288 Vouchers
Chapter 81
He chuckles, a soft sound that rumbles through my cheek. “You think so?”
“I know so,” I say, nudging him gently. “You’re annoying,
dramatic, and impossible to live with… but you’re kind of brilliant too.”
He grins at that, the proud, smug kind. “Kind of?”
“Let’s not push it.”
He laughs again, and for a moment, the whole world feels warm – like the smell of melted chocolate, safe nights at home, and soft things you never want to outgrow.
“You know,” Luther says, still smiling at his screen, “when I first thought of this sculpture, I wanted it to feel real. Like, raw and bold – something that didn’t try to be perfect. Just… honest. Even if it looked a little stupid.”
He glances at me, his grin widening. “Basically, I wanted it to feel like you.”
I sit up straighter, pretending to be offended. “Wait- are you saying I’m stupid?”
He laughs, the kind of laugh that makes me smile even when I don’t want to. “No, dumbass. I’m saying you’re honest and brave. You don’t hide the messy parts of you. That’s what makes you kind of incredible.”
000%
1659
Chapter 81
11 268 Vouchers
My chest warms a little, but I cover it with a smirk. “So… am I going to be your muse now?”
“Ew. Absolutely not,” he says, scrunching up his face. “But… your can be the inspiration behind it.”
“Rude,” I mutter, closing my eyes again and leaning back onto. his shoulder. It’s warm. Safe. “Well, the muse will never
compare to me anyway.”
“Totally incomparable,” he agrees, soft and sure.
I smile. “She’ll just have to deal. And when you’re done with this masterpiece, I’ll have saved up enough money to open a whole art gallery in your name. Every wall, every corner – just your sculptures. All of them. People will walk in and immediately know how big of a nerd you are.”
He laughs, nudging me with his shoulder. “Promise?”
“Promise,” I whisper.
And for a second, everything slows down.
Just me and him. In the kitchen. Chocolate on our fingers, dreams scattered across the table. Like nothing ever changed. Like he never died.
“You never got me the gallery, did you?” Luther’s voice is soft this time. Almost like he already knows the answer.
My heart aches. My throat tightens. “No,” I whisper. “No, I didn‘ t.”
“And… and Adrian…? Do you know if he’s doing well?”
25.00%
1659
to my eyes, “No, I don’t.”
His eyes don’t hold any blame. Just that familiar calm. “This isn‘ t real, is it?”
And just like that, the hole in my chest – that tiny space that felt full again the moment I saw him – rips wide open.
“No,” I say, barely able to get the word out. “No, it’s not.”
He reaches out, fingers gently running through my hair. The way he used to when I couldn’t sleep. When I was scared of thunderstorms. When everything still made sense.
“I love you, Emily. I always will.” He smiles, but it trembles. “But sometimes… sometimes I hate you.”
The world cracks.
“I hate that I had to go. I hate that I’m missing everything. Mum‘ s laugh. Dad’s stupid jokes. Diana’s singing in the garden. You. Adrian,” his face contorts in pain. “God, I hate missing you both most.”
I shake my head, tears burning. “L-”
“But I don’t regret it,” he says. “I’m sad. I really am. But I’m okay. And even if I had a thousand regrets… you wouldn’t be one of them. Never you, Emily.”
I can’t speak. I can’t move. I just cry. Loud and messy and real. Like I’m seven again and scraped my knee playing tag in the backyard and he was the only one who could make it better.
“There, there,” he murmurs, arms around me, fingers in my hair.
57534
MRD
Chapter 1
18 235 Wouters
“You were always such a crybaby.”
“I miss you, Lu,” I choke out. “I miss you so much it hurts to breathe. I didn’t mourn you. Not really. I thought I had to be strong. I thought if I ignored the pain long enough, it would disappear. But it didn’t. It just got heavier.”
I clutch his shirt. “Why can’t I stay here? Why can’t you stay? Why do I only get to see you in dreams? Why are you so perfect… even when you’re not real?”
Luther pulls back just a little and presses his forehead to mine.
“Emilia is a good name,” he says quietly, smiling one last time.
And then-
He’s gone.
And I scream.
1
EMILIA
PRESENT TIME
I wake up with a sharp breath, like I’ve just hit the surface after drowning.
He’s gone again.
83.10%
