ANGEL'S POV
The halls were filled with laughter, caps and gowns rustling, camera flashes blinking from every angle.
Graduation.
Two years had passed like the pages of a well-loved book.
Zayne and I had survived class projects, group assignments, family pressures, cold nights, warm kisses, tears, and laughter.
And through it all, we chose each other.
Every time.
We stood near the campus fountain, surrounded by the chaos of celebration, but it felt like just the two of us.
Zayne brushed a strand of hair behind my ear and whispered, "We made it."
I smiled, feeling the lump in my throat. "Barely."
"No," he corrected gently. "Beautifully."
ZAYNE'S POV
That night, the world felt slower.
We skipped the after-parties and drove out of the city to a cabin I had reserved weeks in advance.
It sat near a quiet lake, surrounded by pine trees and golden silence.
Inside, candles lit the room. Soft music played on a speaker. The bedsheets were clean and crisp, the windows open to the cool night breeze.
Angel stepped in slowly, still in her graduation dress.
I had never seen her look more radiant.
"You planned this?" she asked, voice soft.
"For us," I said, walking over.
Her arms wrapped around my neck. "Then show me what forever feels like."
ANGEL'S POV
He kissed me like I was sunlight he'd waited years to touch.
Slow. Reverent.
His hands trembled at first, brushing along my waist, drawing a line of fire down my spine.
My fingers found the buttons of his shirt, undoing each one as if peeling away the layers between us.
His lips met my shoulder, my neck, the space beneath my ear.
Every sigh that left me, he answered with a softer touch.
The room faded, and all I felt was Zayne—his heartbeat syncing with mine, his words like silk against my skin.
"I love you," he breathed. "Always."
"I know," I whispered back. "I've always known."
He lifted me gently, laying me against the bed.
There was no rush. No fear.
Just us.
Bodies intertwined.
He traced every inch of me like a canvas. With patience. With awe.
And when we finally became one, it felt like something ancient, like coming home.
It was more than passion.
It was trust. Love. A promise.
ZAYNE'S POV
We lay in silence after, her head on my chest, fingers drawing lazy circles on my stomach.
I stared at the ceiling, counting the seconds between her breaths.
This was it.
The future I wanted.
Not a mansion. Not boardrooms.
Her.
Only her.
She tilted her head. "What are you thinking about?"
I kissed her forehead. "You. Us. Everything we survived. Everything we will."
She smiled. "Sounds like a good story."
"We're just getting to the best chapter."
Outside, the lake shimmered under moonlight.
Inside, two graduates, two hearts, and one unbreakable promise laid beneath the stars.
Zayne reached for the ring in his bag. Not tonight. But soon.
Very soon.