His Red Carnation (Forbidden Blooms #1)

40. Callan

40

Callan

The warm sun heated my skin as I lounged on a beach chair beside Sloane, the soft crash of waves filling the air. Fiji was fucking perfect, but being next to Sloane made it even better. I glanced over at her, lying on her stomach on a matching chair, her eyes closed, a faint smile curving her lips. She looked at peace, and knowing I had a part in that made my heart swell.

Sloane had changed me in ways I didn’t even realize at first. It wasn’t just about love—it was about everything. She taught me how to open up, to be vulnerable, to let someone in completely. She’d shown me that even though she was twenty years younger, she had a wisdom that sometimes made me forget the age gap altogether. In her own way, she’d become my greatest teacher, even if she didn’t know it.

I often forgot how much younger she was, because when we were together, it didn’t matter. She challenged me and made me a better version of myself. For the first time in a long time, I felt worthy. Worthy of love, of happiness—things I’d pushed away for so long, thinking I didn’t deserve them. But with Sloane, I knew I was lucky. And loved. So fucking loved.

She stirred beside me, stretching slightly before her eyes fluttered open. She caught me looking, and that familiar smile spread across her face. “What?” she asked, her voice soft and teasing.

“Nothing,” I said, grinning. “Just thinking about how fucking lucky I am.”

Her smile widened, and she reached for my hand, her touch grounding me in this moment—this perfect moment where everything felt right.

“Come on,” I said, standing up and pulling her with me. “Let’s sit by the water.”

We walked to the edge of the shore, settling in the warm sand, the gentle waves lapping at our feet. We dug our toes into the sand, feeling the soft grains beneath us. The ocean stretched endlessly before us, and for the first time in a long time, I wasn’t thinking about the past or what could go wrong.

I was just here, with her. My perfect fucking girl. And that was all I needed.