Page 131 of The Destruction You Desire

"Then the NFL it is."

He smiles down at me and my heart flips when I realize that the person staring back at me is just an older version of the boy I once fell in love with.

"I've got something for you."

"Oh?"

Luca reaches into the picnic basket and pulls out a long black box.

"What's that?"

"Your sixteenth birthday present."

"My—" The lump that jumps into my throat stops any more words from coming out.

"You left before your birthday, and I never got a chance to give it to you."

"You kept it?" I ask, emotion burning at the back of my nose.

"I did. Deep down maybe I knew that we weren't over, not really."

He passes me the box, and I flip it open to find the most stunning bracelet inside.

It has a delicate white gold chain with a diamond-encrusted infinity symbol in the center.

"Luc, it's beautiful."

"Just like you. Can I?" he asks, taking the box from my hand and pulling the jewelry out.

Holding my wrist up for him, I watch enthralled as he works the clasp and secures it in place.

"I love it," I say, staring down at my wrist.

"I love you."

I part my lips to respond but he makes the most of the opportunity and crashes his to them, plunging his tongue inside my mouth.

"Whatever happens from here on out, there's one thing I know for sure," he murmurs into our kiss.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. I'm never letting you go again, P. You're mine. Always have been and always will be."

"Always," I whisper but it gets swallowed up by his kiss.

And there, right in the spot we loved so much, we forget all about the picnic and everything going on in our lives and we focus on getting us back on track because he's right, we were always meant to be.

Written in the stars.

Or at least carved into the tree.

Epilogue

Leon

The slap of skin on skin echoes through the room seconds before she cries out in pain.

"Fuck, yeah," she moans, arching her back and offering herself to me, desperate for me to sink deep inside her.