“I’ve never been happier than when I just woke up with you in my arms. You’re the only girl I’ve ever fallen asleep with, and I want to keep it that way. You’re not just some girl. I’m in love with you, Harper, I wouldn’t want you anywhere else.”

“And know that I’ve loved you since the beginning.”

“Why are you in here?”

“Because you need me, and if this is my last hour with you, I’m not going to waste another second of it.”

“I’m sorry for the time I wasted, but I’ll cherish every second we had together.”

“You’re pregnant, Princess?”

“Yes.”

“Is it—is it mine?”

“Of course it is.”

I don’t know what is real and what isn’t anymore. I swear I can feel Harper in my arms, smell her light vanilla scent. I can hear her soft laugh, which was always reserved for the dark, as if we are curled around each other in bed. I can feel her lips on my throat and her hands in my hair. God, please, don’t take me from her! How can this be happening to me?

More flashes—Harper holding a baby. Our baby. A painful cry tries to work its way out of my chest, but all that comes out is more blood as I hang limply against the seat belt. I try to take another breath but don’t feel the relief of it. There is nothing; this is it. My time is running out, and I wish more than anything that I could have one more day with her. To cherish her and worship her, to tell her and GB a million times that I love them. The vision starts blurring, and I cling to it like it can keep me alive. I’m not ready to go, I’m not ready to lose her. I try, futilely, to take more breaths, but there is no air, just more fluid. Harper in a wedding dress, she looks beautiful, her smile brighter than the sun, and she is looking directly next to me. Turning, I catch sight of Brandon at my side just before everything goes black.

“Take care of my family, brother. Please.”

“Chase!”

She sounds so close.

“Chase!”

“Live, Princess, for me. I love you.”