After Curfew

Chapter 34 - Saviour

Chapter 34 - Saviour

"Slate, I swear to god."

A smile split his face, causing dimples to appear in his cheeks as he pressed the button to call the elevator. He turned his head back to me amused, "You shouldn't swear to god."

I swatted his arm, rolling my eyes as we stepped into the small elevator. "You're actually ridiculous, will you let me pay once? They look at me like I'm crazy every time we start fighting."

He laughed again, a deep rumble that had my body burning. "I literally had to pick you up and pull you out of reach to get you to give up."

The heat between us was terrifying. Every word, every touch, every second we spent together was fuel to the fire. The bigger the fire grew, the less we had control over it and we loved it. We kept adding more wood, pouring gasoline on it, not the least bit scared of the heat. But maybe we should've been, the thing about a fire that big was that you rarely got away without any burns.

Slate slid the key card into the door, looking back at me as he pushed it open, "Oh and stop putting cash in my wallet, I'll keep putting it right back in yours."

I shook my head annoyed, scanning our room as the door clicked shut behind me. The room was simple with a queen sized bed and a spacious bathroom that had a large bath tub facing the balcony. I pulled open the curtains, admiring the beautiful view of Paris as the sun set over it. The Eiffel Tower could be seen in the distance.

Slate opened the patio doors, stepping out onto the tiny balcony that had just enough room for the both of us to stand. It was small but the architecture of it and the buildings around us were breathtaking. He lit a cigarette.

"I could live here." I mumbled, watching a man walk down the sidewalk with a baguette tucked under his arm and a book in his hand.

He read as he walked, blissfully unaware of his surroundings, but stopping now and again to admire the beautiful sunset. He looked so present. He walked slowly; unhurried, like he'd never had any reason to rush in his entire life. Like he truly believed he had an eternity in which the sun would never set, his book would never end and the baguette would never get cold.

I looked up at Slate realizing I loved him for all the same reasons. He made me feel like the man below. He made time feel endless. The world tilted on its axis for the second time today. I loved him.

The golden rays from the setting sun made him look more handsome than ever before. "I could live here with you." He murmured, a small smile stretching his lips as he took a pull from his cigarette.

I looked up at him, my heart beating hard and slow in my chest, taking my breath away. "Just like that?"

He nodded again, scanning the area, admiring the sunset, "just like that," the words came out smooth, like a breath. He sounded so certain in them.

His gaze finally fixed on me, a sapphire vortex that pulled me in, making me feel dizzy from the intensity of it, of him. "Can we talk about something?"

I nodded my head, not liking the serious tone his voice had taken on. "I know you left the apartment all those weeks ago because of the text you saw on my phone, from that girl." His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed, but I interrupted quickly.

"You don't owe me an explanation, we weren't together then and I've made my fair share of mistakes too."

He shook his head, denying my words but his touch was soft. "Maybe I don't, but I want to give you one. I went back to my hometown because it was my great aunt's funeral,"

"I'm sorry." I whispered, intertwining our hands. A small smile lit his face as he looked at me, using the connection to pull me closer. "Thank you."

"I moved away from there because I couldn't live with my parents anymore, especially not after all my brothers left. Plus I hate that small town, there's so much gossip and bullshít." He took a deep breath, trying to calm the annoyance I could hear rising in his voice.