Page 122 of Eternal

I raise an eyebrow, my skin still tingling where his hands rest on my hips. “Where?”

“Wherever you want.”

I bite my lip, thinking about the beach. We were there a few days ago, the salt air still fresh in my mind. “Maybe the beach again.”

His eyes soften, but then my gaze flickers down and catches it, dark stains on his shirt.

“What’s that?” I whisper, voice barely steady.

He leans in, lips brushing my jaw, warm and rough. “I’ll tell you after we leave. Vegas waits for us in the morning,” he murmurs against my skin.

I lean into him, heart pounding with something strong and fragile all at once. “One last night.”

His fingers find mine, squeezing tight, grounding me. He stands up, still holding me close for a moment before finally letting me go.

I laugh, breath catching a little.

He leans over and kisses me on the cheek, smiling. “Come on, let’s say goodbye. Then I’ll take you on a proper date.”

“A date?”

“Yeah why not?”

“We don’t do dates.”

He kisses me quickly and nods, “Yes we do.”

We head back downstairs, his hand is still around my waist, his presence is still in my heart.

It’s strange. This… relational thing. I’ve never known it, and I’m not sure if I’ll ever fully get used to it.

When we open the door to the room below, they’re still all there, Nikolai and Elijah sprawled on the couch, Zanae tucked between them with her head on Elijah’s shoulder, drinks in their hands.

The driver who drove me to my apartment upon my arrival sits beside Elijah, and even Dr. Ben is there, sitting across from them mid-story.

They look like a family.

It’s only them now, and the energy’s shifted completely. It’s softer. Warmer . They’re talking quietly, laughing under their breath, it feels like a regular night, almost boring in a good way.

And I stand there for a second, watching them. A few days ago, I didn’t know any of these people, and now, I feel their warmth from across the room.

Zanae too, she radiates that human warmth.

Comforting. Real . And I realize I’m staring at her, not out of curiosity, out of recognition.

There’s something in her that mirrors something in me.

It's in the way she’s quiet, in the soft laughter, in the scars, the way she keeps everything at arm’s length until it spills over.

I saw it the first time we met, but now it’s clearer.

What I didn’t expect, though, was the hope she gave me. Because she smiles, because she found her peace somehow, because she let herself be loved, even after everything.

And maybe I can too.

Maybe I’m not too far gone.

Damir still has his arm around me as we walk into the room, and a stupid, genuine smile spreads across my face. There’s a knot in my chest, not painful, but tight, like I already miss something I haven’t even left yet.

Nikolai looks up, grins, then bursts out laughing. “Damir, you’ve got lipstick all over your damn face.”

Damir turns his head proudly.

Elijah nods, “I guess you two talked.”

The whole room breaks into laughter. The real kind.

I’m not even embarrassed. Honestly, I feel kind of high on the warmth in this room, so I laugh too.

Zanae stands up and walks over to me without hesitation, wrapping me in a hug. “Be careful,” she says softly. “It was really good meeting you. You’ve got my number, don’t hesitate if you need anything.”

I hugged her tighter than I meant to. “Same. Maybe I’ll see you again soon,” I whisper.

I want to tell her how much she helped me without even knowing. That simply watching her live, love, heal… it gave me something.

But I wouldn’t be able to say it without falling apart. So I keep it for myself.

Meanwhile, Damir clinks glasses with Elijah. “Try not to die. And don’t wait years to show up again, alright?”

Damir smiles back. “You too, Volkov.”

Then Nikolai claps him on the shoulder. “Already leaving?”

“Yeah,” Damir says. “Early flight. And… she wants to see the beach again.”

Right then, Ben looks up and squints. “Wait… Damir? You’re serious?”

He stands, surprised. “Shit. It’s been years.”

I blink. He knows Ben? I didn’t know that.

Damir smiles, a little sheepish. “I know. Shame I’m disappearing again. Could’ve caught up.”

Ben claps his shoulder. “Take care of yourself, man. Come back anytime.”

And just like that, it’s time.

We start heading for the door, everyone’s goodbyes still echoing behind us like a warm coat we get to take with us. And for the first time in a long, long time… I don’t feel alone walking away.

We step outside.

The air is cooler now, the night is dark, and kind of beautiful.

In the garden, a few people are moving around, packing up, cleaning, moving equipment.

Two men are dragging a thick black bag across the gravel, zipped all the way up.

The guards nod as Damir walks past.

I glance at the bag but don’t say anything. I already know. There’s still dried blood on his collar. I can smell it from here.

Damir doesn’t slow down. “Come on. Get in the car, partner.”

He opens the passenger door for me, waits until I’m in, then walks around to the other side. The engine hums to life.

The garden fades behind the tinted glass.

For a while, we didn't speak. Just the sound of our breathing, uneven, still a little shaky. Our bodies are too aware of what just happened upstairs. What almost happened.

Then his voice breaks through the quiet.

“Alexander wanted to trap you.”

I turn to him, but don’t say a word. I wait. There’s always more.

“He thought you wouldn’t see it coming. That you were too broken to notice. He figured you’d fall for it if you thought someone gave a damn about you. He wanted to climb the agency ladder and knew your name had a high price. He came to me when he figured out why I was really here.”

“And?” I ask, even though I already know.

He doesn’t hesitate.

“I killed him.”

I looked at him for a long time.

He did that to protect me .

“You were supposed to kill me,” I whisper.

He doesn’t say anything. Doesn’t deny it. Doesn’t even blink.

I let out a laugh, dry, bitter. “And now you’re killing the people trying to stop me. Now you want me to finish what I started.”

He finally looks at me. His eyes are tired. His lips are a little swollen, still marked from where I kissed him like I was starved for air. “No,” he says quietly. “Now I want to finish it with you.”

I don’t answer right away.

I look out the window. The streets roll by. Then I look at him.

My voice comes out soft. Almost like it doesn’t want to be heard.

“I stupidly believe you.”