Death Before Daylight
Page 35
We would leave in the morning.
“I’m going to see my family,” Jonathon said before shouting over to Crystal, “Lola wants to see you.”
Crystal spun around, her hair now black. She had stopped dying it. “She does?”
Jonathon grinned, but the silent message was clear. He wanted to give Jessica and I more alone time. Crystal bounced over because she understood, but she stopped inches in front of me. “Take care of my girl,” she said. As she walked away, she shouted over her shoulder, “I expect to be the maid of honor.”
Jessica laughed and walked over to my side. “Get out of here, Crystal.”
Her friend winked, running down the hill and following Jonathon like they had been friends for far longer than they had been.
I watched their backs for a minute, but my attention was quickly drawn to Jessica. She was holding my hand again. It was all I wanted to do, but her other hand was occupied. She waved down the hill, and I followed her gesture to her parents.
They waved back, grins plastered on their faces, before her father made the motion of driving a car. He had already borrowed my Charger four times, and now, they made jokes with my father. They had officially met two weeks ago.
“I love you,” Jessica said so suddenly I almost didn’t hear her, but I knew she had said it when she shifted from foot to foot. She always did that when she was nervous.
“I love you, too,” I responded, wondering what it would be like to be apart again, but this time, the distance wouldn’t be forced. It was agreed upon, and the nerves I felt weren’t nearly as high as all of the times before.
“Be sure to call me when you get to Iowa,” she said as if she was thinking the same thing.
“Be sure to know where your phone is so I can,” I joked.
She giggled. It was the best sound I had heard all day.
“And when I get back, I think we should pick a date,” I added.
Her blue eyes met mine—widening as a blush blew across her cheeks. “Eric—”
“I’m still marrying you, Jessica.” A grin fit itself onto my face. “Only if you want to.”
Her blush deepened. “I do.”
“You’re supposed to save those words for the wedding day.”
She laughed. “Leave it to you to keep joking about everything.”
I didn’t respond because I didn’t have to. I only wanted to kiss her, to live in the moment without worrying about what my next day would bring. I only wanted to live, and for once, I felt like I was truly living, but even better, I knew all of Hayworth was finally allowed to live in peace.
In the end, the Light and the Dark came together. In the end, we were the same, and I believed we would remain that way for eternity.
Acknowledgements
Nine years have passed since I wrote the first sentence of The Timely Death Trilogy, and now, the trilogy has come to an end. A countless number of people – including readers and writers and editors and designers – have guided me along the way, but there is no guidance when you meet the end of a road. My emotions range from absolute delight to terrified reluctance, but I am mainly met with the uncanny feeling that Eric and Jessica understand this situation. Their story has explored the light and dark moments of life, and I am honored that I was able to share these characters with the world. My first “thank you” is for all of the readers who have supported this trilogy. I am eternally grateful for your love, and I’m glad I’ve found so many friends who love the mysterious night as much as I do.
Special thanks also goes out to my team at Clean Teen Publishing—Courtney, and Rebecca, and Marya, and Kelly, and Cynthia—for exploring the Dark with me! (And for helping me find my way through it.)
Between conjuring supernatural beings and cuddling with cats, I promise another story is always in the works.
Stay Dark,
Shannon A. Thompson
Join the Dark and visit www.ShannonAThompson.com
About the Author
Shannon A. Thompson is a twenty-three-year-old author, avid reader, and habitual chatterbox. She was merely sixteen when she was first published, and a lot has happened since then. Thompson’s work has appeared in numerous poetry collections and anthologies, and her first installment of The Timely Death Trilogy became Goodreads’ Book of the Month. As a novelist, poet, and blogger, Thompson spends her free time writing and sharing ideas with her black cat named after her favorite actor, Humphrey Bogart. Between writing and befriending cats, she graduated from the University of Kansas with a bachelor’s degree in English, and she travels whenever the road calls her.
Visit her blog for writers and readers at
http://www.shannonathompson.com