I touch it lightly with my fingertips, my heart beating a little faster as I meet Cal's gaze. Now I understand the importance of his tattoos. They’re pieces of his story, etched into his skin, each one carrying weight, memories,and sacrifice. Now I see the depth behind them, the history and the meaning that I hadn’t fully understood until this moment.
There's so much I still have to learn about this man. He's not the monster I once thought. He’s a kind, sweet man who tried to protect me and my sister from the evils of the world by stopping us that day. And thanks to him, my sister was spared, safe and loved.
"Cal," I begin, my voice catching in my throat. "I owe you an apology. I was wrong about everything. I see that now. I also owe you a thank you for what you did for us that day."
"I'm just sorry I dropped the ball," he says. "And didn't do more to find you."
"What happened to me was not your fault," I say, my eyes locked on his. "It was never your fault."
"How about we start over?" he says, a smile tugging at his lips. "Hi, my name is Jackson Reed Callahan, and from the moment I met you, you took my breath away."
"That’s because I bit you," I say. "I owe you an apology for that, too."
"You were just a little girl back then," he says gently. "You were trying to protect your sister. I would've done the same. But I'm talking about the day we met on the trail."
"Then it was the miles we ran together," I tease, nudging him playfully. "Cal, I don’t want to start over. I like what we have, and I wouldn't change a thing about how we got here."
"Do you believe in destiny?" he asks, taking my hand.
"I do now," I say, as my heart fills with love and hope for the future—with him.
"So, you forgive me?" he asks, holding my gaze, the sincerity in his eyes clear. "I need to hear you say it."
"I don’t think there’s anything to forgive," I say, my heart softening. "But yes, I forgive you. Do you forgive me?"
He nods. "Yes, I forgive you, too. Can we seal it with a kiss?"
"Yes," I whisper, leaning in. Before our lips meet, he whispers, "I love you, Elle."
"I love you too," I reply, my voice full of certainty.
This kiss is different. It's as if we’re pouring everything that happened up to this point into it—releasing the past and welcoming a new beginning. The beginning of our love story. The way it was meant to be written. Without hurts, mistakes, or misunderstandings. Just love and forgiveness. A new beginning, sealed with a perfect kiss.
"Hey, you two, get a room!" Tina's voice echoes in the quiet room as she steps inside. She drops her keys into her purse before tossing it onto the couch. "Didn't you hear me wrestling with the door? That must’ve been one hell of a good kiss."
"It was!" I reply, unable to hide a smile. "Do you want to join us for breakfast?"
"Don’t mind if I do," she says, already reaching for a coffee mug. "Cal, you're here awfully early... or did you spend the night?"
"That’s none of your business," I blurt out, feeling a rush of heat to my face. "But no, Cal did not spend the night."
Tina grabs a fork from the drawer, stabs two waffles, and slides them onto a plate. She pours syrup over them, making sure every single square is covered.
Sitting across from me, she eyes me suspiciously. "What’s going on?" she asks. "Why do I get the feeling I walked in on something a lot more serious than just a steamy lip lock?"
I glance at Cal, who smiles before turning to Tina. “Nate and I are adopted,” he says simply.
“Really?” she says, not looking the least bit surprised. “Well, that would explain a lot.”
“How so?” Cal asks.
“You’re, what? A few years younger than Nate?” she says, as if drawing an important conclusion. “Your brother has a chip on his shoulder the size of Texas. He’s rude, obnoxious, and short-tempered. If he lived through anything close to what Elle did, his behavior at least has a root cause. I can somewhat understand why he’s such a jerk.”
“Cut him some slack,” Cal says. “I’m not making excuses for him, but you basically interrogated him when all he was doing was picking up the girls.”
“I didn’t know!” Tina defends herself. “I thought he was lurking.”
“Tina,” I say. “You made a mistake. Let’s just leave it at that.”
