The Door at the End of the Stars by K.J. Sutton

Author:K.J. Sutton [Sutton, K.J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Once Upon a Time Books, LLC
Published: 2022-08-29T18:30:00+00:00

It’s dark by the time I get home.

That doesn’t mean I’m sober, though. I get halfway up the sidewalk when I start eyeing distance to the apartment, and suddenly it seems long. Daunting. Instead of continuing on to the stairs, I veer to the left, going down the path that leads to the pool. Technically, it’s closed right now, but our property manager does nothing to enforce it. I burp and climb over the gate.

I meander along the path and stop at the edge of the pool. Slowly, I get down and put my legs in the water. It’s warm, almost like a bath. I lean back on my hands. Hours pass, or maybe it’s just a few minutes, I don’t know which. The THC makes my thoughts feel hazy. It also overpowers any sense or inhibitions.

Acting on an impulse, I lazily raise my arm and type out a message. Come over.

Once it’s sent, I stare toward the horizon, or where the horizon should be. My mind wanders, replacing the darkness with images of endless sand dunes and towering pyramids. Crumbling, centuries-old castles and rolling green hills. Places that I’ve never seen, not even in the Hub. But I dream about them. The conversation with Gen only made the dream stronger.

I still have no sense of time, so when I hear the gate open, I have no idea how long I’ve been sitting there. I kick the water harder. It churns around my calves.

“I thought I’d never get a message like that again.” Julián’s voice blends with the sound of the water lapping against the edge of the pool. “I’m glad you sent it.”

I don’t move my gaze from the waves I’ve created. I’m trying to ignore the sinking feeling that I’ve just made a huge mistake. “Hi,” I say softly.

After another moment, Julián lowers himself to the ground beside me. He rolls up his jeans and puts them in the water, too. His arm presses against mine and silence settles around us.

We’ve sat like this, in this exact spot, countless times before. A wistful lump fills my throat as I think about who we used to be. Childhood never felt simple to me, not like they depict it in the movies, but it was certainly less complicated than my life now. The old Verónica and Julián would be all over each other, making out, passing the time instead of using it.

Suddenly I miss those little fools. I wish time travel existed, so we could go back.

Without a word to Julián, I pull my legs up and stand. Water drips down my skin and pools beneath me. I feel his eyes on me as I take off my shorts, then my shirt, both items dropping soundlessly onto the lounge chair. Wearing just a bra and a pair of cheeky underwear, I walk down the steps and into the water, swaying my hips the way Chloe did in that bar. Within a few seconds, I hear Julián get to his feet. He follows me in, clothes falling as he goes.

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