“Callum,” she said as she closed her eyes.

“Yes, Peyton.”

She held him closer to her chest. “I don’t think I could love anyone as hard, as strong, as pure, as intense, or as heartbreakingly as I love you. You should know that I’ve only ever wanted to love you.”

Callum’s arms wrapped around her back and held her tight. “I’ve only ever wanted to love just you. I only loved just you. I will only love just you—all of you, Peyton. When I leave, you’ll be the one my heart loves more than anything that has breathed or existed.”

Peyton didn’t even try to hold back her tears as her heart began to crumble. “You’ll find her,” she whispered, letting go of the hope that it could have been her.

Callum shook his head against her breasts. “I found her when I was a teenager. I found her again almost a month ago. I’m holding her…but I have to let her go.”

He has to let me go… I have to let him go. I have to let him be free.

Peyton untangled her arms and placed both her hands on the side of his head, pulling him up to face her.

She took a deep breath.

And then exhaled.

She let her heart beat twice before she said, “If you ever need me, I will be right here. Maybe, one day, you’ll find your way to me again. I will be here, right where you left me. We don’t have to talk. We could just exchange glances and then you leave, knowing that it’s enough for us. I’ll hope for those stolen glances.”

I’ll hope for forever someday. I’ll hope for forever in our next lives. I’ll ask God for his love in our next lives, too. I’ll ask him for Callum to love me until the very end of existence.

The sun lit her bedroom brightly and beautifully, like it were mocking them. Like the sun knew of the end the exact same way it gave the moon the space to glow above the skies. But unlike the sun, they would never have another rise. It was their sunset for good. Her world would soon be consumed by black, no light from the moon to guide the waves to shore and no sun to warm her body. Just black. They had moments left of their time together.

They had both been awake long before the sun had risen but both had stayed quiet, their hands touching and their fingers circling—whatever they could do to make the other know that they weren’t alone just yet.

Each breath Callum made she considered her favourite until he made another. Each heartbeat that thumped against her ear was memorised. With each circle he made, the pattern was engrained into her skin. Each squeeze of her arm was cherished. It was all about memorising, waiting to feel, hear, touch, and breathe the last of them.

Last night was the last time they’d make love. If they were to do so now, it’d make goodbye much harder. Every inch of pleasure, every moan, groan, pant, and whisper of love was sent directly to her heart. They had loved harder than they had before. They had cried more. They had reached euphoria for the last time in each other’s arms. It had been a perfect ending. It had been the perfect last time.

“I’m sorry, Peyton,” he whispered before his chin dipped and he kissed the top of her head.

Her eyes burned as salty tears tried to escape. She wanted to dig her nails into his torso to stop them from running down her face, but to no success. They fell and pooled on his chest.

“It’s okay,” she whispered back, the pain engulfing her chest.

This is my closure.

“I thought I was strong enough to not let this happen between us. I told you I wasn’t cruel, but I’m a liar. I told you that I wouldn’t let you fall in love with me, and I lied to you. I am a liar. I’m sorry, Peyton.”

The sheer agony in his voice had Peyton squeezing her eyes shut. “Don’t be sorry, Callum. I promised that I wouldn’t let you kiss me and I let you. I broke a promise… We’re both liars,” she said and opened her eyes, still feeling the stings.

“Honestly, I’m glad you broke your promise. I’m glad for Mr Lucky. I’m relieved to know you still love me. I’ll be thanking the universe for your forgiveness.”

Peyton sat up and looked down at him. “You earned my forgiveness. You stood by me and chose to support me. You gave me my life back.”

Callum sat straight, wrapped his arms around her, and leant back on the headboard. “Right now, knowing that we’re about to say goodbye… You have given me a reason to hate the universe. To hate everything that gets to breathe. But I can’t be angry with the world because I’ve had the chance to love you all over again.”

His words settled deep within her heart—the same place that held his love and never wanted to let him go. Desire, want, and need flowed through her veins until they reached her chest. Placing her hand on his stomach, Peyton pushed herself away from his arms and swung her leg over him. She then set her free palm on his lower torso and hovered over him, straddling him.

Callum sighed out and rested both his hands on her waist, stopping her from lowering down on him. “Peyton, we said last night would be it.”

She shook her head. “I’m always going to want more than just last night, Callum. I need this with you. I need this one last time. I need to see you in the sunlight, in the pureness of the day. I need you to say goodbye to me this way.”

When his hold on her loosened, she knew that he was submitting to her wants. She ran her hand from his stomach to his chest before finally settling on his shoulders. His eyes were locked on hers as she eased down on him slowly enough to memorise the sharp inhale of breath he made and the way his fingers dug into her. There was something empowering about being on top, controlling their pleasure.

The moment he was completely inside her, Callum groaned before breathing out, “God, Peyton.”

She didn’t move, loving the way he filled her and completed her. She knew it would never be this satisfying or right with another man. Running her fingers up his neck, she cupped his face, ensuring his eyes stayed on hers.

“When you come, can you tell me you love me? Is that possible?” she asked in a nervous voice.

Callum panted and nodded his head. “For you, Peyton, I’d freeze hell over.”

A small smile touched her lips. “So, yes?”

He leant forward and placed his lips on her neck. “God, yes,” he breathed, looking up at her.

That was all it took for her to lift her lips and sink slowly back down on him—not to tease, but to savour the feel. This wasn’t about teasing. It was about making memorable love between them. To say goodbye to their old memories and have this one moment to reflect on where their love was mutually shared and mutually craved.

Again, she raised her hips and slowly immersed herself around him, but this time, his hips bucked and Peyton moaned. She let her head fall into the curve of his neck.

“Again, please,” she begged, wanting him to take control, loving the way he thrust inside her.

He rolled them over so Peyton was on her back. Then she leaned up and kissed the cherry blossoms that tattooed his arm before she wrapped her legs around his waist and her hands around his strong arms.

Her heart stopped the moment he pulled out, and it regained its beats the moment he entered her with a hard, powerful rock of his hips.

“Callum,” she moaned as she arched her back and met his thrust.

Harder.

Slower.

Harder.

Faster.

Her heart beat the same way he made love to her. She felt the tension build, waiting to be explode. And by the way Callum threw back his head and groaned, she knew he was close, too. The way their lovemaking brought him pleasure made her heart swell. No one could make her get so lost in pleasure the way he did. Unique, heartbreakingly beautiful, and hers—just for now.