“Come on, baby, please,” she murmured. She leaned over and kissed his cheek, whispering in his ear.
“I love you. You can do this. I know you can, Maverick.” Pilar’s voice was smothered by a wave of grief that flowed through her. She knew this loss was going to sweep her away like none that had come before. She was going to be cast adrift by this, truly without hope.
This would prove to her once and for all that there was no good in this world, no hope.
Only pain.
“I can’t live without you, Maverick,” she cried. “Please don’t go.”
Then, his fingers tightened on hers. The movement was slight, barely noticeable, but she felt the flicker of his fingers against her own. Pilar sat back, watching him. Color returned to his cheeks, and his hand twitched as if he were trying to hold on to her.
“Maverick?” she whispered.
He took a deep breath, his chest heaving. As the rush of air filled his lungs, his eyes snapped open, wide and bright on his pale face. For a split second, Pilar thought her joy would break her in two … she was so relieved to see his eyes open.
Then, his beautiful brown eyes flooded with pain. His mouth twisted as if he was trying to speak.
But the only thing that issued from his throat was a terrible, ear-splitting scream.
CHAPTERNINETEEN
MAVERICK
The first thing Maverick noticed when coming to was the soft sound of someone talking.
He wasn’t sure where the voice was coming from, nor was he aware of who it was exactly, but it had a comforting feel that felt familiar. It sounded like his head was underwater. The ebbs and flows of whatever conversation that was going on were hard to differentiate.
It was a confusing mess, all of which made him slightly dizzy the more he focused on it.
He tried to recall his last memories: tangled up with Pilar and kissing her until everything around him went dark.
Had that been it? His last moments on earth?
Maverick couldn’t exactly say that he was mad about it, especially since going out kissing someone he clearly had feelings for would’ve been his dream scenario other than not dying altogether.
His younger self would’ve been proud.
But something still felt off. Things were still left unfinished, like his business on earth wasn’t over. But where in the world did that leave him then?
He felt himself awaken with a gradualness that he wasn’t used to, peeling his eyes open and blinking at the ceiling above him.
Where was he?
There was a sigh next to him that sounded off. Forlorn in a sense. “Mmm… hmm… Right.”
It sounded like Pilar’s voice now that he could focus on it better.
Trying to sit up slowly, Maverick felt himself get winded almost immediately. Like his body had gained an extra amount of mass that his internal organs weren’t exactly accustomed to having to account for.
It made him grunt slightly and relax back into whatever soft surface he was currently lying in.
It must be a bed. How did I get here? I was on my couch. Did she drag me all the way over here?
“Sure,” Pilar said. “Bye.”
Oh, she must be on the phone with someone.
Trying to sit up again, Maverick managed to get an elbow under himself and grab one of the pillows behind him to prop himself up before he managed to collapse again from the strain. He couldn’t believe how sore his body was and how tender his muscles felt.