Whispers of the Diamond: A Romance of Memory and Desire

Chapter 28 - Terra

The sofa was the most uncomfortable thing I'd ever sat on in my life—and I lived in a disused underground tube station! But I understood it was more for show than function. In fact, Alex probably spent most of his time either in bed or in the chair by his computer.

By the time Alex joined me, I was sitting with my legs tucked under me, trying to alleviate how uncomfortable I felt.

"Our sofa was far better," he remarked with a smirk. He was right, of course. I'd spent ages selecting it, meticulously going over reviews and specifications. I wanted a comfortable life, and Alex had afforded me that. We had been so very happy, I missed those simpler days.

"It was, do you ever miss what we had? Before I mean," I replied softly

"Of course, how could I not, Terra? You are my world." The fact that he said "are" made my heart flip; he was talking in the present tense. I never fully understood the belief he had in us or why, but I thrived on it. I needed that right now—I needed something to believe in, and if he could believe in us, then so could I.

I crawled into his arms and sighed deeply. The moment they wrapped around me, the world fell away. Nothing else mattered—I was home in that instant. I curled tightly against him, my body pressed into his as I cuddled down into him. I felt safe, calm and being with Alex always comforted me.

I did miss our old life. This new world was tough, mean, and uncaring. Being brought back with pieces missing—I hated that. We lost time, and I guess we lost a piece of ourselves too. CTT was a dangerous, unbalanced technology. I had to wonder how Alex felt each time they brought him back. I hated it—the confusion and disorientation were brutal. Though at least I came back. You see, CTT was great in one sense: you could avoid death—not forever, but for a long time. But they had to clone your DNA; the imprints couldn't be transferred back to the mind in just any clone. This had been something they'd tried to work around, but the cloned form usually went insane and either killed itself or turned extremely violent.

I'd expect they're still trying to overcome this. After all, if they could resurrect you into anyone, their grip would be unbreakable. They've even changed laws to allow it. A lot of people think the morality of this is wrong, but what could we really do? All we can do is hope they never figure it out. I'd always been grateful Alice brought me back, but I was too young. I had my mind, but I wanted to return home. Alice took care of me, and I figured that once I grew up, I could find Alex, and we'd pick up where we left off. I hadn't really thought about what was going on. The more time I spent with Alice, the more I learned, and the more I learned, the more I wanted to help. By the time I was old enough again, I learned Alex had died. His trail ended there.

"How do you do it?" I said finally, my head on his chest, the steady thud of his heart in my ear.

"Do what?" he replied, and I could hear the confusion in his voice.

"Put me at peace with this world?" I replied. And he did—it didn't matter how dark and dangerous the world was when I was with him. It made sense, and I didn't care.

He shifted slightly, his fingers catching my jaw, lifting my head as my eyes sought his. When my calm hazel eyes met his crystal-clear blue ones, I knew. Even before a word left his mouth, I knew.

"Because it's who we are," he replied. He was right, of course. From the moment we'd met, I felt comfortable around him; he was so easy to like, to enjoy being with. It made it easy to be happy, to feel free, even in this hellscape of the future. Alex and I had our own little world, and we lived with a belief in what we had—and in each other.

Alex's hand shifted, causing me to jump slightly. My head collided with his jaw, and he yelped in response. I heard him groan and looked back to see a trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth. Immediately, I sat up, staring at him in panic.

"Oh my god!" I squealed in shock.

"Bit my tongue!" he muttered, rubbing his jaw. Then, we both collapsed into a fit of laughter—the kind that hurts, that's so raw and heartfelt it takes you ages to catch your breath again. The laughter echoed through the spartan flat, and before I knew it, his lips were on mine.

Passionate, deep, powerful—those were the words I always associated with Alex. But this was fast-paced as he flipped me over, pinning me beneath him without breaking the kiss. His hands tugged at my pants, unfastening them and stripping them free. I'd forgotten how passionate Alex could be as he forced my legs up and devoured me. God, I'd missed that tongue, its precise, deliberate strokes on my clit. I couldn't believe how quickly my body tumbled over the edge, how easily he could manipulate my body, and in that moment, how hard I came.

He released my legs, and they slid around as I lay panting, my body shuddering from the sheer force with which I'd come. I shifted closer to him, unbuckling his jeans, and he helped me slide them off before I reached into his briefs, wrapping my hand around the thick length that lay hidden. It drew an audible groan from him as I smiled and began to stroke him, slowly at first. I knew how to work him.

I leaned in to kiss the tip before sliding my mouth over the entire length—well, about two-thirds. He was thick and solid, and my hand guided my motions. My head bobbed, then dipped down, taking a little more. I had always been determined to take all of him, and as far as I knew, no one ever had, which meant no one still had. He'd already admitted he hadn't been with anyone since me. I continued my motions of short bobs, then a deep drop before returning. Every time I went deep, he'd groan aloud, his body tensing. I began to quicken the pattern.

A sudden low growl, and his hand caught my hair, pulling me back slightly as I felt that thick, salty load spurt onto my tongue, spreading out over my mouth, allowing me to taste him. I eased back, ensuring I sucked every drop free before swallowing him down and opening my mouth to show him.