“Callum,” she struggled out. “I love you,” she said, knowing it was the last time. Their sometimes was their end. No matter how much it broke her heart, a future was no longer valid.
He took a step back onto the path and reached into his jeans pocket. Then he pulled out an envelope she recognised.
“Our epilogue,” she breathed out.
He wrapped her hands around the letter. “You promised me that you’d read this when I left. Please don’t break this. Do this one thing for me, Pey. Read our epilogue.”
She nodded and held it tight in her hand.
“No one loves you like I do,” he promised.
Peyton wasn’t sure why, but she smiled. “No one hurts me like you do.”
Callum’s lips made a fine line before he said, “Touché.”
There was silence until they both let out a light laugh.
“I’m going to miss you, Peyton.”
She closed the distance and tangled her arms around his neck. “You’re my favourite sometimes moments. Not the things we did, but you. All of you.”
His mouth found hers as they kissed one last time. It wasn’t desperate or controlling. It was purely to let their lips know that it was the end and to always remember each other. Each movement of his on hers had her heart aching. Goodbye was bittersweet. She got it in the end, but she didn’t want it. She wanted him.
Once he pulled his mouth away, he rested his forehead on hers. He didn’t close his eyes, and it was almost as if he were almost afraid to. His arms were around her, their bodies meeting.
“Goodbye, Peyton Spencer, my greatest love.”
Peyton blinked hard to remove the tears. She wanted one final look of him, one final look of the man who would always have her heart.
“Goodbye, Callum Reid. I will love you long after our goodbye and you leave town.”
A loving smile developed on his lips. She gave him one in return before they both fell silent, knowing they were prolonging their separation.
“Get the fuck off my property, Callum,” she finally teased, reminding him of the first time he was back at her house.
Callum let out a soft chuckle and took a deep breath. “I love you. Never forget that,” he said before he kissed her forehead.
He let his lips linger on her skin for a second longer before he pulled back, putting distance between them. Then he looked at the letter she held before he turned and walked towards his car. Peyton’s knees buckled, so she sat on the step, watching him leave.
Callum didn’t look over his shoulder as he got into the car. Tears ran down her face as the brake lights disappeared and the Volvo reversed out of the driveway. Holding her breath, she watched the dark-blue car drive away from their houses and towards the town’s exit. It was quick. Their goodbye ended as quickly as they had started. Peyton stayed on the step long after he left, letting the tears to vertically roll across her cheeks.
Her heart throbbed painfully in her chest as she willed the car to return. But it didn’t. After the wind picked up and grey clouds covered the sun, she wiped the tears away and felt the nothingness in her body. Then she looked at the envelope. Her name was written exactly like Callum’s tattoo, and that’s when she realised his tattoo was actually in his handwriting. The knowledge caused her to sob as she ripped the envelope open.
Pulling out the letter, she unfolded it, and read it.
If you ever forget, it’s all on the back of the picture.
- Callum.
Peyton looked up from the letter and stared at the house across the road.
“What picture is he—”
Quickly getting on her feet, she ran into the house and then into her bedroom. She looked around her room to find the framed picture of the lake leaning against the wall below the windowsill. After picking up the frame, she sat on her bed and placed Callum’s letter on top of the blanket.
She turned the frame over, slid the pins back, took off the backing, and set it next to Callum’s letter. Her breath dissolved in her lungs and her heart froze the moment she saw it.
October 2nd 2009 – I love you, Peyton Olivia Spencer.
June 29th 2014 – I will never stop loving you, Peyton Olivia Spencer.
Two days later, life was the exact same as before, just different in some ways. The emptiness in her grew larger, and so did the aches. She missed him. Missed the sight of his smile, the tattoo cherry blossoms that ran up his arm, and the way he loved her.
Life had moved on after Callum had left town. At night, she’d lie in bed and think of him, stare out at the cherry blossom tree, and hope that he thought of her, because she thought of him with every minute that ticked by.