We’re breathing hard through our noses, mouths still locked. when I finally break the kiss and let myself sink half on top of her, I nibble and kiss her neck, our sweaty skin sticking together. “You’re goddamn perfect,” I whisper, prompting her to turn her face to me so we are nose to nose.
“So, not disappointed?” she whispers breathlessly with a hint of insecurity in her eyes.
I huff an exhausted laugh, leaning in to kiss the tip of her nose. “This was better than everything I’ve ever experienced. In life or half-death.”
A small smile tucks at her lips. “Better than the tingles?”
I reach out to cup her cheek. “Who says there weren’t any?”
BONUS CHAPTER
SIX MONTHS LATER
After setting up the tripod, I carefully position my camera, making sure everything is just right. The viewfinder shows the deep, velvety purple sky just before dawn—the moment when everything feels like it’s holding its breath, waiting to exhale.
The waves crash gently against the pebbles, their rhythm perfectly in sync with the steady beat of my heart. I watch as each one rolls in, the lighthouse standing tall and perfectly centered in the distance, the perfect backdrop with rocks and scattered sea glass glinting in the foreground.
A breeze sweeps past, carrying the scent of coconut over to me. It’s comforting, grounding, and I can’t help but glance to my side. Sloan is sitting on one of the larger rocks next to me, her knees pulled to her chest, her chin resting on them as she watches the world wake up,and my heart does a flip.
God, she’s beautiful.
The way the soft light touches her face, the way her hair catches the slight breeze, it’s all so effortless, so her. I wonder how I got so lucky. Not just because I woke up but because she was there. She waited for me, rooted for me, like I was worth saving.
That’s something I won’t ever forget, something I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to live up to. I swear, sometimes my breath still catches when I look at her, realizing she’s real. Thatwe’rereal.
It’s like falling in love all over again.Every single breath I take.
The purple gives way to yellow, signaling that the sun’s about to break over the edge, so I turn back to the horizon, adjusting the settings on my camera to capture it just right. I can already picture how the light will burst through, getting that perfect blend of golden rays and a blinding sun flare. I snap a few shots, and just as the sun peeks up, I get it—a starburst of light so damn perfect, I almost want to clap like an idiot.
“Done,” I say softly, glancing over at Sloan. She’s already watching me, that same soft, proud smile she gives me when I get too caught up in my photographer zone.
Pebbles crunch under her boots as she stands and closes the distance between us to kiss my birthmark. Her lips are so warm, so real, they send a shiver down my spine.
“You get so lost in the moment when you do this,” she murmurs against my skin, her breath feathering over my cheek and spreading a familiar tingle through my chest. The way she says it, I know it’s not just about the photography. It’s about life.
I grasp her chin gently and kiss her, slow and deep. “Maybe I do get lost,” I whisper, my lips brushing hers. “But I always find my way back to you.” With one more kiss, I hold her gaze as I ask, “Are you a camera?” She raises an eyebrow, and I let my smirk bloom into something softer as I continue, “Because all I can do is smile when I see you.”
“Oh yeah?” She laughs softly as she steps back and raises her camera, the old analog one from her Nan she loves so much. “Then say cheese, Casper.” I grin easily, standing still as she lifts the camera to her face. “You look so handsome in this light,” shewhispers, and I can tell she doesn’t even realize she’s said it out loud. But I hear it, and damn if my heart doesn’t do that stupid little flip again.
You’d think after a year, I’d have it under control. But I doubt it’ll ever stop skipping for her, the one who brought it back to life. Broughtmeback to life.
The familiar hum of the shutter fills the air, and after a few shots, I can’t resist any longer—I take my camera off the tripod, carefully switching the lens. “My turn.”
She looks amused but steps back and huffs playfully. “I wasn’t done yet.”
“We both know you’ll never be done with me,” I say confidently.
She rolls her eyes, pretending to look fed up. “Keep telling yourself that, Casper.”
I laugh, lifting the camera to snap a few quick shots. It’s a game we play—photographing each other photographing each other. I focus the lens on her, desperate to capture every laugh, every sparkle in her eyes.
A streak of perfect light catches my attention, and I lower my camera. “Hold still for me, Boo,” I say as I adjust her position with my free hand on her lower back until the golden light hits her just right. Then I step back to take it, to marvel at the way the sun makes her hair glow like a halo, the way her hazel eyes—the ones that once held such desperate loneliness—now gleam with contentment. It’s breathtaking.
She’s breathtaking.
“Just a few more,” I mutter, but I seem unable to take my finger from the shutter. My hands can’t help themselves. They just want to captureallof her, to freeze these moments forever.
Sloan crosses her arms, pretending to be annoyed, but I know better. “You already have, like, five thousand pictures of me.”
