“Is it because we had sex?” Ever said.

  Zoe barely stopped herself from spitting her coffee all over the inside of the windshield. Without taking his eye off the road, Ever reached into the CD holder between them and pulled a tissue out from the box inside.

  “Could you not just say that out loud like that?” Zoe said, furiously wiping her mouth.

  “What? Sex?”

  “Yes!”

  “Why not?”

  “Because. That’s not normal.”

  “What? Sex?”

  “No! I mean, Yes, sex is normal, but blurting it out like that isn’t.”

  “Nyx said it.”

  “Yeah,” Zoe said, crossing her arms. “And I pretty much died on the spot.”

  “No you didn’t, otherwise you would be a soul.”

  “It’s an expression…”

  She turned away from him, looking out the passenger seat window where seagulls flew high above.

  “Anyway, after we… you know… you were able to see Nyx and now, you’re able to see me. I wonder if you’ll be able to see human ghosts?”

  Zoe didn’t respond, turning herself away from him even more. Ever looked in the rear-view mirror. Mimi and Nika were both sleeping, curled up in the back seat.

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  “Zoe, I’ve got to tell you something.”

  His tone made the vet shift in her seat; she was listening.

  “I’m not going to be on Earth forever.”

  This made her turn to him. “What do you mean?”

  “My mentor Death said that I was to stay on Earth for a year to learn about humanity.”

  “How long have you been here for?”

  Ever paused, thinking back to the day he opened his eyes while lying on the grass. “Since the start of summer.”

  “So…” she looked out the window again, this time to think. “You have less than five months left.”

  The sentence loomed like a forbidden curse in the car. For several minutes the only sound was the gentle timbre of the old Toyota, dutifully winding along the coastal road.

  “What happens at the end of the five months?”

  “My vacation ends and I go back to the Underworld. If Mentor Death thinks I’m good enough, I pass my apprenticeship.”

  She looked back at Ever, eyebrow arched.

  “You were working two jobs. Doesn’t sound like much of a vacation to me.”

  “Just one now.” He reached out and squeezed her knee. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier.”

  A moment later she put her hand on top of his, running her thumb over his fingers.

  “My New Year’s Resolution was to make the most of my time here with you,” she said.

  “Didn’t you say that if you said it, it wouldn’t come true?”

  “Well…” she looked at him, eyes soft. “It’s already come true.”

  If it wasn’t for him being behind the wheel, he would have reached over and kissed his girlfriend.

  “That means that I can tell you my New Year’s Resolution as well.”

  “No, don’t,” Zoe said. “It won’t… wait.” Ever turned off the coastal highway, letting his words sink in just as the sun started to extinguish itself in the sea.

  “Did you? Really?” She said.

  “Mmhmm.” He held her hand and kissed her palm. “Exactly the same.”