Callum’s face went blank as he stared at the round rock. He took a step forward and held her hand again. Peyton’s heart raced, and the aching heat filled her entire chest. When she looked in his eyes, she thought that they meant more than he had led her to believe for a moment. That he loved her more. But she knew otherwise. At the end of the day, he had been her first love. And Graham was her unconditional love. She had said that she loved Graham more, but maybe she loved him more than she had loved Callum only when they had been best friends.
“It’s not for them, Peyton. It’s for me.” There was an unquestionable layer of regret in his voice, and it rendered her breathless.
“Why for you?”
He squeezed her hand. “Because you’re the mistake I got right and all I’ll have are those moments. I won’t make you go down there. Just give me a few minutes, okay?”
The vulnerable glint in his grey eyes had Peyton’s breathing falter. Her head told her that what she was about to say was stupid, to just let go of the past. But her heart wanted more.
“I’m a mistake to you?” she uttered.
“Yes,” he said without hesitation.
“Then going down there will mean nothing.” Peyton took her hand back and left him as she walked towards the end of the ridge. She ignored the burning that consumed her chest.
She heard his footsteps follow her as they went deeper into the forest. The fallen leaves crunched under her shoes as she held her head high and ignored the fact that Callum Reid had labelled her a mistake.
The moment that she arrived at the small spot of clear forest, Peyton tightly balled her hands. She forced herself to forget what had happened in this spot over four years ago. Her eyes roamed around the trees that made a circle clearing. It had gone unchanged. She could just see their initials carved into the tree in front of her from some distance away. Instinct had her wanting to walk over and feel the carving under her fingertips, but her pride won. Peyton crossed her arms over her chest as she watched Callum walk to the exact spot where they had made love for the first time.
He stood there, staring at the autumn leaves on the ground, seemingly lost in the past. Though she tried not to, she remembered them sneaking away from her house until they were far enough to run past the lake. He had pulled out a blanket from the basket and placed it on the ground before he’d lit the lanterns. Then they’d watched the stars until she’d asked for more than just a goodnight kiss.
“It was right here, wasn’t it?” Callum asked, pulling her out of her memories.
Peyton gave him a shrug.
“You told me that you loved me in this exact spot,” he said, meeting her stare.
Peyton tensed. It was definitely not what she wanted to talk about. “And it’s the exact spot where you didn’t tell me that you loved me. Such a sentimental spot, isn’t it?” She looked away, afraid to cry. So she stared at the tree next to her, her eyes following the natural pattern of the bark.
“Peyton…”
She met his darkening, grey eyes.
“I never said it because the first time I told you those three words, I wanted them to be true and I wanted you to believe me.”
Another blow.
This time, tears started to form and Peyton let out a hard laugh. “I’m glad we’ve cleared the air, then. God, did I waste those years. Guess mistakes are a two-way street then.”
Callum flinched and surprise crept on his face. He took two steps until he was face to face with her. “I’m a mistake to you?”
“The biggest one I’ve ever made,” she said, ensuring that her voice sounded strong.
“Then I guess we both did something right in our lives,” Callum said as he walked past her.
She listened to his footsteps as he made his way farther from their spot.
Peyton quickly turned around, her tears skimming her face. “Why am I a mistake to you?” she cried.
Stupid question, Peyton. You should have left it.
Callum stopped for a moment before he turned around. Pain filled his face, and his eyes were shiny with unshed tears. The sight was a first for her.
“Why am I a mistake to you?” he roared, startling her.
“I asked you first!” she cried.
He rushed back to her, his body close to Peyton’s. The absolute grief in his eyes made her regret her decision to ask.
“My mistake was walking away, leaving this town. But it was a mistake I got right. You stayed here, Peyton. You didn’t… You… You were saved from me!”
Peyton silently gasped. Anger and resentment boiled through her. She took a step forward and inhaled a deep breath before drawing her palm back and slapping his cheek. Instantaneously, she felt the sting in her hand.
“Saved from you?” she asked unbelievably.
Callum placed a hand on his cheek and rubbed her assault. He wasn’t angry. He seemed relieved as his features softened.
“Yes.”
“That is the biggest pile of bullshit I have ever heard. Saved from you? How in God’s name does that even make sense? I loved you, Callum. In that exact spot, I gave you everything. What did you keep from me? Why did you walk away?” she cried.
Four years of bottled emotions had exploded and tarnished the one place in the world that meant everything to her.