When Stars Collide

Chapter 52- To our infinies and forevers - Jamie

    It's hard to find someone that can ground you to one spot, that can paralyze you with just a simple look. I've made all sorts of mistakes and seen so many things that truly make me wonder if it's even worth living. After a while, it all becomes a cycle.

   Wake up. Answer to His orders and kill whoever needs to be killed. Drink and party till you drop and of course... acquaint me with sinful people interested in nights of debauchery and sex. It becomes the same thing over and over again and after a while... that gets boring. But then Alaia dies and suddenly, the whole world was after Maia. I've known her since she was a little girl. Sure, that made me sound old but 5,000 years went almost at the pace of blinking an eye and now... her eyes were finally opening.

  In the span of two weeks, I had finally learned the value of living and what mortality meant. Sure, I had gotten away with many things and usually didn't give a fuck about what was going on, but I had a soft spot for Maia. I had hidden many secrets for Alaia and frankly, I hated that she hid so much from her daughter. I loved how naive the goddess was, but how each experience helped her become wiser. I was just an executioner who should be stopping her and causing chaos at every step, but I couldn't.

  Because for once in my life... I wanted to see what the future could look like. I wanted to see her rule and I wanted her to spite all those blue-collared gods who looked down on her for being so young. There were also the mortals. One, in particular, was making me reconsider everything I had lived.

  Zachariah Kostas with his wild redhead was doing stuff to my heart that I hadn't felt in so long. Yes, I've had plenty of flings and partners in the past, but nobody stunned me or got me in a bunch as he did. How did a mortal who was a former thief and made coffee drive me insane? I had no clue but as I shut myself in my bedroom in the gaudy temple dedicated to me by all these mortals, I looked at the ceiling and passed a hand through my hair, closing my eyes.

I was a phoenix. The last existing one if I ignore my twin sister's existence but for once, I was running out of flirty comments and pick up lines to use on him. I laid on my bed, staring at the ceiling and I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath when I heard a knock on the door.

"It's open," I said loudly and when Z entered the door with a pot of more coffee, I jerked up from the bed and sat down, my heart racing loudly against my chest. Goddess, give me a damn break because I don't need a heart attack now.

"I- I wasn't sure if you wanted more coffee... or some company," he said sheepishly and I shook my head, patting the space next to me on the bed until I smacked my head and got up instead.

"Goddess, I meant you could have a seat, whether it was on my bed or the floor or.. you know what I mean," I tell him and he starts laughing, a deep chuckle coming out that makes me smile and we decide to sit by the balcony overlooking the village and everything surrounding us.

"Whoever invented coffee is a fucking genius," I told him as I sipped my coffee and he smiled.

"Well, I didn't invent it but I did make some for us, so I'm not sure that counts."

"Of course it does. It makes you a genius for making the perfect combination of bitter and sweet. It's warm and it gets you all fuzzy inside," I admitted and he pointed the sky above us.

"Are things in heaven worth it?" he asked me bluntly and I stared at him.

"I-It's just that... I hope Estella is okay up there. I hope she's not having a hard time up there with the gods or any of that up there," he confessed and I put a hand on his shoulder.

"Well, look at you being a softy. All muscle and a soft heart too. If I bite in, am I going to find a marshmallow heart on the other side?" I asked him teasingly and his cheeks flamed.