Page 56 of The Last Love Story

I bump Callum’s shoulder. “I know your dad wants us to have a nice first date, but I don’t think he caresthatmuch.”

Callum goes quiet for a second, like he’s making a decision. “My dad wants to repeal the Peary Act.”

I rack my mind for why that sounds familiar.

“It protects dumping in the Arctic Circle,” Callum explains. “But not really in practice. We’ve already been doing it, for years. And when that news comes out, he wants it to be legal—like changing the rules in the present makes it like they never existed in the first place.”

My hands tighten on the railing, and I remember Hux’s words.Another part of the world will end, he’d said. He was right.

I watch Marcy, my stomach roiling with Callum’s words.

“He hopes that finding Marcy will prove that everything is fine out here.”

Anger bites up the back of my throat, and I close my eyes. “She’s alone. She’s the last one. Of course things aren’tfine.”

I open my eyes to watch as Callum nods slowly. “Why are you playing along?”

He sighs. “He’s doing a lot wrong, Rip. I know that.” He leans his elbows on the railing, looking down. “But he’s got a plan. He wants to fix things. Things likethis.”

“How will repealing the Peary Actfixthis?” I ask, trying and failing to hide the anger in my voice.

“If we repeal the Peary Act, the administration was promised a huge donation from MayTech,” he explains, naming Alba’s parent company. “It’s a compromise. Do you know what we could do with that money? How much research, preservation I could do? That’s politics. It’s give and take, Ripley. It’s imperfect, but... he wants to fix things.You know my father, Ripley. He’s not a bad person. He just...” he starts, and then shivers, like he’s trying to shake something off. “I don’t want to lie to you, Ripley,” he says, turning his gaze to mine.

“Then don’t,” I whisper.

His gaze widens, and I can see him trying to figure something out. “Once it comes out that he’s been allowing dumping here for years, his opposition will use it as fuel to tear him down.”

“So let them. What would you do if you could be free? Just... leave this place? Leave the spotlight?” I let myself dream for a moment. Callum and I, running away together.

Callum sighs. “I can’t just walk away, Ripley.”

He motions to Marcy. “Can you?”

My heart swells. That’s my Callum.

“But days like this,” he sighs. “It just feels... hopeless. Or... it did,” he says, looking down at me, his expression soft.

“What is it?”

I realize I’m grinning. “You’re still you,” I say. “Still good.”

He shrugs one shoulder. “You thought I wasn’t?”

“Not many people would be after eight years of fan edits and fawning,” I joke.

Callum makes a face. “Fan edits. Do you watch those fan edits?” he jokes, and I give him a playful shove. “I hope I’m good,” he continues. “That’s the story I tell myself, at least.”Even though he glances down, it can’t hide the pink spreading across his cheeks. And it’s not from the cold.

“Do you like stories?”

He shrugs. “I don’t watch my DopaMine much. It’s weird to see my face, y’know?”

I don’t. “No,” I say, my heart hammering. Is this the moment that I can do it, recruit him to Lyceum? “I mean, like books.”

His mouth quirks up. “Books? You reading books, Ripley Hart?”

I nod. This is a risk. And I’m taking it. “I am.”

He looks back out at the water. “Well. We’re going to be here for a bit,” he says, turning and leaning back against the metal. “So tell me a story.”