Until the Last Breath

I stroked his cheek with the pad of my thumb. “I love you too, Max,” I said in a soft voice.

And he smiled, kissing me again and then picking me up in his arms, carrying me to the bed. It didn’t take long for us to have sex again, and I didn’t put up a fight this time because this was the first time Max had said he loved me.

“I love you, Shannon,” Max said when the sun rose hours later. Neither of us could sleep, so instead we laid cuddled in each other’s arms. “I won’t stop saying I love you until I take my very last breath.”

“Your last breath,” I repeated. Those words. There was something about them. Something comforting, healing, but also, detrimental. I inhaled, lifting my head and kissing him on his perfect, sculpted lips.

He smiled at me when our lips parted, and then he rolled on top of me, taking me once more and showing me just how much he loved me. Then we fell into a deep, much needed slumber.

A moment I’d never forget.

EIGHTEEN

When Max takes a left turn, that mischievous smile still on his lips, I try and fight my own smile.

“I knew it,” I say, laughing as we pull into the parking lot of Freedom Park.

He parks the Mustang backwards in a parking slot, grinning from ear-to-ear. “Don’t act like you aren’t excited about this.”

When he kills the engine, I pull the door handle and step out as he does, taking a look around. Not much has changed about this park, other than a new playground. My head tilts up, my focus going to the towering trees above. Birds fly above with their wings spread wide. Oh, how nice it must feel to fly.

I sigh. I haven’t been here in years. This park holds so many unforgettable memories. Being here now is bringing some of them back.

It’s pretty vacant where we’ve parked, minus a few people jogging or walking to get to the trail. Not many people visit the side of the park where we are, which I’ve always liked. Most people are usually attracted to the lake on the other side, where there is green grass and shady trees and benches. Perfect for picnics, or for getting lost in a good book.

“Coming?” Max asks, bringing my attention back to him.

I walk his way and he props an elbow out. I link arms with him, and he leads the way toward the trail. The feel of the rocks and gravel makes my legs rattle and my bones achy, but I ignore it because it feels nice to be walking, though I probably should have worn different shoes, not sandals.

“I can’t believe you really brought me here.”

“Why can’t you?” He looks down at me, cocking a brow. “This place was special once.”

“Yeah, once upon a time.”

He looks ahead, watching as a woman turns right at the fork at the end of the trail and continues her jog. “Maybe the memories are what I want you to remember.”

I nudge his rib with my elbow. “Dude, I don’t need any funny business. Seriously.”

“Shakes,” he says, almost exasperated. “Do you think that if you meant that, you’d be walking this trail with me right now?”

Max stops walking and I rapidly pull my arm out of his. Wow. You know what? He’s right. What in the hell was I even thinking? Going out with a man I was once in love with not too long ago. I told John I’d be out with a friend, but I didn’t say which friend, and not mentioning it felt a little like a betrayal. But this is harmless. Friendly. Max and I, we’re just friends and nothing more. The past is long gone.

“Shannon.” He says my name flatly. “I was just kidding. This is just a walk. We’re only catching up.”

I narrow my eyes at him, tucking my thumbs beneath the strap of my backpack. “Sure. If you say so.”

“I would never put you in a situation like that.”

“Then why did you come back?” I counter.

“Because you only have so much time left.” He pauses, lips twisting a moment. “And because I would have regretted not making you smile at least one more time. Getting under your skin like the old days.” He smirks, and I can’t fight my laugh.

I walk forward again, this time without his arm in mine. “Yeah. That was super sweet but also super cheesy.”

“You’re still the same,” he says, meeting at my side.

“How do you mean?”

“You still act like nothing gets to you—like you aren’t upset about what you’re going through.”

“It’s the way I have to be if I want to survive it. Every day I come closer and closer to accepting it. At this point it’s just my fate.”

“Yeah.” He runs a hand over the top his head, focused on the ground. “I see that now.”