Page 76 of Meet Me After Life

When he finishes, he comes to stand beside me and look at the piece from a distance.

‘There’s no author attached.’

‘It’s by an anonymous contributor.’

‘Your favourite line?’ he asks.

I swallow. Take a step forward and search for it.

‘There.’ I point. ‘I like this line. Or rather, these two, together.’

‘Death makes you want to stand still. Life won’t let you,’ he recites. ‘It’s simple,’ he adds.

‘It is.’ I smile. ‘Yours?’ I allow myself to ask.

He points further down in the piece. ‘I shit on their baby.’

I laugh, and I swear he does too. But when I look beside me he’s reined himself in. I wish I’d got to see him before he did.

‘What are you doing here?’ The questions have been playing on my mind since he stormed me at the refreshments table.

He sighs and takes a step away from me.

‘I came to tease your outfit.’

‘You didn’t seem to find it so offensive earlier.’

‘I didn’t have enough time.’

‘Well, go on then. Let’s hear it.’

‘You…’ his gaze starts at my strapped heels and lazily drags up my form, his eyes snagging on the slit on the side of my dress that ends at my hip.

‘You’ll have to turn for me to make an informed assessment,’ he says, but he’s pinned me with those green eyes of his. This is a game, I tell myself. Just a game. I turn slowly and face the shelves. I don’t know why I feel so breathless. I read the spines of the books to keep my thoughts calm and collected. I’d read just about anything not to give away the effect Walker is having on me. I’m losing the game.

He takes a step closer. I don’t know how I know, I just do. I turn my head so my chin rests on my shoulder. Walker’s eyes are lowered. Glued to the skin bared by my backless dress. I feel something, like cool pressure. Like someone running a cube of ice up my spine. A shiver runs through me. The feeling that started earlier has sprouted wings and is batting wildly in my chest. Everything feels like it’s building, like it’s climbing, like it’s racing towards a peak I can’t see.

But all that feels secondary to the fact that he came. He showed up for me. He was here and I didn’t even have to ask him. For once, I wasn’t left – I was found.

Another cool touch, this time down the length of my arm. I shudder.

And then he’s crowding me, his hand resting against the shelves above my head as he leans down beside my ear.

‘You…’

‘Me…’ My mouth is dry; my lips need wetting. I run my tongue along my lips. I can feel his breath against⁠—

‘Miller! There you are!’

Walker’s eyes screw shut as if he’s in pain. I can’t make sense of him.

I turn and walk through him.

Aggy waddles towards me with a big toothy grin.

When I look back over my shoulder he hasn’t left. I thought he would.

‘I’ll walk you home,’ he says. Only for me to hear.