Existence 03 - Ceaseless

other.”
    “Yeah, I heard that. Several times,” I mumbled.
    Jay bumped my arm with his, “Don’t worry about it, Pagan. Just be glad she’s finally found life after Wyatt. And honestly I’ve never seen Nathan that into someone befor e. He’s normally disinterested.”
    That made it a little better but still, in just two weeks ?
    “You still seeing Dank Walker?”
    I rolled my eyes, “I was never seeing Dank Walker. We went out on one date. One. Then he was ready to move on to a new girl.”
    “Are you okay with that?” Jay asked watching me for my reaction.
    “Yes, I am. Like I said it was one date. No big deal. I wasn’t his type. You and I already knew that.”
    We reached Jay’s little fancy sports car he’d gotten when he graduated from high school. I couldn’t remember what it was called. I just knew he was in love with it. He walked me to my side and opened the door for me. I slid inside and he closed the door.
    This was comfortable. I knew what to expect.

Chapter Eighteen
    Dank
    She wouldn’t talk to me. I couldn’t force her. I needed to win her trust. Dammit I needed her to remember me. Remember us. Standing across the street I watched as Jay bought her coffee and they sat down. They were like two old friends. It had been over a year yet there they sat laughing and talking like no time had passed. She’d forgiven him for being an ass but she refused to talk to me. Was this what I’d been warned about? Was this when Pagan began to get feelings for Jay?
    “She doesn’t feel anything more than friendship and affection for him. You can see that from here,” Gee said as she appeared beside me.
    “I can only hope. She was so close to remembering. She was feeling things for me. Now, nothing. I can’t get her to even speak more than one syllable words to me and that’s if I’m lucky.”
    “This is the test Dankmar . You knew it was coming. Her soul must have a n opportunity to decide. When she is with you then she doesn’t have a chance because her feelings for you consume her even if she can’t remember why. Her heart reacts to you. Her soul knows you.”
    My eyes burned. Pain sliced through me. She was mine. She owned me. But she hated me. How was I supposed to function like this? Right now I had no chance at winning her heart or her soul.
    “Stop standing around and being all wounded and shit. Go do something about it. You’re Dank Walker. You’re fucking Death. He’s a human soul. You got this. Go figure it out.”
    Gee was always good for a pep talk. And she was right. I needed to get it together and find a way to get her back. I’d come to her like a human. Just another guy. I hadn’t invaded her soul. I could reach places Jay couldn’t.
    “What if she never remembers?”
    “Then you better make her fall in love with you, again.”
    “How did I do it the first time?”
    “You let her in.”
    I let her in. She’d seen the real me. I hadn’t been scared to s how her who I was. I’d never hidden from her the fact that I wasn’t human. She might not have known I was Death but she’d thought I was a soul. This Pagan no longer saw lost souls who roamed the earth. The Voodoo Lord of the dead’s hold was no longer on her. That was forgotten. I’d treated her like someone else. Someone who could break. My Pagan was strong. She didn’t hide from anything.
    You’re mine, Pagan Moore. You will always be mine.
    I watched as she stopped listening to Jay and looked around her. I stepped forward out of the shade from the trees. Her eyes found me. I could see the confusion in them from here.
    You own me. Once you knew this. I’m going to make sure you remember.
    Pagan’s coffee cup fell from her hands and the boy jumped up from the hot liquid now running off the side of the table. This was what I should have done all along. It was time I made sure Pagan understood I wasn’t here for any other reason but her.

    Pagan
    Dank was talking in my head. How? I wasn’t going crazy. I watched him across the street. He stood there and talked in my head. I couldn’t concentrate on anything Jay said on the way back to the dorm. We both had coffee - stained clothing. We may even have some burn s . All I’d been able to do was apologize. I couldn’t manage more than that. Because Dank had talked in my head ; h e had spoken over my thoughts. It was his voice. I heard him l oud and clear.
    I stopped at Gee’s door and knocked twice but she didn’t answer . Frustrated, I went to my