Previous – Fortune
Misa Honey β One Year Later
Ohmygosh.
Wait. Donβt get too excited. He could be lying.
βMr. Paperβ¦ Are you lying to me?β
βI would never lie to you, Misa.β
My heartβs racing. He looks believable and handsome in his navy-blue sweater, fitted jeans, and white sneakers. The sprinkle of silver in his brown hair and neat beard makes me think heβs a little older than me.
βYour skills and a letter of recommendation from me are with the Black Mountain Library board of directors as we speak. As their cherished Fiction Advisor, my thoughts are valuable to them.β
His gray-blue eyes shimmer when he says that.
βWeβll connect when you return from your tripβ¦ But please know, Misa, we want you.β
βWow!β I almost leap in the air. I could hug him right now. βIβ¦ Iβm so honored. Thank you! You donβt know what this means to me.β
βAnything for my muse.β
Muse?
βOh, Mr. Paper, I, Iβm just Misa.β
βPlease, call me Mark. I insistβ¦ Iβm not that old.β
We laugh.
His smile seems kind and honest.
Awe.
We met a few weeks ago after Emilian forgot to put the fire out in our backyard. Mr. Paper noticed the flames burning late into the night and put it out for us. Of course, our security alarm went off and Emilian ran out to confront the danger. Heβs been on high alert since his mother is still missingβ¦
But there was no danger found. Instead, Emilian met a neighbor. A shirtless and fit Mr. Paper, in his boxers, extinguishing the flames with our garden hose.
Theyβve gotten along ever since.
Including me, with our shared interest in words.
βSo many pages have poured from my fingertips since you moved here.β Mr. Paper continues. His eye contact is deep. βHow lucky I amβ¦ to have you as my neighbor. Such endless inspiration.β He inches closer. βMay I share a secret with you, Misa?β
I nod.
βAt 3:33 this morning, I laid the last words to Redemption of the Accountant Part Two in ink.β He beams. βIt is done.β
βWah!β I leap back, covering my mouth in shock.
Mr. Paper writes under the pseudonym Beesbury to keep his personal life private, so I must keep quiet when we talk about his work. According to him, I am the sole keeper of his secret.
Not even Emilian knows.
βThatβs amazing news.β I whisper low. βMy goodness, Iβm so happy for you, friend. Will there be a second movie?β
βPerhaps.β He stands tall, grinning from ear to ear.
The reading community has been waiting anxiously for the second part of ROTA. I canβt believe he finished it, let alone tell me about it.
βMisa!β Emilian calls. Heβs waiting in the truck idling in our driveway. βYou ready?β
βTime to go.β Mark whispers. He looks at Emilian and waves.
βAh. It was nice speaking to you, Mr., uh Mark, I mean. Thank you again.β
βGoodbye Misa.β His eyes dance all over my face. βFor now, of course.β
I blush and head for the truck.
βHey.β Emilian smiles at me.
βHi.β I hop inside and close the door. βSorry. Mr. Paper told me a position opened at the Black Mountain Library and he said they want me. Can you believe it?β
βHm.β Emilian mutters.
He stares at Mr. Paper standing on his immaculate wrap-around porch, watching us back.
βWhat do you think? Should I go for it? Ugh, that means Iβd have to leave Grim Systemsβ¦ Do you think your dad would be okay without me?β
Emilian snaps out of his gaze, waves to Mark, then drives away.
βHeβll just make a Synthetic Soul out of your likeness when youβre gone.β
βHeβd miss me that much?β I giggle. βI could still help there sometimes. Your dadβs so sweet.β
βHeβll be okay. Youβve always wanted to work there. Go for it. Itβs your dream.β
Ooh! I love this man.
βBut what about our lunch breaks?β I hesitate. βThe library isnβt far from Grim Systems. Can we meet up?β
βOf course. I never want to stop those.β
I reach across the seat and give Emilianβs muscular thigh a squeeze. Heβs in black joggers and a white t-shirt. Iβm in jeans, a t-shirt, and sneakers myself. Nothing fancy for where weβre headed.
βHow long until we get to Synestia?β I pout. My hand travels between his legs, gently massaging him.
βThree hours.β He chuckles and maintains impressive control of the wheel despite his growth. βCan you wait that long?β
βMaybe.β I whisper.
I feel so wild and mischievous. Since moving in together, we crave each other more than ever.
βI canβt.β Emilian says darkly.
He pulls over. Itβs still early morning, sunny with a chilly breeze and quiet. A sea of wildflowers and looming black mountains surround us.
We look at each other. Grins bounce between us.
βWe could visit our spot and still make it to Synestia in time.β Emilian suggests.
I bite my lip, nodding in agreement.
We walk along a paved path surrounded by a rainbow of wildflowers. I close my eyes, inhaling the citrus and honey scents. My hands stretch out wide, stroking the petals. Every flower known in existence grows in Black Mountain. Because of this, they earned the βwildβ in their name because of their mystery.
βThis reminds me of class. Remember, Mili? Weβd just stare out the window watching the flowers and the clouds.β
βHm. Iβm glad Inga let us sit together again. Finishing her class wouldβve been difficult without you.β
βSame. Iβm just happy weβre finished with school forever. It feels like we have lots of time now.β
I smile at him as we walk on, holding hands. Iβm so thankful heβs in my life.
Our spot is a large patch of sunflowers Emilian grew with his hands beside a lone oak tree. Whenever we visit, the sunflowers bloom and fuse into a seamless bed of soft yellow petals and pillowy black seeds, large enough to fit four adults on and super cozy.
We climb on top and lie down, staring at the clouds.
On my wrist, my forever sunflower unravels and waves its tiny petal goodbye to go hang out with its friends. We laugh as it runs off with a striking blue rose.
βI love this spot.β I whisper, snuggling against Emilian. He wraps his arm around me tight.
Above us, we watch two birds sail across the sky together.
Time slows.
Emilian moves above me, pushing my hair behind my ears. The veins on his arms turn black, bulging beneath his light brown skin.
Heβs so arousedβ¦
βWill you have me forever?β He whispers, kissing me. I feel like weβre melting into each other.
βYes.β I purr against his lips.
Our tongues twist. His taste drives me wild, the way he holds onto me like he canβt let go, his loveβ¦
Everything with him feels so good.
His kisses trail downward. Cool breezes splash over my belly as he lifts my t-shirt and unzips my jeans, nudging them down my thighs. His fingertips dance against my panties, massaging me slowly with a come-hither motion while he kisses my neck.
I moan aloud and turn to the side.
A man is watching us.
Mr. Paper? I squint.
Heβs standing in the distance.
βWe have everything we ever wanted.β Emilian whispers, turning my face to his. His gaze is serious. βAnd still so much more to come.β
He takes my hand in his, kisses it, then reveals a gold band glittering with a cluster of stunning diamonds.
He slides it on my finger.
Ohmygosh.
βWill youββ
βYES!β
-the end for now
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