He must have fallen asleep. Or the spectral equivalent. But whether he really slept at all anymore was of no importance to him. He opened his eyes to an empty bed. Outside, through the windows, the afternoon was disappearing into the oncoming night.
With a heavy heart and barely any willpower, Dane dragged himself out of bed and into the en suite bathroom. There was no trace of Ryan. With little hope of ever seeing his beloved again, he retraced his earlier steps, even returning to the gazebo, but nowhere did he see, or sense, Ryan. By the time he arrived back inside, he was ready to complete his soul’s journey, to focus on the light and make it bright enough to swallow him. All he could hope for was oblivion. Heaven, if it existed, was not for him without Ryan.
He dragged his feet throu
