“What are you doing?” Peyton asked as she looked over Callum’s shoulder to see Victoria less than impressed.
“About to dance with the woman I love,” he said, holding out his hand.
She looked down and shook her head. “I’m working, Callum.”
He took the clipboard from her and gave it to Jenny. “I’m sure Jenny doesn’t mind taking over for a bit.”
Peyton turned away from his grin and faced Jenny. The moment she saw Jenny nodding, she rolled her eyes. “Fine. One dance. Then I have to get back to work.”
“Okay,” he said and took her hand.
The way her heart picked up from his touch was one that she would miss come tomorrow. But for tonight, he’d be hers and she’d be his.
Callum pulled her away from the dance floor and up the hill.
“Where are we going? I thought we were dancing?”
He didn’t stop or look her way as he said, “There’s only one place I want to be with you.”
Her heart ached—both in pain and pleasure. She knew where he was taking her. Hand-in-hand, they walked through the path, into the forest, past the circular rock and down the small incline until they reached their spot.
Once they were in the middle of the circle, he brought her close to his body and placed his hand on the small of her back. The music from the wedding was almost like a whisper in the wind as he swayed with her. Nothing else mattered in this moment.
Another sometimes moment.
She smiled at the thought. She would rather sometimes than never. Because Callum’s holding her under the purple and red sky was beautiful. The end was hours away, but she didn’t care. She couldn’t let herself care or she’d taint the rest of the time they had together.
She glanced up to see the frown on his face. “What’s wrong?” she asked.
Callum sighed. “Tomorrow,” he stated.
Peyton took a deep breath and nodded. “Still hours away,” she pointed out.
“It’s still happening, Peyton.”
“I know. Let’s enjoy our last night together.” She smiled, hoping to assure him.
His forehead touched hers as they swayed. “A night full of sometimes moments?”
“A night full of them,” she confirmed and then kissed his chin.
They stopped moving as they took in this moment. If life had been fair, four and a half years would have never come between them.
Peyton closed her eyes and let her ear rest on his chest. His heartbeat was one of her favourite sounds, so she listened to each thump it made as his chest rise and fall with each breath he took.
“I have something for you,” Callum said.
She lifted her head and stood straight, staring at the frown on his face. It wasn’t the look she wanted to see on their last night together. But she took a small step from him and gave him the room he needed anyway.
“Okay,” she said as nervous trembles made their way through her body.
Callum reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out an envelope. When she looked, she saw her name written on it and her heart dipped. Goodbye was coming earlier than she had anticipated. Then a sob formed and lodged in her throat, making breathing and speaking impossible. Her heart decided it would be the perfect time to slow down and throb painfully.
When he handed her the envelope, Peyton blinked at it.
“What is it?” she finally asked. She didn’t look up at him. Instead, she followed each letter of her name.
“Our epilogue,” he said.
What little air that was in her lungs was drawn out by those two words. Her hands shook as her eyes blurred. They were now meeting their end. She had their epilogue in her hands, and her heart smashed into a thousand pieces.
Ours.
She gazed up to see the pain in his eyes before she said, “Read it to me.”
Callum shook his head vigorously. “I can’t do that.”
The agony in his voice had her shaking her head at him. “Then I don’t want it,” she said softly and held it out to him.
I don’t want our conclusion. I don’t want us to end.
Callum wrapped his arms around her and sobbed. “God, all I want is more time with you.”
Her hands were squashed between their bodies as her head rested on his chest. “Then stay,” she said. It was the first time she had asked him to. It wasn’t a thought. It was a vocal plea.
His arms tightened around her once more and his chin rest on the top of her head. “I can’t. I want to more than anything, but I can’t.”
As they stood still for longer than they should have, she memorised the feel of him breathing, the feel of his body on hers, and the way she fit in his arms. Peyton knew she’d memorise them in her room for the last time tonight, but right now, she memorised them in their spot. The one spot in the whole world that held their love, the one spot where life made sense to them both, and the one spot where she felt whole and true. The one place in the whole world full of their sometimes moments.
“Promise me something,” she said and looked up at his jaw.
Callum took a sharp breath before his eyes focused on her and said, “For you, Peyton, anything.”
“It’s two promises.”