there was nothing solid to hold onto. The ground was coming up too fast, and then…

Thud.

I lay there, disoriented, my head spinning from the fall. A sharp pain shot through my left hand, and I instinctively raised it to my face, only to find it covered in blood. The sight of it made my stomach churn, bile rising in my throat.

As I examined my hand, I saw that the ruby stone in my wedding ring had chipped, a tiny imperfection that mirrored the frailty of my own shaken sense of self.

My vision narrowed, the edges of my sight darkening like a veil being drawn across my eyes.

Then, darkness.

eleven

The darkness felt alive—breathing, pulsing—closing in from all sides, ready to swallow me whole. As my vision faltered, memories surged through my mind, a torrent of forgotten moments threatening to drown me.

It was as if a door in my subconscious had cracked open, releasing the faintest whisper of a long-forgotten dream, one that had sunk into the depths, waiting to resurface.

At first, it was just a flicker, a glimpse of something that wouldn’t quite form. But then, like aphotograph developing in a darkroom, the pieces began to emerge, disjointed like shattered glass slowly falling into place. A snippet of conversation. A fleeting face. The feeling of weightlessness.

And then, all at once, the dream solidified, vivid and clear, as if no time had passed. I relived it in cinematic detail, every sensation, every emotion raw and immediate, as if happening in real time.

From the depths of my mind, a figure emerged: a tall, bronzed silhouette, his sharp features seeming carved by the gods. His eyes burned with an intensity that pierced the darkness, a gaze so powerful it made my heart race.

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