Page 81 of A Ballad of Phantoms and Hope
The constellations shine through his eyes, the celestial light that is Lanston Nevers.
“I love you, Lanston.” I sniffle past the tears, a wavering smile pulling at my lips. “Together we stand, two phantomsamidst the dark, the cruel. Our love is damaged but healed with unbreakable bonds. We will light the way.”
Lanston presses his forehead to mine, letting his tears fall as the sky dances around us this close to the veil. “For all those who stray.”
“For all those who stray,” I confirm.
An endless night brings upon the dawn.
Our lips meet, hands gliding over each other’s hearts, chests, hips, and thighs. His fingers smooth over my hip bones, following the curvature and dipping where flesh meets bone.
“Jericho and Yelina found me. Elanor and Gregory too,” I admit, pulling back from our kiss and his eyes widen a fraction before pooling with more tears. “They said they’ll wait for us. Wherever that may be.”
He grins, a hopeful, charming smile.
“They’ll have to wait a bit longer; we still have a ballroom dance to finish and a few more stops.” Lanston tilts me back and kisses my neck, sending warmth through my body.
“Elanor told me what you did for them.” My voice breaks. “And in return, she helped me see what the darkness that chased me truly was.”
Lanston pulls back and searches my eyes. “Really?”
I nod. “It was my fear. All this time, it was me.” My voice breaks at that. It’s hard to admit that I’ve been the one causing all the despair. All the heartache.
He brushes my hair back and hushes me softly.
“I found your last letter,” he finally says. I take a sharp breath and hold it. Fear itching close by.Please don’t look at me differently.“I wish I could’ve been there for you. To be the one to comfort you when you needed it most. To tell you that they were wrong.”
There are no words to say. I bury my face into his shoulder and find that all my tears have already fallen.
“I won’t let them continue to hurt me anymore,” I say with finality.
Lanston pulls back and grins before spinning me to face the city. “Camp with me? We didn’t exactly get to finish our beach night.” He laughs, letting his fingers fall to my sides and tickling me.
“Lanston!” I shout-laugh and break free from his grasp.
He chases me around the roof until we’re winded and cannot laugh any longer. We steal blankets and sheets from the hotel’s penthouse suite and lay them out over the roof.
He pulls me in close and points at the stars, telling me all he knows about them, which isn’t much, but I still listen with a warm heart and bright smile.
Lanston falls quiet and all I can hear is his heartbeat against mine. Curious, I look up at him. His eyes are already on me, endearment and heat burning where they trace over my face. His soft lips beg to be kissed.
He pulls me close, threading his fingers through my hair and kisses me. They are small ones at first, then our mouths open, searching and yearning for the dance we’re so familiar with.
“I missed you so much,” he says between breaths.
I let my fingers glide down his neck, over the flexed muscles that meet his collarbone. “You were all I knew as I fell into the dark.”
He breaks our connection and bestows kisses to my neck. I fist his short hair and let my head fall back, a soft moan on my lips. He presses his lips to my neck, then my sternum. His fingers trail down my spine and his other hand smooths over my ribs up to my breast.
The thin black dress I wear falls over my shoulders easily, exposing my chest to him. Lanston braces my back and pushes me against his chest as he lifts us into a sitting position. He pulls me into his lap, returning his attention to my breasts.
His erection is evident beneath me. My core heats, urgent for him.
He senses my growing need and starts kissing up my chest. When he reaches the vulnerable skin of my throat, he strokes his tongue up the center, drawing a gasp from my lips. Lanston silences that gasp with his crushing kiss.
He leads me down until my back rests on the ground.
As he rises to his knees to remove his pants, I murmur, “I like you best in the light of the universe.”
