Page 120 of The Last Kiss

“Don’t be.”

Dampness lands on my shoulder and I feel him sob gently, his large frame rocking me like a babe in arms.

Undo me.

But then I am undone.

There’s nothing left to untangle.

“I wish I could be your Juliette again, wish we could go back, do it all over.” I almost shout it. I don’t want to go to the other side of never without him knowing just what it’s meant, what he’s meant. Being his Juliette was magical, made the last few months something more than I ever would have thought they could have been. Being his Julianna… has changed my life.

Henri turns, a tear still dangling on the edge of his dark lashes like the last droplet on a year of insanity.

“You’ll always be my Juliette, my Julianna, my everything.” He’s humoured me so much, put up with my rules, the way I’ve needed things to be. I know he’s left everything to be here with me right here at the end. God, it really must be a love thing after all.

I push my face into his chest, the cotton of his shirt, that spice that seems to cling to him. “I’m so glad I met you.”

Using the tip of his finger he makes me look up. “Even though you fought me the whole way, ma petite fleur?” One of his dark brows arches. His teasing look. God, I love that look too.

I love all his looks.

Can’t believe I won’t get to see any of them again. Can’t believe that my stupid heart is going to fail, and no replacement can be found. Right when I want to…

Want to…

“Tell me what you’ll miss the most?” I ask the buttons on his shirt.

Henri tightens his arms, and I could just melt right now. Become a puddle of chocolate ice cream against his sugar spun wafer. “You in black lace.”

Ah, the lace.

His hands on my thighs, riding silk and lace across skin that I didn’t know could be adored the way he did it.

“Just the lace?”

“Burnt pancakes. Coffee at midnight. Eurostar. Always wanting to find you and never knowing where I would see you again. Sand. Candy floss. Amber perfume on your skin.”

Right now, in this very moment at the end of everything I am adored.

“I love you,” I say.

“And I love you.”

I look up, blinking against everything that could have been. “Henri, you have to keep this promise.”

“What promise?”

“The one you’re going to make now.”

His face slips back to that beautiful shadow where the storm in his eyes brings rain and sun.

“Hold me until I sleep and then leave.”

Henri shakes his head, lips pressing into a firm line. “No.”

“I want you to. Remember me with lace and amber. Candy floss and laughter. Not a corpse who lies in your arms.”

“Ma pe—” another shake of his head, “Julianna, they still might find a match.”