“I hate it too. I like knowing that it doesn’t die with me. You’re the first person I’ve spoken to about Vale.”

“Not even Scarlett?”

“No. I’m like you that I’m not sure how realistic all that was. I certainly believed I’d have more time to make those dreams come true, but there were still so many barriers. I didn’t want Scarlett to get so excited only to not watch it all happen. Especially because she wants a big family of her own; she’s hoping for triplets. She would’ve offered to name a kid Vale for me, but that would’ve meant giving up on my Vale. I might have to take her up on that now.”

Story idea: a graveyard for dead dreams, headstones marking each one.

I hope I can find a happy ending for that.

“If something happens, will you tell Scarlett for me?” Valentino asks.

“Of course. This world will have a Vale Prince, even if I got to name my kid that.”

He scoffs. “You’re just saying that.”

I stop and grab his wrist. “Hell no, I’m serious. I’d never lie to you. First name, Vale. Middle name, Prince. Last name, Pagan.”

“Vale Prince Pagan,” Valentino says, testing it out. He stares out into the city skyline, like he’s imagining this child growing up in the city he didn’t get to. “They’ll have your curls and loud laughs.”

“It sucks that they won’t have your blue eyes.”

“Hazel is really beautiful too,” Valentino says.

He turns to me with this intense gaze.

I press my hand to his chest and walk my fingers up to his collarbone.

“I’m happy the kid will have your heart.”

“Technically, you’ll have my heart.”

There’s a fire growing inside me, but this isn’t a heart attack.

This is life lighting me up.

“You’ve had my heart since the start, Valentino.”

I’m burning, burning, burning.

“And you’ve given me the best End Day, Orion.”

“It’s not over. There’s still lots of firsts ahead of you.”

“There’s one I’d love more than others.”

“Then carpe fucking diem—”

Valentino’s heart-shaped lips shut me the fuck up.

Valentino

1:01 p.m.

One second into my first kiss, and I already hope it won’t be my last.