Kade stepped into the shower and placed his hands on the wall as the hot water flowed down his back. Unfortunately, it did little to ease the pain that would forever be carved into his heart and soul. The dreams would haunt him through eternity and he wasn’t even sure he wanted them to go away. The accident was his fault and he deserved to endure that torment. He hadn’t been the same since the accident. Everything had changed in a blink of an eye. His whole world had shattered. The fact he was driving dropped that blame on his shoulders. Even Zoey refused to accept the fact it was his fault. Yeah, a drunk driver had hit them head on, but he had been careless because he was running late. The damned meeting had run five minutes over. Five minutes and his whole life was destroyed. If he’d been on time they never would have been in the wrong place at the right time.
Anger erupted in his chest and he beat his fists against the shower wall. The tile cracked and his knuckles split. Blood ran down his hand and swirled down the drain. He should have been the one to die! Not Zoey! She deserved to live a long and happy life.
Yeah, the impact had been more on his side and she should have been fine. But she had bumped her head just right and died instantly. She barely had a scratch on her. He walked away with a broken arm, leg and a few ribs. How was that even possible? He slid down the wall as tears welled in his eyes. “Damn it!” If he could switch places with her he would in a heartbeat. But then what? Leave her to suffer the way he suffered daily. No way! Chill bumps beaded up on his skin. He was so lost in his self-torment he hadn’t noticed the water ran cold. He rose to his feet, turned the water off and wrapped a towel round his waist.
Calm down. She will sense your unease. She always did, she knew him better than he knew himself.
Taking a few deep breaths he reached for the door. His hand shook as he grasped the door handle. He pushed down the need to scream and squared his shoulders. Faking peace for Zoey’s sake had become the norm. He wasn’t very good at it but he tried.
His heart clenched in his chest when he found her staring out the window lost in thought. The breeze blew the curtains around her and the sun gave her an angelic glow. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. His breath caught as he quietly watched her. Long brown hair hung loosely down her back. She always hated the color of her hair. She said it was a mousy brown but to him it shined like the richest mocha. Her curvy body made him crave her touch. If only his fingers could whisper over her satiny skin. No one would ever compare to Zoey. His nails bit into his palms as frustration made him grit his teeth. That wouldn’t ease the pain because he knew one more touch would never be enough.
“You know not all my dreams are bad.” He opened a drawer and pulled out clean boxers and a pair of jeans. “Sometimes I dream of touching you. It is the most amazing thing and it feels so real.” He walked over and whispered in her ear. “I miss touching you.”
She gazed up at him. “I need to tell you something. Promise you will listen.”
He turned away his stomach in knots. “I don’t like the sound of that.”
“We can be together one last time, but there is one rule.” She sighed. “I won’t be able to come back.” Her head fell forward and he knew if she could cry she would have at that moment.
Anger enveloped Kade. “No! I won’t let you do it! I would rather have you in spirit then lose you forever. “ His hand swiped out. “Forget it! That isn’t an option. Do you hear me?” He buttoned his jeans and sat on the bed releasing a breath.
Zoey’s bottom lip quivered. “You have to move on my love. I want you to be happy.” She tilted her head as she glanced down at him.
“Without you I will be miserable.” He looked up at her through his tears.
Walking over, she knelt before him. “You call this happy? You are talking to a ghost, my love. You need human contact. You only leave the house when you have too. I want you to find someone new and move on. As much as it breaks my heart to say those words, it hurts to see you do this to yourself. Please do this for me.”
He looked down at her, his tears tracking a crooked path down his cheeks. “How can you say that? I need you. I have always needed you and that will never change. No one will ever be able to take your place. Please don’t leave me.” He rubbed his eyes with back of his hands.
“Don’t be upset, my love. I don’t belong here anymore. You deserve to live a normal life, and as long as I’m here, you will stay trapped in your sorrow.” Her copper eyes pleaded with him to understand. “We will make it the best night we have ever had, but promise me you will get past this.”
He covered his face with his hands. “I can’t promise that.” He sobbed and shook his head. “Don’t make me promise that. I don’t want to lie to you Zoey.”
“I need to be able to rest my love and as long as you are like this, that will never happen for me. Do you understand? I don’t want you to lie. I want you to love me enough that you can move on and live again.”
He sucked in a ragged breath. “Yes, I’m sorry. I’ve never stopped to think about how you feel. All I’ve done is wallow in my own pain. God Zoey, I’m a selfish bastard.”
She reached out and touched his face. “I never thought that. I love you with all my heart and always will.”
Kade jumped as her palm grazed his cheek. Tears clouded his eyes as his hand covered hers.
She was really there touching him.
He thought he didn’t want to feel her touch one final time, but he realized he needed it more than his next breath. His heart beat a steady rhythm in his chest. “I love you too. More than you will ever know.” His mouth came down covering hers, little shocks of electricity feathered across his lips. She opened for him and their tongues did a sensual dance, caressing and soothing his battered soul. A moan escaped her parted lips and vibrated over his tongue. Pure bliss flooded his body. Her touch was that of an angel. He didn’t realize how much pain he was truly in until the touch of his sweet Zoey wiped it all away. How was he ever going to live without her?
Now wasn’t the time. This was the last time he would touch her and he damned well wasn’t going to waste it on how he was going to drown in his sorrow later. That was a worry for another day. Tonight was all about the time they had.
He whispered in her ear. “I love you so much.” He felt her quiver. It was amazing to feel her soft body in his arms and her breath on his face.
Her hand came up and ran the length of his jaw. “I love you too. Remember I will always be with you.” A smile stretched her full lips as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
“Enough seriousness. You are mine for now and I won’t waste one second of it with sadness.” He tossed her back on the bed and watched as she bounced. A laugh escaped her and it rang in the air like the tinkling of little bells. It was a salve to all the emotional trauma he carried. Slowly he covered her gorgeous body with his. He gazed into her copper eyes. “I’m going to make this a night that will follow you through eternity. The heavens will pale in comparison.” A seductive smile play across his lips.
She kissed her way up his neck to his ear. “Nothing will ever compare to the love we share. I will wait for you forever.” Tears dampened her lashes.
He ran his thumbs over her moist cheeks. “Don’t cry. I want this to be a happy day that will keep you warm until I’m by your side.” He loved this woman more than life it’s self. He made love to her until they were both exhausted. Then he watched her as she slept curled into his side. The feel of her in his arms brought peace to his soul for the first time in months. It felt good to hold her and listen to the soft little sounds she made while lost in her dreams. He tried to stay awake for as long as he could but exhaustion won in the end.
He woke the next morning and reached over to find Zoey gone. He picked up the sheet that had covered her the night before and brought it to his nose. It still smelled of wild flowers. But it brought a smile to his lips. The sorrow he thought he would feel had been washed away. His sweet Zoey had healed his soul in one night. H
e would miss her but the pain was gone. For the first time he slept and wasn’t plagued by the horrible nightmares that haunted him nightly. He knew he was going to be okay. He would see her in the afterlife and that brought peace to his wounded heart.
Tabitha Blake is a paranormal suspense and romance writer. Writing about the creatures of the night is her passion. She is fueled by the need to pen romances with dark twists. Her fascination with the paranormal keeps her mind reaching for the next great story idea. Writing brings her joy and with each story she writes her characters become a part of her. Tabby has a wild imagination that shines through in everything she writes.
She resides in the bustling city of Houston, Texas, with her husband and three crazy cats. She is the mother of four amazing kids that have taught her how to have fun and just enjoy life. Her passion for the written word started at a very young age and has molded her into the writer she is today. Most of the time you will find her with her nose in a book or at her computer writing. The need to read and write runs deep and is part of who she is.
Find her on the web at:
https://www.tabithablakesnocturnalnights.com/
https://tabithablake.blogspot.com/
[email protected] Thank you for reading books on BookFrom.Net Share this book with friends