Page 117 of Eternal

DAMIR

“Roslyn” by Bon Iver, St. Vincent

Present

A zra is gone.

I woke up to an empty bed and a note.

“Thanks for the gloves. And the sex. And the laugh. Oh, and the not so platonic team bonding. See you soon, partner. -V.”

V.

Voron .

Not Azra.

But why am I smiling like an idiot?

I’ve been dodging my mission, breaking protocol only to stay with her a little longer. Now I want to stay forever , and I know I’m not supposed to.

She just left. No creaking door, no sound, the only thing left is the ghost of her presence in my sheets and a folded note on my chest.

I blink against the morning light and squint down at it.

Thanks for the gloves. And the sex. And the laugh. See you soon, partner.

I grin like an idiot. Thumb brushing her words but then my phone buzzes.

Lev

Status? You haven’t reported on the Voron thing.

Lev

We need to debrief. ASAP.

I don’t reply. I’m still rereading her note, touching the letters like a stupid man. And then, I stare at the ceiling for a moment.

Something stupidly soft cracks open in my chest.

I text her.

Me

You’re welcome.

Read .

No reply, of course, so I call her. She picks up like she was waiting for it, voice all innocent, and I can hear the music blasting in the background.

“Missing me already?” She asks softly.

“Didn’t even get a proper goodbye, partner .”

“You got a note.”

“You thanked me for the sex.”

“It was good.”

“Yeah, it was.”

She laughs, and the sound fills something in me I didn’t know was empty.

“What are you wearing?” I ask, dragging a hand through my hair.

“A gun and a knife.”

“Mmmh. Hot .”

I smile into the phone, barely suppressing the urge to ask when I’ll see her again.

“Plans today?”

“Big Emira and Venom Reapers dinner tonight at the Lebanese complex. Just received a text from Zanae.”

“Need a date?”

“I’d say no, but you’d show up anyway.”

“Exactly.”

“Fine. My other admirer might be here too.”

“Too bad he won’t be able to talk to you.”

“ Clingy ,” she teases.

“I’m only in this city for you.”

Silence. Then a softer voice, “You shouldn’t say things like that.”

“Why? Because you might believe me?”

“Because I already do.”

Fuck. My heart is beating so fast in my chest, I could hear it scream her name, over and over again. Azra, Azra, Azra…

“And you, what are you wearing?” she asks like she wants to change the subject.

I grin. “Still naked.”

“Gross.”

“ Accurate. ”

“You do sound like you’re still naked.”

“Trying to mourn your absence in peace. You're making it hard.”

She laughs again and I can hear her smile through the phone, “What’s hard?”

“What ruined you for the past two days.”

“Poor thing.”

“Devastated even.”

Pathetic. I’m pathetic.

Another pause and I picture her biting her lip, trying not to smile.

“Later, partner.”

She hangs up first and I stare at the phone, smile stretching slow and stupid across my face.

Yeah.

I really like her. I really fucking do.