Page 49 of Until Forever Falls

“What are you doing here?”

He gasps, clutching his chest like I just mortally wounded him. “Wow. No, ‘Hey Brooks, so great to see you’? No, ‘My day just got infinitely better’?”

“Pretty sure my shift ending was already the highlight of my day,” I deadpan. “Your timing though, is suspicious.”

“Suspiciously perfect, you mean?” He steps closer and presses a quick kiss to my forehead. “I have a sixth sense for knowing when you’re about to be free. I was planning on heading to Cape Mercy Lighthouse for some photos and thought maybe you’d want to come along.”

“I’d love to. Let me grab my stuff.”

I clock out and head to the back, ditching my coffee scented shirt for something fresher.

The road stretches ahead, an ocean-kissed breeze sneaking through the cracked window. Music vibrating through the car like a second heartbeat.

Brooks flicks his fingers against the wheel, offbeat and unbothered, while the coastline stretches endless beside us. I glance at him, catching the way his lips curve with a grin that hints at excitement. His dimples deepen as he keeps his attention on the road, and I can’t help but smile.

“You’re staring.”

I wrinkle my nose, a soft giggle escaping. “Just…enjoying the scenery.”

“Oh yeah?” He throws a quick glance in my direction, the corners of his mouth twitching upward. “And what makes it so special?”

“Hmm.” I shrug, squinting my eyes and offering a playful smile. “It’s something I could get lost in.”

“I could get lost in you…” There’s amusement in his voice, and when his gaze drifts back over to me, heat spreads through every inch of my body. “Though if you keep looking at me like that, we might have to pull the truck over right here.”

Heat flares in my chest, and I yank my focus to the windshield, biting my lip as the corners of my mouth threaten treachery. As we reach the lighthouse, he throws the car in park, barely waiting a beat before hopping out and pulling my door open with an exaggerated bow.

“Chivalry isn’t dead, I see,” I tease, slipping my hand into his as he helps me down.

“Only for you,” he murmurs, like it’s an unshakeable truth. “Come on. Let’s take some pictures.”

The climb up the lighthouse’s steep staircase is enough to leave my legs burning, but the view at the top makes it worth every step. Cool air whips past us, sharp with salt, while sunlight dances off the water in rippling shards of silver.

“It doesn’t feel real up here,” I admit, leaning against the railing. “It’s like we’re both insignificant and invincible all at once. As if the world stops just for this.”

“That’s why I love photography,” Brooks says, stepping closer. “You can capture moments like this. Freeze them. Own them. It’s like holding time in your hands.”

His camera clicks, the sound pulling me from the view.

“Did you just take a picture of me?”

He lowers the camera, a hint of a challenge in his expression. “I wanted tofreezethe moment.”

“Oh, sure. A picture of me looking windblown and confused. So sentimental.”

“Not confused,” he states, his eyes never leaving mine. “Just you, as you are. No doubts, no second guessing—just this moment.”

His words sink in like footsteps in wet sand—fleeting but deeply felt. What is it about him that makes the sharp edges of my life dull to something manageable? Like the broken pieces aren’t as jagged when he’s near.

The wind whips strands of hair across my face, catching on my lashes, his hand moves, brushing them back with careful fingers. He stays close, the space between us shrinking until it feels like the world is holding its breath.

“You’re thinking too much,” he says softly, voice low enough to blend with the wind.

His lips hover close, and I barely manage to breathe before they press against mine. The cold metal railing digging into my back, a sharp contrast to the warmth of his touch. Brooks’ hand moves to my neck, his thumb tracing a soft line across my cheek.

The kiss deepens, unraveling something in me I didn’t realize was so tightly wound. For the first time in forever, the weight of my past feels distant, like it doesn’t belong to me anymore.

Then, the moment shatters. My phone vibrates in my pocket, the buzz reverberating against the metal railing pressed behind me.

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