“It’s long past saving. Please make sure it doesn’t travel too far back and burn the rest of the town. People’s lives and homes are at stake,” she said.

It was like common sense had clicked in their eyes, and they all nodded and mumbled their apologies to her.

Graham wrapped his arm around her back and led her towards Callum and Madilynne. “We’ll rebuild it, Peyton. We’ll make it better,” he promised.

“I know, Graham,” she replied quietly as they passed by Jay and some of the firefighters.

When Peyton locked eyes with Jay, he was emotionless. Graham stopped and let Peyton go.

“I can’t believe you told them not to save the hotel. Fine. Be angry at her for being with Callum. Taking away the hotel’s partnerships was one thing but letting it burn to the ground? You’re a son of a bitch, Jay.”

She wanted to yell and scream at Jay. She wanted to hurt him, but she just wasn’t that person. In all honesty, she was far too tired inside. And what good would hurting Jay do? She had all but lost The Spencer-Dayle. She had spent so many years trying to keep it afloat, but it had all been for nothing.

Peyton stepped away from Graham and stood in front of Jay. As she stared at him, she saw no remorse in his eyes. There was no salvaging a friendship with him.

“I would never wish this on you or the pub, Jay. I would never wish it on any of the town’s businesses. Whatever you wanted to achieve out of this, I hope you got it. Hate me all you like, but I have always been in love with Callum. I’m sorry you can’t find a way past that and be my friend.”

She could never trust Jay again. She’d believed in him. Believed he was a good person. Tonight revealed that he wasn’t. He was a selfish man full of pride. Realising that they’d never be friends again, she walked into Callum’s waiting arms and let his heartbeat distract her from her own stalling ones.

“Peyton.”

Jenny’s voice had her pulling away from Callum. She noticed Jenny covered in ash, and in her hand, she was holding something.

“It’s the only thing I could save. I couldn’t get farther. The flames and the smoke were too overwhelming. I’m sorry I couldn’t save some of your parents’ things.”

Peyton saw that it was the picture Callum had taken of the lake. And that’s when she burst into tears and hugged Jenny tight. “I would rather the hotel and everything in it burn to ash than lose you, Jenny. You shouldn’t have risked your life for the picture.”

Out of anything that could have been saved, Peyton was glad that Callum’s picture was it. The moment he had taken it, she’d known she was madly in love with him. It was a picture she’d always want, no matter how much pain he had caused her with his leaving.

Callum took the framed picture and said, “Thank you for saving this, Jenny. I appreciate it more than you could possibly know. I’m going to take Peyton home now. You go home to your husband. We’ll survey what’s left in the morning.”

Peyton let go of Jenny and wiped at her cheeks.

“There was no one inside during the fire. I’ll call those with bookings tomorrow morning and explain the situation. I’ll handle everything, Peyton. I’ll deal with the Reynolds’ wedding, too,” Jenny said, trying to reassure her.

“That’s okay, Jenny. I’ll speak to Oliver in the morning. Come on, Pey. I’ll get you home.” Callum’s hands entwined with hers, his thumb caressing hers. “Graham, you mind dropping us off at Peyton’s?”

“Yeah, I’ll take you both. Madilynne, do you want me to drop you off at home?” Graham asked, leading them to the ute.

Callum opened the car door for Peyton, and she got in the backseat. Then he clicked her seatbelt in place before he got into the backseat with the picture sitting in his lap.

Madilynne got in the front seat and said, “No. I’ll stay at yours for the rest of the night. I don’t want to hear what my dad says about tonight.”

Peyton watched Graham nod and adjust the rearview mirror so that his reflection met her eyes.

“You ‘right there, Peyton?”

She nodded. “Yes.”

Lie.

The only thing she could feel was Callum’s hand in hers.

“Okay,” he replied, no doubt seeing through her lie, and started up the car.

Peyton didn’t look back as the car reversed away from the burning hotel and towards her house.

I am helpless.

I am hopeless.

I am a failure.

I have nothing,

I am fading.

I am dying.

Peyton shivered at the cold air that touched her skin. She hugged the blanket tighter and reached out for Callum’s warm body. When she felt the cool mattress, Peyton sat up and rubbed her eyes, searching the room for him. She noticed the door open and his muffled voice trailing in from the lounge. Pulling the blanket aside, she swung her legs over the bed and stood up. Then she made her way out of her room and walked down the hall, but she stopped when she heard him speak.

“What do I do now, Oliver? How do I do this to her?”

The worried tone in Callum’s voice had Peyton pressing her hand on the wall to keep herself on her feet.

“I don’t want to say goodbye. I don’t want to leave her. It was hard the first time, but now… How do I do it now?”

Breathing failed her as her heart burned within her chest. He was discussing their ending. Hearing that he didn’t want to say goodbye broke her heart. She found the concept as difficult as he did.

“I love her, Oliver. I can’t do it to her. I can’t tell her the truth—not after tonight. I can’t do it,” Callum cried.

Peyton closed her eyes and let the tears roll down her face, hitting the nightdress she was wearing. She counted each slow beat of her heart. Time was catching up to them. Time would separate them. Time would end them.

But the truth was that Peyton didn’t want to hear the truth. Not when it meant that the ending had reached them. She didn’t want it. For, as long as she could prolong the truth, she’d still have him. So she’d stopped asking for the truth. She hadn’t asked why.

“I shouldn’t have come back. I should have just let her be here and hate me. Right now, I hate me. I want her to hate me. It would be easier. Her life would be easier. She’s lost everything because of me. I should have stayed in the city. I should have never suggested Daylesford for your wedding. I should have just let her live her life.”

Peyton pushed off the wall and walked into the lounge. The moment her eyes landed on him, she saw Callum holding the phone in one hand and the other covered his face.

“Stop saying I should hate you, because I don’t. Not in the slightest,” she said.

Callum moved his hand from his face and looked up at her. The defeated expression on his face made her heart ache. Dropping to her knees in front of him, her hands rest on his thigh. Then he leant forward, allowing his forehead to touch hers.

“I need you to hate me, Peyton,” he begged.

She shook her head, their foreheads not breaking contact. “I can’t give you that.”

He squeezed his eyelids tight and said, “I know, Oliver. This is why I have to leave. I—”

Reaching up, Peyton took the phone out of his hand and held it to her ear. “Oliver, Callum will call you back in the morning. We need to talk about the fire and your wedding,” she said.

“Wait, Peyton.” Oliver stopped her from hanging up. “Why can’t you hate him?”

Callum sat straight and pulled away from her, as if he knew what Oliver had asked. He seemed afraid of what she would say next as a forgiving plea swept his face.

Peyton stared in his lost and conflicted eyes before she answered, “Because I want to feel loved by Callum Reid, even if it’s only for a little while. I want his love more than I want to live another day. I want to be with him for as long as I can, because for the last four and half years, I’ve been deprived of his love and his touch. I can’t hate him because he’s the love of my life.”