Page 327 of Eternal
He leans in, lips brushing my jaw, warm and rough. “I’ll tell you after we leave. Vegas waits for us in the morning,” he murmurs against my skin.
I lean into him, heart pounding with something strong and fragile all at once. “One last night.”
His fingers find mine, squeezing tight, grounding me. He stands up, still holding me close for a moment before finally letting me go.
I laugh, breath catching a little.
He leans over and kisses me on the cheek, smiling. “Come on, let’s say goodbye. Then I’ll take you on a proper date.”
“A date?”
“Yeah why not?”
“We don’t do dates.”
He kisses me quickly and nods, “Yes we do.”
We head back downstairs, his hand is still around my waist, his presence is still in my heart.
It’s strange. This… relational thing. I’ve never known it, and I’m not sure if I’ll ever fully get used to it.
When we open the door to the room below, they’re still all there, Nikolai and Elijah sprawled on the couch, Zanae tucked between them with her head on Elijah’s shoulder, drinks in their hands.
The driver who drove me to my apartment upon my arrival sits beside Elijah, and even Dr. Ben is there, sitting across from them mid-story.
They look like a family.
It’s only them now, and the energy’s shifted completely. It’s softer.Warmer. They’re talking quietly, laughing under their breath, it feels like a regular night, almost boring in a good way.
And I stand there for a second, watching them. A few days ago, I didn’t know any of these people, and now, I feel their warmth from across the room.
Zanae too, she radiates that human warmth. Comforting.Real. And I realize I’m staring at her, not out of curiosity, out ofrecognition.There’s something in her that mirrors something in me. It's in the way she’s quiet, in the soft laughter, in the scars, the way she keeps everything at arm’s length until it spills over.
I saw it the first time we met, but now it’s clearer.
What I didn’t expect, though, was the hope she gave me. Because she smiles, because she found her peace somehow, because she let herself be loved, even after everything.
And maybe I can too.
MaybeI’m not too far gone.
Damir still has his arm around me as we walk into the room, and a stupid, genuine smile spreads across my face. There’s a knot in my chest, not painful, but tight, like I already miss something I haven’t even left yet.
Nikolai looks up, grins, then bursts out laughing. “Damir, you’ve got lipstick all over your damn face.”
Damir turns his head proudly.
Elijah nods, “I guess you two talked.”
The whole room breaks into laughter. The real kind.
I’m not even embarrassed. Honestly, I feel kind of high on the warmth in this room, so I laugh too.
Zanae stands up and walks over to me without hesitation, wrapping me in a hug. “Be careful,” she says softly. “It was really good meeting you. You’ve got my number, don’t hesitate if you need anything.”
I hugged her tighter than I meant to. “Same. Maybe I’ll see you again soon,” I whisper.
I want to tell her how much she helped me without even knowing. That simply watching her live, love,heal…it gave me something.
