Chapter 24
Etan
I stood in the gray half-light of my world, the air thick with the stillness that comes after a storm. Somewhere beyond the veil, Jess was home. Safe.
But not alone.
Through the shimmering distortion, I caught flashes of Jess moving about the room with Nate’s familiar shape in the background. The two of them were talking, close enough that I could see the tilt of her head when she smiled at him.
Then she reached out and touched his arm. Nate leaned closer and kissed her. Those kisses should have been mine.
I pressed my palm to the invisible barrier. It was cool against my skin, unyielding, like glass that would never break. The scene on the other side was hazy, but the connection between them was clear enough to burn.
She sent me back. I understood why, of course I did. It didn’t make the hollow in my chest any smaller, though.
My hand slipped away, the image already fading. Somewhere, the life I want—Jess’s laughter, her touch, her world—was unfolding without me. And I had no choice but to watch it from here, as I always had.