Chapter Thirty-Five
JULIáN
The annoyingly familiar sound of seagulls fills the breezy air. Ry is still asleep in my arms. I’m shocked she hasn’t been woken up by them and their calls. The sun is bright, beaming on our skin. I hug Ry’s body closer to mine and she doesn’t mumble or make that little sigh noise that she usually does. Then again, we did spend most of our day in the sun yesterday, so she must be worn-out. I close my eyes and listen to her breath, planning to fall back asleep until she wakes me up. She is so incredibly, magnificently breathtaking. The sun reflecting off her tanned skin, her beauty is so much more than the surface. Saints, I fucking love this woman. I don’t know what the hell I did in my past lives to deserve someone like her to love me, but I vow to never take it for granted, to never take her for granted. I haven’t imagined loving anyone outside of my bloodline in my life. I lean over and kiss her slightly opened lips.
Her breath is so quiet I can’t hear it over the sound of the sea, and I don’t feel her back moving up and down against my hand. I don’t hear the soft breaths of air escaping her lips like I always do. Something inside me churns. I jump up, putting my hand on her chest, and she still doesn’t move.
“Ry.” I shake her shoulder gently. Her head rocks to the side.
“No, no, no. Ry!” I grab her shoulders and lift her to sit up. I feel for her heartbeat. It gently pumps against my palm. Thank fucking god.
Her head falls back in an unnatural way, and my entire world collapses, folding in on itself, and I pray to the saints that I disappear with it, like the sand does into the sea, with her.