Chapter 4

“I say, I didn’t have to know you longer than a day to decide I’d go anywhere you wanted to take me. Is that crazy?”

“Not in the slightest… now, about that kiss.”

Butterflies erupted in Sophie’s stomach as Callum leaned in and kissed her softly. She was so nervous, anyone would have thought she’d never kissed anyone before. As she relaxed into the kiss, she realised that although it wasn’t her first kiss, it was a first… something. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but she knew that this was different, that Callum was different to every boy that came before him.

They were broken from their moment when they heard the applause from inside the marquee. The first dance was done and the rest of the wedding part had joined the couple on the dancefloor.

“Should we go back in? This is your brother’s wedding after all.”

“Nah, let’s get out of here.”

The wink Callum shot her set her heart on fire. As they raced back to where he had parked his motorcycle, she felt like it was going to beat out of her chest. She jumped on the back of the bike and wrapped her arms around his waist, she had no idea where he was taking her, but for the first time in her life, she didn’t care.

Callum pulled over just outside the city, in front of a small stone cottage. He removed his helmet and got off the bike. He was staring at the front door of the cottage, Sophie removed her helmet but stayed seated on the bike. The tension in the air between them started to make her feel uneasy, doubt began to creep in about whether she had been right to trust a stranger so readily.

He turned to her, his expression earnest and serious. Different to the carefree Callum she had gotten to know over the course of the day.

“I know today has been… crazy.” He finally said, breaking the silence. “But, Sophie… I… I want to invite you in. This, uh, this is my place, on the weekends. It’s where I come to get out of the chaos of the city… No one really knows about it and I know we just met, that is…”

“I’d love to come in.”

Sophie decided to put him out of his misery. Her doubt was immediately swept away when he began talking. She could see that this meant something to him. She had a feeling he didn’t bring many people here.

His eyes lit up at her response, clearly surprised, but delighted.

She hopped off the bike and walked straight past him, toward the front door, she turned back to look at him, flashing the most dazzling smile she could muster.

“Well, you coming?”

The night they spent in that cottage was the beginning of something epic. The kind of love you read about, but never really believe possible. It was the spark that ignited the best two years of their young lives.

But nothing lasts forever, and young love can be so fragile.