Suddenly I comprehended completely what he’d meant when he described walking among the stars. Together, we were soaring, locked in each other’s embrace—but at the same time we were submerged beneath the deepest part of the ocean, in a copious cavern in the center of the world where everything was molten, like the quicksilver that was racing through my veins, sizzling every last fiber of my being… a being that extended beyond my physical self in ways I’d never imagined—through time, though the very fabric of inconsequentiality.

And in that single, perfect, wonderful moment, I understood. I fully understood what Riley meant when he’d said that the human mind couldn’t fathom his greatness, because suddenly—suddenly—I could.

I fathomed it.

But unlike the terror of madness that had gripped the other mortals who’d caught the merest glimpses of his glory, Riley was there with me, holding me together, making the impossible possible.

And for the first time ever in my feeble, minute, paltry, insignificant existence… I felt entirely complete.

Chapter Seventeen: Complications

I awoke with a mind brimming with memories (the swimming, the talking, Riley’s sculpted body glistening in the moonlight, the soft look in his eyes that I’d always hoped for but never dared to expect), but I was certain it all couldn’t have been anything more than another sweet dream mocking my hollow life. Such things didn’t happen to people in the real world, and certainly not to me. And so, when that little crack of sunlight spilled through my window, I rolled out of bed sluggishly, wistfully certain it was a Tuesday morning like any other.

My morning shower was like a sudden jolt of lightning. Something about the warmth of the water cleared my head, and it hit me—my life had changed. Subtly, minorly, almost undetectably, I was a different person than before. The old Andi Slate was no more. Last night hadn’t been a dream. Overcoming my fear of sea, being held in Riley’s strong arms, getting pulled into that divine kiss that shook the sky—it had been a dream fulfilled.

Heartened by the thought, I became a little more daring than usual as I dressed for school. A chartreuse tank top—glittery, even? Today, it was possible. Black short shorts and sandals? Well, why not? I could make it work. Today I felt like I could wear a yellow fedora with a pink flamingo feather stuck in the brim and still feel good about it. Riley would see it for what it really was: me being me. And the more me I was, the more he’d love it.

Dad noticed something was up the moment I climbed into his car for the ride to school.

“Someone’s in a good mood,” he offered cautiously.