Page 49 of The Ecstasy of Sin

I spent most of it basking in the warm sunlight at a nearby park, reading the epic fantasy novel Ronald gave me, trying not to drown in guilt over wasting a day I could’ve spent job hunting.

When the late afternoon sun began to fall, I headed east to watch the sunset from Riverdale Park. I found a quiet patch of grass at the top of the hill, facing the city, and settled in to read another couple of chapters of Ronald’s book.

Sitting here now, I’m glad I took a moment to breathe.

The sky is painted in the brilliance of the setting sun, every hue of pink, orange, and blue bleeding across the horizon. Thick, billowy clouds catch the light like puffs of cotton candy suspended in the air.

It’s breathtaking, and so worth the almost two hour walk it took to get here. I’ll never grow tired of watching the sun set behind the city skyline.

Watching the sunset and reading is one of my fondest memories of my mom. We used to grab whatever books we were reading at the time, and she’d drive us out to the northern escarpment just beyond the city.

It was a twenty-minute hike to reach one of the lookouts, and we’d sit on the bench in quiet companionship, reading until the forest was cloaked in shadow and it was time to head home.

I miss those evenings, and I miss her.

I get through several chapters of the thick novel before something has my eyes lifting off the page to glance back over my shoulder. I can feel eyes on me, more than the random glances of the other people enjoying the sunset.

My phone buzzes in my pocket. I take it out, already knowing what I’ll find. There’s a new message from Dominic.

DOMINIC

It’s beautiful, isn’t it?

I glance around, my eyes sweeping across the grassy hillside, dotted with couples and scattered groups of people. It’s a massive park, with more than enough space for each group to have privacy, and for someone to blend in and stay hidden.

My thumb hovers for a minute, then I tap the call button in the bottom right corner of the screen.

He picks up on the first ring, but I’m the one who speaks first.

“Stalking is illegal, you know,” I quip gently, still scanning the area in search of him.

He hums, low and amused. “Have you decided whether or not you’re going to turn me in?”

I think about it for a minute. He hasn’t done anything… well, aside from killing someone who tried to murder me. And stalking me across the city. “Not yet.”

“If I wasn’t stalking you, I wouldn’t be able to tell you how beautiful your hair looks in the sunlight. Every time the wind catches it, it looks like it’s on fire.”

My breath catches. I lift my hand, brushing the windswept strands behind my ear. “That’s oddly romantic for a stalker,” I murmur.

“I wouldn’t be worthy of the title if I didn’t notice how beautiful you are.” His voice is deep and smooth. It sends a shiver racing down my spine as a gust of chilly wind brushes across my face.

“You’d be the first person to notice me at all,” I confess, sadness bleeding through the words before I can stop it.

“I see you, Wren,” he promises. “The fact that no one else does only proves how hopeless humanity really is.”

I laugh softly, a blush creeping up my neck. “Where are you? Come sit with me, Stranger Danger.”

He chuckles, a low rumble through the phone. “Am I really a stranger, Wren? After everything we’ve been through?”

He’s teasing me, and I can hear the smile in his voice.

“I guess not,” I reply, thoughtful.

“It’s getting late, little lamb. You should head back to the shelter.”

I glance at the time on my screen before lifting the phone back to my ear. “You going to follow me the whole way there?"

“You’ll never walk alone again,” he says simply, and I’m surprised by the conviction in his voice.