Page 106 of The Commons

“Why wouldn’t I do that? I love you. If you go, I’m going. If you stay, I’m staying. I’d never leave you. Because I plan on knowing you for a very long time.”

I am overwhelmed. “How long?” I ask playfully.

“Mmm…”

I can’t help but continue to smile.

“300 years and a day,” he responds.

I giggle, beaming. “No one lives that long,” I tease.

His eyes strike mine. “But we will. Our love will. We’ll live forever even after death, into eternity.”

His comments make me realize why I am in love with him.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you Patron De Londe was my father. I was scared you wouldn’t trust me,” he says.

“I trust you now, and I understand. Is this the plan of confrontation you were telling me about the day we kissed? When you told me about your mom?”

“Something like that.”

“Well, tomorrow you’re going to. And I’m gonna be right there with you. We’ll do it together. Your mom would be so proud.”

He looks at me with a gentle gaze. “I hope so. And even if your parents don’t say it, you are the light of their lives.”

I smile, mesmerized. That’s when I remember he wanted to tell me something important, so I say, “So, you were gonna tell me something?”

He looks at me with a soft smile in his eyes. He comes closer, then takes my hands and pulls me forward toward him, to the center of the room. “Right, I was.”

I stare at him and listen. I hear a gentle melody start coming from a small speaker on the floor and the room lights up all around.

“But after we dance! Dance with me one last time?” he whispers in my ear.

“One last time? Or our first time?”

“Last time in The Secret Place, I mean.” His voice diminishes. “And first time ever, yes!”

I can see stars in his eyes, like he is holding something back from me, but I am not completely sure. It is like he is trying to hold onto every moment and make it last forever. Like tonight is everything in one. I look at him with narrowed eyes, trying to read him, to understand what he is alluding to, but he simply pulls me closer.

We are dancing to the sweet melody, our bodies moving with the beat, indulging in the depths of each other’s eyes. My heart stays on his gaze, trying to focus on his entire soul, delighting in his hold as he pulls my waist close. He holds me tightly in a passionate embrace and spins me, flipping my heart into his addictive presence. His strong hand is holding mine in complete control. My soul is falling in steady surrender into the depths of Pesh’s soul. The music stops and he jolts me forward, our noses brushing briefly.

“I wanted to tell you something I’ve never told anyone before. And it is because before you, I couldn’t trust anyone. When I was—” His voice breaks.

I hold onto his hands tightly to encourage him, realizing the seriousness of this conversation.

“Shantavia. I’m sorry. I wanted to tell you about Patron De Londe, but my mom didn’t kill herself, my father killed her. And after that, he tortured me with steel and fire, burning this snake tattoo into my skin. And he forced me to be adopted by him. I didn’t choose it. He killed my mom and framed it as a suicide. I had to stay with him and lie all my life. I had to pretend like I didn’t like you many times in The Commons. He would’ve killed you if he knew that I was helping you. I couldn’t let that happen. I’m sorry I put you in danger by even letting you step foot in The Seventh Zone.”

“Pesh, I understand! I do!”

“No! I need to tell you everything tonight! I can’t afford you not trusting me, ever.” His voice cracks.

I hold onto his hands tightly, looking intently into his eyes.

As he begins to describe his pain, I am caught up in agony. My heart is stunned as Pesh explains to me the worst day of his life—as a ten-year-old child:

“Are you okay, Son?” He heard Londe’s voice outside his bedroom door.

“Yes,” came a cherry reply. But Pesh dared not speak again lest he need to swallow. He wasn’t ready to taste the bitter flavor of death. So, he sat, frozen, trying to stall the inevitable. But he knew it couldn’t last forever. He swallowed and remembered that just 30 minutes earlier, he had witnessed the murder of his sweet mother by Patron De Londe. He saw her being held by Londe against her will. He wanted to run in to save her, but his nanny grabbed him and forced him into his room. He felt his lungs choke his throat, gasping for air to breathe, in pain and uncontrollable tears. A bitter taste saturated his mouth, and suddenly, he felt propelled to throw up.