darkness, I can almost forget the world exists outside this moment. There are no rules, no judgment. Sadie’s strength pulses through me, and I grip his fingers, expressing how much he means to me.
A whisper of regret passes over him, but that’s soon forgotten as he clenches my hand, his need thrumming through him and burning all the way through my body. I’m breathless as I anticipate his next move.
“Lola…”
I don’t allow him to speak; instead, I throw myself into his arms and hum when he catches me.
We wrap our arms around the other, needing to soothe one another’s demons. Roman once told me he has many demons, but at this moment, I’ve come to understand we are all searching for someone whose demons play well with ours.
“Roman,” I whisper, not knowing what I want to say.
“I know.”
He knows we’ve just crossed the line of no return. But neither of us seems to care as he sits, encouraging me to straddle his lap. I never let go, tightening my folded arms around his neck and burying myself into the column of his neck. His arms rest low around my waist as he rests his head against my shoulder. I close my eyes and memorize the beating of his heart pounding against mine.
Lub-dub.
Lub-dub.
The sound is strong, powerful, which makes me smile. He is healthy, and hopefully, I will be too.
We stay tangled as one for minutes, neither of us wanting to move.
After countless moments, Roman’s hand wanders lower. “What’s this?”
When his fingertips pass over my back pocket, I remember Sadie’s letter. “It’s a letter from Sadie. June gave it to me.”
With haste, he removes his hand. “Oh, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I’d like to read it now. And I’d like to read it to you. If you want to hear it, of course,” I add. I promised I’d share her with the world. What better way to start?
Regrettably untangling myself from his arms, I pull backward so our faces, our lips are inches apart. He is a virile man, and I can’t help but wet my bottom lip as my mouth has suddenly gone dry. Ignoring the overwhelming need to close the small distance between us, I reach behind me and retrieve the letter.
My fingers tremble as the pink envelope sits innocently in my hands. Roman keeps his arms linked around my middle, which gives me the strength to turn the paper over and slip my pointer under the seal.
The flap falls open, and inside sits a folded piece of matching pink paper. Not seeing the point in prolonging this any further, I draw it out and unfold the crease with care. Her childlike, swirly handwriting makes me smile.
However, when I see what that handwriting details, I fall silent, pensive.
You gave me a piece of your heart…so here is mine.
I could feel a gentle weight in the envelope, but I thought it was pages upon pages of Sadie’s words. But I was wrong.
Tipping the envelope upside down, I gasp when a silver heart attached to a necklace falls into my open palm. I instantly recognize Sadie’s locket.
My eyes dart up to meet Roman’s, who appears baffled by the offering.
The tale behind this keepsake nearly broke my heart, so without a second thought, I open the clasp with anxious fingers. What I see leaves me speechless.
The locket is no longer empty.
Inside the silver border is a photograph of Sadie and me taken during one of our movie marathons. We look happy, caught laughing about something absurd, no doubt. But the candid nature of this picture reveals just how much we cared for one another. The naturalness of it reflects our friendship. Being friends with Sadie was easy. We didn’t have to pretend because our friendship was real.
Clutching the locket to my chest, I peer up into the heavens to see a shooting star sweeping across the brightened cosmos.
Smiling so hard it hurts, I whisper, “I love you, too.”
Days have passed since I lost Sadie. Her memory is still ingrained in every corner of this place, and in a way, it’s a welcome comfort.
It hurts more than I care to admit, but Roman has been distant. After what happened in the rose garden, I thought he’d at least poke his head in and ensure I was doing okay.
I receive the occasional text message, but they’re brief, most times just reminding me to take my medication. I don’t need reminding. Sadie’s death flipped a switch inside me. If I’m going to do this, I’m going