Empyrean

The night sky bursts with sparks of pigment, swallowing up the stars with their light and dispersing into clouds of smoke. Onlookers cheer as the sky pops with explosions of celebratory bliss. Crystal glasses filled with fizzy liquid gold clink together as the newly married couple exchange a kiss. Lavish dresses and handsome suits cover the grounds of the manor, and the pungent scent of fresh flowers fill the air. The exchange of forced smiles is evident as guests dote on one another’s attire and remark on the grandiosity of the venue.

I twirl a thin stemmed glass in my hand, inhaling the sting of perfumed champagne. Holding the glass at eye level I am caught in the rapture of tiny sizzling bubbles when I notice Evan eyeing me through the opposite side of the glass. As I lower the crystal, I am blinded by an ethereal light that erupts across the heavens. A flash of wind rushes through the party sweeping up flower petals in its path and sending them dancing through the air. I am thrown to the ground leaving the glass shattered and my hand bleeding.

The Earth rumbles beneath us as the sound of trumpets flood the atmosphere. Holding my arm over my eyes I peer up at the expanse in wonder and watch as the night sky ignites with Holy fire. Shimmering hues of amber and gold illuminate the firmament making the clouds visible. I watch in disbelief as the clouds roll in opposing directions, sending a quiver through my body.

Was this the end of my time on Earth?

I glance across the patio to where Evan is knelt on the coble stone and feel a rush of guilt. I had ignored him all evening unable to wrap my head around his confession. He had told me the one thing I had fantasized about since I was eight years old. It didn’t seem real, and I completely shut down. I never envisioned the day Evan told me he loved me would end with me running away and giving him the silent treatment, but somehow that’s exactly what happened.

My face flushes with embarrassment and my eyes sting with the onslaught of tears threatening to brim over. I watch through blurred vision as the breeze tousles his long cinnamon hair and kisses his beach tanned skin with the petals of destroyed roses. How desperately I want to be one of those petals. My insides twist as I realize the way I romanticize life instead of living it. Tonight, had been my chance to be with Evan and I blew it, but maybe there was still time to fix it, even just for a minute.

Without any further hesitation I stand to my feet and run to him. His onyx eyes crashing with mine as I stand in front of him. Standing to his feet, I suck in a breath of courage and fight back the shiver careening up my spine.

“I’m so sorry for today,” I croak, fighting against the lump in my throat.

I look to the ground in embarrassment.

“Dove,” he interrupts, looping a finger under my chin and bringing my eyes back to his, “I should have told you sooner…I’ve loved you since we were kids.”

“I should have said it back,” I choke out, “I love you, Evan…I always will.”

I’m dazed for a second as he draws closer leaving me breathless. Warmth rushes my face, and a deep knot squeezes my stomach. A tremor rocks my body as his fingers caress my face before wrapping around the side of my neck and jaw. Time stands still as he bridges the gap between us, his lips mere inches from mine. Reaching out I place my hands in his thick hair and pull him to me, our lips crashing together with all the yearning we’ve kept to ourselves.

My hands travel through his locks and then down his chest, while he holds my head to his. His lips move easily over mine and I am flooded with feverish possession. Moving my hands over his jaw and standing on my toes to press my body closer. I can feel his pulse under my hands in sync with my own. Pleasure courses through me as shockwaves of adrenaline pop along my nerves.

Without a word Evan lifts me over his hips as I weave my fingers through his tresses tugging him ever nearer. Our breathing is ragged, and my heart is racing. His tongue is hot in my mouth, and I suppress a moan. My body trembles against the trail of kisses he plants along my jaw and down my neck leaving me with a wide grin as our eyes meet again.

"Do you want to know what I thought the first time I saw you?" I ask breathlessly.

"What's that?" He smiles back.

"I thought you were the most beautiful boy I had ever seen."

There is a pause between us.

“I thought you were an angel,” he breathes, rubbing a strand of my white, blond hair between his fingers.

Pulling his lips back to mine, the air is filled with the blaring of trumpets once again as the winds whip around us. Our feet rise off the ground, two bodies levitated in a cocoon of immortal devotion. In an instant our souls drift out of our bodies as the Creator calls us home. We ascend into the heavens still embraced in our last earthly kiss, twisted together and radiant in the presence of the Eternal and becoming everlasting ourselves.