Page 60 of Hostile Saint

She looked up at me with a forming smile. She liked when I called her that.

Lacey nodded.

I smirked. “Err. Gonna tell me?”

After sucking on her bottom lip, she lifted her arms as if trying to explain they were confusing her. “They keep wanting to move… toward you.” Embarrassed eyes peered up to me before she quietly asked, “Can I hug you?”

Melt my motherfucking heart.

Stunned, having not expected such a huge leap, I sighed. “I would actually love that.”

Not sure how to go about it, she tentatively took a step closer to me. Her hands pulled at her sweatpants and sweatshirt, then timidly reached out.

I waited. I wasn’t going to screw this up and rush her, but my heart thundered for her touch.

At first, it seemed as if she was going to put her arms around my neck, which surprised me since she had always preferred to rest her head at my chest, but then she changed her mind and slowly tucked her arms around my waist.

It felt like a miracle. Maybe a small one, but it was epic to my soul.

Praying for the strength to not wrap her up lightning-fast and squeeze the ever-loving shit out of her from missing her so fucking bad, I stared up at the ceiling.

Elle’s voice rang in my head; you can make life any flavor you want.

I slowly let my arms, which were holding her book, rise to wrap around my Lacey. As soon as I did, she melted into me, admitting, “I knew you would feel good.”

Laying my head on the top of hers, my eyes sliding shut in delirium, I teased, “You’ve been thinking about me, Pretty Girl?”

Not letting me go, she nodded. “I even dreamt of you.” She giggled. “On a rusty merry-go-round. Isn’t that silly?”

I bit the side of my cheek to not tell her that merry-go-round was where we had our first vanilla shake together. “No. I don’t think that is silly at all.”

“Why do I feel I know you when I know that’s impossible?”

Not having a clue how the mind works—having no degree with such knowledge—Lynx had advised me not to say too much and to let the doc do his job. Now that she was actually hugging me, I bent the rules, thinking he was wrong. I couldn’t answer her questions truthfully, due to my Prez’s order, but Tate always finds a way.

“Maybe we knew each other in another life.”

It wasn’t a lie. We did. And now I was trying to lead us to a new one.

She gasped. “Wouldn’t that make for a beautiful story, Tate?”

I fought my heart from bursting. I fought memories. “It would be one of the best.”

“Oh!” She loudly whispered while releasing me. “Another ‘life’ reminds me of another poem I wrote!” She stepped back to lift my hands, quickly opening and flipping pages while I held her book. On a certain page, she pointed. “See?”

Parallel lives, side by side

Not knowing why, I want to hide.

Murky shadows, distant memories

Will they ever become one?

My legs tried to buckle. “Do you see shadows, L—uh, Pretty Girl?”

Suddenly losing her smile, she blew out air. Then… held up four fingers.

Four? I grabbed my chest and stumbled back. Oh no!