I'd always been afraid of dying, and when I'd been given the opportunity to live forever I took the gamble without ever looking back. Sunday morning was different. Though the sun shined through the window, it was raining in a way that hadn't happened in a long time.

For me, the rain wasn't a welcome sight.

"Babe, what's wrong?" Jax looked me over, sending a chill through my whole body. The sunlight caught against his copper hair and made my breath catch. Against the morning light, there was a delicate glow against his features. He reached over and intertwined his fingers with mine, and he gave a gentle squeeze.

I wasn't sure how I knew today would be the day everything would fall apart, but I did. Everything in my life was coming together too smoothly, too well. Happiness wasn't something that reigned forever, even if my life did. I supposed ever since I made a bargain with darkness I knew this day would come.

I would always have to return the favor for wanting to live forever.

As I breathed deeply through my nose, I squeezed his hand back. Maybe I was overthinking things. Rain with a reddish sky didn't always signify the return of darkness. The weather doesn't always have a second meaning. Usually it was ominous, but not always, right?

"I'm fine," I said quietly and tried to turn my attention back to the show we were watching. We'd been wanting to binge The Chilling Adventure's of Sabrina for awhile, but the more the show talked about Lucifer, the more I wanted to scream. What a sick joke that my schedule happened to open up and the episode was about Lucifer.

I chuckled.

I glanced at Jax. He had that stupid grin plastered all over his face that I had grown to love. Was love the right word? We'd never exchanged any words of deceleration like that, but I didn't have any other word for the sparks in my stomach.

My entire body hummed with anticipation. He was clueless about what I was or how the world truly worked. He didn't know about the darkness lurking in every corner or the eyes that hid behind the shadows. He couldn't feel them like I could. Every inch of my body was telling me to run, to get away from him, but this carnal being inside me wouldn't listen.

Sinking further into the cushions, I burrowed close to Jax's side. If only magic had a cure for anxiety. He slung one arm over my shoulders and held me close. He took one finger under my chin and tilted my face up so that he could place a soft kiss against my lips. I smiled under his breath.

The show was becoming a distraction. I lifted my hand and pulled his face closer to mine and deepened the kiss..

He chuckled, his breath tickling my face. "What's gotten into you?"

I smiled up at him, looking at him through long lashes. My cheeks warmed. "Is wanting to kiss you a bad thing?"

"Never." He kissed me again, this time snaking his hand down my side and cupping my hip to pull me to him until our chests and legs were pressed up against each other. The television became background noise as electricity pumped through my veins. His fingers trailed up my back. He fumbled with the clasp on my bra.

I pulled back. "Let's go slow," I whispered.

He narrowed his eyes as he took in the lines of my face and trailed his hand along my jawline. "You're so beautiful, Scarlet." Could he possibly know how precious this moment truly was? With every passing moment the sky grew darker in the window behind him. "I love you."

I froze. I love you. I wanted to scream. Each second ticked in slow motion, as if the entire world around me had been put on pause. A familiar searing fire returned to my chest that I hadn't felt since I'd made a bargain with darkness.

He must have noticed my fear. "I — I shouldn't have said that..."

You'll have to give up what you love the most in exchange for your life.

Shaking my head, I pressed a palm against his chest. "No, it's alright," I said softly. "I... love you, too." The words were like fire against my throat. They were like a hurricane bubbling in my chest, waiting to explode against the thoughts in my mind.

The beginning of the end was only the beginning of everything.

The exchange and bargain were all coming full circle. Love was more powerful than I'd ever given it credit for. A long time ago, I had never thought I'd feel this way again. My hand balled around his shirt and pulled him closer. "Kiss me again." I didn't want to forget the taste of him.

He didn't hesitate as he brought his mouth to mine, our lips in a constant battle against each other, tongues colliding like swords. I didn't want to slow down anymore, I wanted to savor these last moments. I'd never thought bargaining love would hurt this much. With each kiss the hole in my chest grew wider and the sky outside grew more ferocious. There was a fire burning inside of me that I wasn't sure I wanted to put out.

His hands slipped between my legs, his fingers going beneath the elastic of my leggings and pressing between my legs. Would this be the last time? I didn't want to be asking myself those questions as the hue of the light glaring through the window slowly became more saturated. His fingers found that sweet spot, and I sucked in a breath between our kisses as my stomach clenched from his soft touch.

"I want all of you," I whispered against his lips as I came closer to bliss.

He smirked and slipped his hand away from me, and the muscles between my legs clenched. Slowly he got to his feet and pulled me up with him. Grabbing me around the waist, he lifted me up, and I wrapped my legs around him. Carrying me across the hall, we entered my room where he slowly lowered me to the bed.

Heat coursed through me as I looked up at him. Each of his movements were deliberate as he took his shirt off. Leaning over me, he lowered his pants and slowly pulled mine away from my body.

I reached up and grasped his hair and pulled him toward him. "Do it," I said, my eyes searching his own. I wanted to memorize the lines of his face and the color of his eyes. "Please."

He obliged me, and my body tensed around him, a soft gasp escaping my lips as he started the motions. Pressing my hand down, I pulled his face toward mine. His hand went back to that spot, working in tangent with the rest of his body and bringing me to bliss faster than I'd ever been before.

Moments later, he let out a groan, and our bodies quivered against each other.

Despite how warm my insides felt, my entire body was cold. "I love you," I said breathlessly. "I love you more than you'll ever know."

Kissing my nose, he traced the line of my arm that was laying over his side. His smile was soft and barely there.

Thunder cracked above us, and rain pattered harder against the roof. Both of our heads lifted as the doorbell rang.

"You don't have to go," Jax said. I didn't want to believe I saw the same fear in his eyes, but as the door opened in the living room and we untangled ourselves from each other, there was a part of me that believed maybe Jax had bargained with darkness, too.