I barely got any sleep that night, knowing I had only one week left with her. I closed my eyes for almost an hour before the light streaming in at 5am pulled me back awake. Begrudgingly, I weaselled out of Ollie's grip, leaving her to sleep some more as I padded down the hallway to the shower.

Stripping off my clothes and alone with my thoughts, I stood under the warm stream of water, hoping that I could steam away all the racing thoughts.

But they just continued faster and more intensely.

Until a sob escaped from me.

Head pressed against the shower wall, I tried to stifle my cries as my salty tears mixed with the water and my circling thoughts drowned me in worry. I was so lost in my mind that I jumped when her warm arms suddenly encircled me.

Touch full of concern, she pulled me against her body, her breast pressing against my back.

"I didn't mean to wake you," I croaked.

"It's okay," she said, words muffled as her head pressed tightly against my back. "Why are you in here alone and crying?"

"I always shower alone," I responded, trying to tease her in the hopes she'd drop the second part.

But as worry further permeated from her touch, I heaved a sigh and turned in her arms. "I'm just—" but the words got caught in my mouth as I let my gaze trail over her body. I had seen her naked breasts before, but I had never seen the bottom half of her fully unclothed.

Looking back at her face, she was smirking at me, knowingly. "Like what you see?" she coyly asked.

"I love it," I whispered. "I love you. You're so beautiful." And with that, I desperately pressed my lips to hers, needing more of her.

She met my mouth with just as much fervour, tongue demanding entry almost instantly as she backed me up against the shower wall. "Lukas," she moaned as she pulled away to catch her breath, hands trailing down my torso, on their way to touch me.

In an instant, I came back to my senses, pushing her slightly away.

Her face fell in response, dejected. "Make love to me," she whispered.

But the stinging sensation returned, all lust dropped from my body as I gazed into her green eyes.

What was the point in being close anymore? Another day, another memory to miss? I shook my head at her.

"Please," she then whispered.

"Don't," I choked. Because giving into her wishes was always so easy. "Don't give me more to miss."

"It's just more to remember me by... until we are together again."

But I shook my head again as my knees began to cave. Her hands stayed steady on me as I fell to the ground of the shower floor. Olivia was shortly behind me, sitting next to me, pulling me into her arms. "It's going to be okay."

"How can it be when I can't turn to you anymore?" I sobbed into her.

"You wouldn't have been able to anyway if I went to Australia."

"I know. But I hate this. I don't want to be apart."

She went quiet, her touch emanating a cacophony of emotions I couldn't pick, but I sensed she was troubled nonetheless.

"What's wrong?" I asked, pulling back to look at her.

"Do you regret bonding with me?" she whispered, emerald eyes pooling with tears.

"What?" I gasped, grabbing her face between my hands. "How could you ever think that?"

"I talked you into it. And now you have to miss it all because—"

"I would never regret having you in my life Olivia Byrne. You are the best thing that ever happened to me and I wouldn't take back one moment. I leaned into the kiss too. Both of us wanted it. The moment you sat behind me in that class and I looked at you, I had no chance of not falling for you and I knew it. Don't you ever think I'd regret a moment of us because this has been the best part of my damn life, okay?"

Her bottom lip was still jutting out, eyes still watering, but she nodded nonetheless. "Then why are you so sad? Why are you in here alone instead of talking to me about whatever is bothering you?"

Shrugging, I rested my head on her shoulder again. "You don't need to worry about the concerns I will have while you forget me."

"That's just nonsense, Lukas," she snapped back, causing me to flinch away from her, meeting her angry gaze. "You and I are a team. Yes, I may have to forget us. And I hate that I get that end. I'd prefer yours, remembering you while you forget me. But if there is anything concerning you now, please voice it so we can plan ahead for it. Don't stew in this. Don't bottle things up. How many times do I have to tell you—"

I silenced her by pulling her mouth to mine until she melted into me, anger slowly disappearing from her body as she kissed me back. Then, when I pulled away, resting my head on hers, I breathed my deepest fear, "What if you meet someone else in that time?"

"Oh Lukas," she said softly, grabbing my face between her palms. "I spent so long alone, as if I were waiting for you to come into my life. Do you really think I'm going to meet someone?"

I shrugged in response.

Sighing, she said, "We will have to make sure it can never happen then. So that you don't have to worry about it."

"How?"

"We will pack my schedule. So that there's no room for anyone to weasel into my life."

I breathed a laugh. "Your schedule already was packed when I showed up."

"Okay. Well, we will pack it more. Remember how I wanted a job all those months ago before I was too scared to go out without you?"

I nodded.

"Well, now that I'm fine on my own, I will get a job. And I'll find something to fill my time before uni goes back. Then I'll be so busy with study and work, no one will bother to interrupt."

"And if you meet some dashing man in your next literature class?"

She rolled her eyes in response. "If by some chance I meet a guy or girl, then in your monthly check-ins you will do to woo my heart and keep the bond invitation alive, just make sure I fall for you all over again until I'm ditching whoever it is that dared to think they could take my heart from you."

At that comment, I couldn't help but cup her cheek and gaze lovingly into her eyes. "What if you really like them though?"

"I love you," she said with so much certainty in her voice. "And I already chose to spend my life with you. Firstly, I don't believe any mere human will ever be able to compare to you. The moment you smile at the me who doesn't remember you, I don't think any human will have a chance winning my heart back. But secondly, consider this as me giving you permission to do whatever it takes to break me up from whomever tries to take me from you in the periods between our check-ins."

"Ollie—"

"No. I choose you. The me who has her memory wiped for the time being gets no say. I want you. I want to grow old with you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. You, Lukas Fuller, are my best friend and partner in this life and I don't want anyone else. And you better promise me right now that you will make sure that you and I end up together. No matter what."

And in that moment, I did promise her. I said I would do whatever it takes to win her heart back from whomever tries to steal it from me if that ever happened. But even in that moment as I whispered the things she wanted to hear over the sound of the water crashing on the floor around us, a part of me still didn't believe I deserved her. A part of me was still scared that if I did commit to making her mine, she'd be doomed to a terrible fate.

As we got back to our feet, the water starting to turn cold, she reached around me and turned it off. "I know a good distraction from those feelings," she whispered, causing my heart to ache even at the thought. "And it's not more to miss. It's a reminder of all the beautiful things for us still to come. You just have to say yes, Lukas."

And as she took a step closer, breasts pressing against my chest, water dripping from her naked body onto the shower floor, I couldn't help the desire in me stirring for her. And she could feel it. Lips pressing against my chest, trailing over my scars, her hand reached down, grabbing mine, before she led it between her legs. 

"Show me how good it will be when you and I are properly back together."

That was all it took. I removed my hand from between her legs, hoisting her up against the shower wall and turning the water back on, casting a spell over the stream to heat it up. The warmth cascaded over our bodies. Lips pressing into the nape of her neck, across her collarbone, I let my hands raid over her, stroking her, relishing in her.

As my lips danced over her breasts, her head leaned back as she let out a gasp, pleasure radiating from her touch and stirring an even deeper desire in me.

Legs wrapping tightly around me, she gripped my head and pulled me away from her chest, forcing me to look up at her. "I need you now, Lukas," she demanded. "Make me scream like you promised."

She didn't need to convince me further. Lowering her slightly, I then pressed into her, eyes clenching as she folded around me. A satisfied sigh escaped her mouth and her body bursted with delight. Her pleasure mixing with mine was overwhelming, so after I fully pushed into her, I paused.

"Why'd you stop?" she gasped. "I need more."

"Just... give me a second," I whispered into her neck.

"Are you second-guessing?"

Pulling back to glance at her, a smirk took hold of my face as I shook my head. "You just feel too good is all, Ollie."

And then the lustrous gleam returned back to her eyes. "Oh."

Yanking her mouth to mine, I began to move against her again until her body was writhing in pleasure and she was moaning repeatedly in my ear.

"Ollie," I breathed into her neck after a while.

"Y-yeah?" she managed to get out.

"I can't... I can't last much longer."

"Oh gosh," she groaned, teeth biting into my shoulder as I continued to move, her body shuddering in my hold. Then she finally said, "You can fin-finish."

I held on as long as I could as she rode out another orgasm, then we both climaxed together, bodies trembling from release as I sighed into her.

When I stopped moving, the water now definitely cold on my back, she began to plant kisses all over my head. "I love you," she whispered.

Pulling back to look at her, I replied, "I love you too. And I always will."

She gave me a small smile before uttering, "I know."