Chapter 184 Chapter 184
Kamrynn's POV
I rolled my eyes but didn’t press the issue.
For a while, we just talked. It felt… easy. Like slipping into an old, familiar rhythm. Calvin had always been good at making me laugh, and today was no different.
He told me a funny story about Franklin accidentally walking in on Lorien and Lysaa during a… private moment. I laughed so hard I nearly fell off the swing, and Calvin reached out instinctively to steady me, his hands gentle on my shoulders.
His touch lingered a second too long, and when I glanced up at him, I found him watching me with an expression so soft, so full of unspoken emotions, that my breath caught in my throat.
He quickly dropped his hands and cleared his throat, as if realizing he’d been caught.
“Kamrynn,” he said quietly, his tone shifting from lighthearted to serious.
I straightened slightly, sensing that whatever he was about to say was important.
He hesitated for a moment, as though gathering his thoughts, and then he spoke. “If you decide that you can’t forgive me… that you can’t give us another chance… I’ll understand. I’ll spend the rest of my life regretting my mistakes and repenting for them, but I won’t hold it against you. I know I hurt you, and I’ll live with that guilt forever.”
“Calvin—”
“Let me finish,” he interrupted gently. “No matter what happens between us, I swear I’ll be the best father I can be to our kids. I’ll always be there for you, even if it’s just as a friend and co-parent. Your happiness means everything to me, even if I’m not a part of it.”
His words hit me like a punch to the gut. I hadn’t been expecting him to say that, and the sincerity in his voice made my chest ache.
I opened my mouth to respond, but no words came out. I was too overwhelmed, too… touched.
And in that moment, I realized that I couldn’t keep running from the truth.
I took a deep breath, trying to steady the whirlwind of emotions that swirled inside me. Calvin’s words hung heavily in the air, lingering like a bittersweet melody I couldn’t shake.
Could I really let him go? Could I truly walk away from this man who, despite everything, still held my heart?
No.
I couldn’t.
“I still have feelings for you,” I blurted out before I could lose my nerve.
Calvin froze, his eyes wide with shock. It was as though he wasn’t sure if he’d heard me correctly. “You… what?”
I swallowed hard, feeling my cheeks flush. “I said I still have feelings for you.”
For a moment, he just stared at me, as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. And then, slowly, a smile spread across his face—a smile so radiant, so full of hope and joy, that it made my heart skip a beat.
“You mean… you still love me?” he asked, his voice barely more than a whisper, like he was afraid to say it too loudly in case it wasn’t real.
I nodded, my throat tight with emotion. “I never stopped loving you, Calvin. Even when I hated you… I still loved you. And I want to give us another chance.”
The next thing I knew, Calvin was lifting me off the swing and spinning me around, his laughter echoing through the garden.
“Thank you,” he said over and over again, his voice thick with emotion. “Thank you, Kamrynn. I swear I’ll never hurt you again. I’ll be the best mate I can be, the best father, the best everything. You won’t regret this—I promise.”
“Calvin!” I laughed, swatting at his arm. “Put me down! You’re going to hurt yourself!”
Reluctantly, he set me back down on my feet, his face flushed and his chest heaving.
“Sorry,” he said sheepishly. “I got a little carried away.”
I crossed my arms and gave him a stern look. “You’re supposed to be resting, remember?”
He rubbed the back of his neck, looking thoroughly chastised. “Right. Sorry.”
I rolled my eyes but couldn’t hide the smile tugging at my lips.
And then, with a slight flush on his cheeks, Calvin hesitated.
“Can I… um… can I kiss you?” he asked, his voice softer, almost shy.
I blinked, surprised by the question—and by the fact that he was actually asking for permission.
“Yes,” I whispered.
The word had barely left my mouth before Calvin’s lips crashed onto mine.
It wasn’t gentle.
It wasn’t tentative.
It was desperate, raw, and all-consuming.
His lips claimed mine like he’d been starving for this, for me, and I couldn’t hold back the soft gasp that escaped as he pulled me closer, his arms wrapping around me tightly like he never wanted to let go.
Heat flared between us, sharp and urgent, as his fingers tangled in my hair, tilting my head just enough to deepen the kiss. His lips moved against mine with a fierceness that left me breathless, like he was pouring every ounce of regret, love, and longing into that single moment.
I clung to him, my hands fisting the front of his shirt as if anchoring myself, as if afraid I might drown in the intensity of it all.
His tongue swept across my lower lip, coaxing it open, and when our tongues met, it was like a spark igniting, a wildfire spreading through my veins. The kiss grew deeper, hotter, until the world around us seemed to blur and fade, leaving only the two of us tangled together in a storm of passion.
I could feel his heart pounding against mine, his breath ragged as he kissed me like a man who had been lost in darkness and had finally found his light.
He kissed me like I was his salvation.
And maybe I was.
When we finally broke apart, our breaths came in harsh, uneven pants, our foreheads resting together as we tried to steady ourselves.
“I love you,” Calvin whispered, his voice hoarse and full of reverence, like he was speaking a sacred truth.
“I love you too,” I murmured, my lips still tingling from the intensity of his kiss.