Elena's POV
The lake shimmered gold beneath the early evening sun, casting flecks of light across the water like a thousand fireflies. Zayden's fingers laced with mine as we walked barefoot along the shore, the cool breeze dancing over our skin. I leaned into his side, listening to the slow, steady beat of his heart. After everything we'd been through, this quiet peace felt almost surreal.
"You look like you're finally breathing," he said softly, brushing a windblown strand of hair from my face.
"That's because I am," I smiled, turning to face him. "You brought me back to life."
He leaned in, pressing a kiss to my forehead. "No, Elena. You brought me back."
Dinner was something simple — grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup, made entirely by Zayden. I watched as he fumbled with the pan, cursing when the bread burned slightly. "For a billionaire, you're terrible at multitasking."
"Says the woman who nearly chopped her finger off slicing onions last night," he retorted, and I giggled as he leaned over to kiss me again.
We ate on the porch, curled beneath a single blanket as fireflies blinked around us. He read to me — a poetry book he said he'd hidden away for years — and I rested my head against his chest, the sound of his voice wrapping around me like velvet.
Later that night, when the house was quiet and the world felt miles away, he led me to the bedroom.
Zayden's POV
She stood in front of me, moonlight catching in her eyes, the silk of her nightdress brushing against her thighs. My fingers trembled slightly as I reached out and touched her cheek, and she leaned into my hand like she belonged there.
"Are you sure?" I whispered.
She nodded. "I've never been more sure."
Our kiss was slow at first — a soft meeting of lips, the taste of her sending sparks across my skin. Her hands found their way to my chest, then slid upward to cup my face as I deepened the kiss, pouring every unsaid word into her mouth.
When I lifted her into my arms, she wrapped her arms around my neck, smiling against my lips. We made it to the bed in a blur of whispered laughter and fluttering kisses.
Clothes fell away like petals, each piece revealing more of her — more of the woman who had haunted my dreams and healed my heart.
I trailed kisses down her neck, across her collarbone, tasting the softness of her skin. She gasped my name, her hands gripping my shoulders as if I were the only thing anchoring her to the world.
"Zayden... please," she whispered.
"I've got you, sweetheart," I murmured, gazing into her eyes as I moved above her.
What followed wasn't just physical — it was something deeper. Every touch was a promise, every sigh a confession. We moved together like a melody, slow and rhythmic, our bodies learning each other in ways words never could.
She cried out my name as we fell apart and back together again, wrapped in each other's warmth, hearts pounding in sync.
Elena's POV
Afterward, I lay tangled in his arms, my head on his chest, his heart thudding beneath my cheek.
"You okay?" he asked, brushing lazy circles on my back.
"Better than okay," I whispered. "I never want to leave this place."
He kissed the top of my head. "Then don't. Stay with me. Here. In this moment. Always."
And with the stars outside, the warmth of his arms around me, and the lingering fire between us, I truly believed I could.
But peace, like fireflies, flickers.
And the night would not last forever.