Page 47

“No. Get up,” he replies sternly. He grabs my arms and pulls me out of bed to my feet. I groan in annoyance.

He runs his eyes slowly over me. “Is that my shirt?”

I look down at myself. I am wearing one of his oversized t-shirts and just my panties. I haven’t washed my clothes, which meant I needed something to wear. Aiden’s clothes were easily accessible since I’m in his room.

“No,” I lie. It is too late for me to come up with a better excuse. My brain has not turned on yet.

A slow grin spreads across his face. “Yes, it is. If you wanted to borrow a shirt, all you had to do was ask.”

I roll my eyes. “Fine, can I borrow your shirt? I haven’t washed my clothes.”

“Sure. But you’ll owe me.”

I cross my arms. “And what exactly do you want?” I demand.

He shrugs one shoulder. “I don’t know yet, but when I do, you’ll be the first to know.”

I bet I will.

I move towards the closet and close the door. I change into shorts and a sweater. I yank off my head scarf, slide my feet into my sandals and walk out of the closet.

“Ready,” I announce.

“Good. Let’s go.”

He leads us out of the apartment and to the elevator. Surprisingly, he clicks the first floor—the Heaven department.

I open my mouth, but he beats me to it. “You will understand soon. For now, just trust me,” he says. I chuckle softly at how he already knew what I was going to ask. When we arrive, he guides me out the elevator to a room down the hall. This is my first time being on this floor. The Heaven department has pearly white walls, with silver and gold décor. It is elegant and clean. Uncomfortably clean. As in, I wouldn’t know where to sit because I’m too worried about dirtying or breaking something.

We walk past a woman reaper wearing an immaculate white suit. She nods at us as we pass her and continue along. At the end of the hallway is a reaper that I’ve never met before. He is the same height as me, lanky, and wears glasses. He has short, tight curls with blonde tips.

“Aiden, long time no see.” He looks at me and smiles. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Joyce. I’m Mac.”

I smile. “Nice to meet you, Mac.”

Aiden shakes hands with him. “Thank you so much for doing this for me.” During the handshake, his sleeve pulls up a little, revealing an infinity tattoo. Seems to be a trend around here.

“Anything for you, Aiden. You helped me through the toughest moment of my life. This is the least I could do.” I’ll have to ask Aiden later what he is referring to. That is, of course, if I remember.

“Of course,” Aiden replies.

“You can walk through this door. You’ll find what you are looking for.” He opens the door and waits for us to walk through. A bright white light blinds me, and I cover my eyes. Once my vision adjusts, I can’t believe what I am seeing.

Tears fall past my lashes as I stare at Sam baking pies with her grandmother in a cozy kitchen. They are smiling and joking around. I watch as they pull out a freshly baked pie and share bites with each other. She looks happy. At peace. My chest tightens as I am overwhelmed with emotions. All the years of regret, and feeling like a failure, come rushing through me. I turn to look at Aiden and see him already looking at me.

“Thank you,” I whisper, tears running down my face. “Thank you for showing me this.” I feel a weight lift off me. I couldn’t help her, but at least she is at peace now. She deserves it.

He pulls me into his arms as I quietly sob. “You’re welcome,” he whispers back, pressing his chin onto the top of my head. “I hope this can help you let go. You deserve to.”

After two minutes of us watching them and me crying, I feel a familiar strange sensation. I lift my face from his chest, looking around our surroundings.

Confused, I ask, “Where are we?”

“Behind a bar,” he states.

“Why are we behind a bar?” I let go of him and wipe my face with the sleeve of my sweater.

“You need a drink, Joy. Also, no offense, but you’re an ugly crier,” he jokes.