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“There are too many of them.”

“What? No. Preston, we’re so close. If we can get past here, we’ll make it.”

His eyes meet mine, amber and raw, so full of pain it hurts me.

I’ve never seen him look so defeated.

“Even if they’re not waiting for us on the other side, if we make it to the boat, they’ll still shoot us down before we can even undock it. This isn’t a movie, darling; we don’t get to sail into the night.”

I shake my head, refusing to accept it.

“We can’t lose this many. I–I didn’t plan for this. I thought we could get out clean and I fucked up—” His voice breaks on the last word, and suddenly he looks so lost as he punches the dashboard. “I love you, darling. I’m so fucking sorry I got us into this. I should’ve left you alone. I shouldn’t have followed you that day. I shouldn’t have… You deserve so much better than what I’ve given you.”

The bridge is finally within reach, glowing from the other side with flashing lights that illuminate the night sky. The dark water beneath it stretches endlessly into the horizon, reflecting the same lights.

“Shut up,” I snap.

“I–What?”

“I said: shut the fuck up. You want to know something crazy? I’m happy.” It sounds absurd, like insanity, and I laugh along with it. The sound bubbles up from somewhere deep in my chest; hysteria and sadness turned into madness.

He gives me a look that says I’ve come unglued, and it’s quite possible I have. Then, slowly, his face cracks into a confused grin, and along with me, laughs. Quietly at first, then louder, both of us losing ourselves.

“This is crazy,” he gasps between fits of laughter.

“I know,” I giggle, using my shoulder to wipe tears. “But I mean it, I’m happy. I’m not kidding when I say right here with you is exactly where I want to be.”

The laughter fades, leaving us in a moment of perfect crystalline clarity.

“I love you, Preston. I love you more than I ever thought I could love anyone, and this has been the adventure of a lifetime. I’m not sorry for any of it, not a single thing.”

The wall of police is clear as they block the other side. Our only exit.

“You said we burn together, right?” I ask, surprising myself with how steady I feel.

“Of course.”

No hesitation.

I press the gas pedal all the way to the floor; the speedometer climbs fast, the car roaring beneath us like a caged animal finally being freed. The bridge is only yards away now, rushing toward us, a silver finish line in the distance.

I look at Preston, painting a picture of him in my mind that will stay there forever. The cutting muscles of his jaw are now relaxed. His dark, messy hair falls across his forehead, and his gold eyes are warm and fixed on me like I’m the only real thing left in this world.

This is the kind of love I’d always dreamed about. Fierce and all-consuming. It burns everything else away until nothing remains but us.

I yank the steering wheel hard to the left and the sound of metal snapping fills the air; the world’s last song for us. Our bodies jostle and hit different parts of the cabin, then suddenly, we’re airborne. Suspended in a moment that feels like forever. Time stops, the car hanging in space, defying every law of physics. For one breathless second, we’re flying as the car slowly falls backward.

I let go and reach for Preston.

He meets me halfway.

Our lips crash together in a kiss so desperate and full of love and finality. I can taste the sorrow, but beneath it is the flavor of something so much sweeter. It’s our forever.

It only lasts a second.

The world falls away beneath us. The water rushes up to meet us, dark yet welcoming. A lover’s embrace.

Together.