What If He Didn't Die?

Chapter 38: Another Midnight Call

The moment there's no door between me and the hallway, I'm welcomed by a creepy breeze of midnight silence.

I start striding towards the terrace and with every other step, the moment feels more and more familiar to me. Like I'd actually gone through this exact thing. But I don't bother wasting time thinking about it.

When I open the glass door to the terrace, I come to realise how cold the night actually is. Hair stands stiff on my exposed skin and a shiver runs down my frame. Anticipation keeps reaching new heights, as I keep walking, to soon be standing face to face with him, Daniel.

The darkness pours from all sides in the moonless night, but his silhouette still manages to stand out, darker and sharper, as he stands there near the very edge. Motionless. Stiff. And in the blink of an eye, I know exactly when I'd experienced something like this. Screw something like this, I've experienced this very night. And now standing here once again, I can't help as it all comes back. The yearning, the longing and the relief.

My heart skips a beat as I feel the moment in depth for the first time since my phone rang in my drawer. Me standing there on my feet with hasty breaths. Him standing a few feet away with his back to me. Us, just a few steps apart.

Is this real?

After all this time, I somehow started to believe that my fate wasn't good enough for me to see him ever again. That this was all a punishment that the heavens had bestowed on me, considering all the crimes me and my family had ever committed, and there was no way to ever end this.

But turns out, they listened to my repentance. And here, I'm granted another chance to live.

Smiling to myself, I start taking slow steps towards him. I could've called him, he could've easily run up to me, pulled me in a never-breaking hug.

Like it happened that night.

But for some silly reason, my heart wants this moment of longing to last a little longer. It wants me to grow more desperate, as desperate as I can. My heart wants to go wild in desire before I finally have him to myself.

"Daniel." I finally speak in a voice that's nothing in front of my furious heartbeats, placing my phone on the coffee table next to me.

He doesn't turn and I flinch in impatience. Perhaps, my voice was actually not audible. And although it makes no sense, given the creepy silence, I still decide to try again.

"Dan," I say louder, but he doesn't budge.

And then all of a sudden, he starts walking. Not towards me, but away. My breath hitches in my throat and I wait no more.

With quick steps, I start advancing towards him. "Wait!" I shout in a whisper because I definitely don't want to wake anyone up.

But he doesn't listen.

I keep following him and in a matter of seconds, he's standing at the edge of the terrace. A horrific possibility dawns over me and I shake my head in disapproval.

"Daniel, stop!" I yell louder and as if on cue he takes another step forward.

The lack of floor does its deed and his silhouette descends off the terrace. "Noooo!" I run to the edge with a heart about to jump out and a head carrying all the pain in the world.

Fortunately, he didn't fall.

Both his hands hold onto the edge as his whole body hangs off towards the hard floor below. His pale skin shines like the moon in the dark night and the little hint of a tattoo on his translucent skin forms an extremely pleasing contrast for my eyes. But the situation demands me to ignore it and against the killing urge of drinking him through my eyes while I can, I forcefully divert my attention to getting him back up before gravity plays its trick.