moment, breathing him in.
"Next!" The security officer obviously didn't have romantic bone in his body.
"I've got to go." Finn kissed me one more time, traced a finger down my cheek, and then he was through the X-ray machine...down the hall... one more look and around the corner. Gone.
"Miss, you'll have to step out of line if you're not a ticketed passenger." The unromantic TSA agent arched a brow at me.
I nodded and ducked under the barrier, glancing back one last time, but there was no sign of Finn. I was being ridiculous. I knew that. He was getting on a plane and our lives would be different— harder, maybe— but everything would be fine.
I hoped.
My phone buzzed and I smiled when I saw a text from Finn.
I miss you already.
I wove through the crowd to an empty spot along the wall. I leaned against a support post and toed absently at a black scuff mark on the tile floor as I texted him back.
I miss you too.
I hesitated, then added Please don't go .
What was I doing? My thumb hovered over the Send button, and I was filled with a sudden rush of yearning, an irrational fear that if he left, Finn would never come back. I wavered, unsure what to do as my thumb twitched over the screen.
Delete.
Send.
The image flickered before my eyes, words blurring through my tears. My heart pounded, tongue sticking to the roof of my mouth as I swayed a little on my feet. I could hear blood pounding in my ears, louder and faster, as I stared down at the phone screen.
Delete.
Send.
Finally, with a sheepish sigh and a shake of my head, I wiped the tears from my eyes, deleted the second sentence and pushed Send .
We'd be fine.
6:45 AM
I wasn't sure why I waited around until take-off. It wasn't like I could actually see the plane from where I was, let alone spot Finn looking sad and forlorn, waving bleakly through the window. Okay, maybe that was a little bit of wishful thinking, misery loves company and all that, but down deep in places I didn't like other people to see, I had to admit I hoped he was suffering, too. Just a little bit.
That probably made me a horrible person, but in my defense, I only indulged in my self-pity party for a few miserable minutes.
I stared unseeingly out the big windows overlooking the tarmac and the brown grass of the field beyond, and let out a heavy sigh before I checked the time.
6:46. The plane was in the air.
Finn was gone.
I sighed again and fought the tears I could feel pricking at my eyes. I wasn't going to cry. Finn was gone, but we could make it through.
Finn was gone.
I turned around, repeating the words like a mantra in my head.
Finn was . . .
He was . . .
Finn was standing right in front of me.
I froze, and I swore my heart stopped, my mouth hanging open as I stared at him. "What . . .? How . . .?" I reached out toward him, then snatched my hand back, half-afraid I was imagining him.
Finn's lips twitched and he dropped his bag, crossing to me in two big steps. He swept me into his arms, and I let out a soft gasp at the familiar scent of his shampoo, tucking my face into his neck as he held me tight. He pulled away only to move right back in and kiss me, stealing my breath again at the warmth of his lips, his touch.
After a long moment, he broke the kiss and took a deep breath. "I didn't go," he whispered against my skin.
I laughed, a little tingly and giddy. Lightheaded. "Yeah, I got that." I reached up to tangle my fingers in his hair, searching his face for answers. "But why not?"
He looked into my eyes, searching and quiet for a moment. "I couldn't go. I got your text and I just . . ." He looked away and wiped a hand over his face. "I'll have to talk to my mom, tell her I'm not coming. We'll just have to figure something else out."
My mind swam with guilt and relief. "Are you sure? I don't want to cause problems—"
"This is my choice," he said firmly, pulling me a little closer and pressing his forehead to mine. "You are my choice. We are. The rest . . .
"Next!" The security officer obviously didn't have romantic bone in his body.
"I've got to go." Finn kissed me one more time, traced a finger down my cheek, and then he was through the X-ray machine...down the hall... one more look and around the corner. Gone.
"Miss, you'll have to step out of line if you're not a ticketed passenger." The unromantic TSA agent arched a brow at me.
I nodded and ducked under the barrier, glancing back one last time, but there was no sign of Finn. I was being ridiculous. I knew that. He was getting on a plane and our lives would be different— harder, maybe— but everything would be fine.
I hoped.
My phone buzzed and I smiled when I saw a text from Finn.
I miss you already.
I wove through the crowd to an empty spot along the wall. I leaned against a support post and toed absently at a black scuff mark on the tile floor as I texted him back.
I miss you too.
I hesitated, then added Please don't go .
What was I doing? My thumb hovered over the Send button, and I was filled with a sudden rush of yearning, an irrational fear that if he left, Finn would never come back. I wavered, unsure what to do as my thumb twitched over the screen.
Delete.
Send.
The image flickered before my eyes, words blurring through my tears. My heart pounded, tongue sticking to the roof of my mouth as I swayed a little on my feet. I could hear blood pounding in my ears, louder and faster, as I stared down at the phone screen.
Delete.
Send.
Finally, with a sheepish sigh and a shake of my head, I wiped the tears from my eyes, deleted the second sentence and pushed Send .
We'd be fine.
6:45 AM
I wasn't sure why I waited around until take-off. It wasn't like I could actually see the plane from where I was, let alone spot Finn looking sad and forlorn, waving bleakly through the window. Okay, maybe that was a little bit of wishful thinking, misery loves company and all that, but down deep in places I didn't like other people to see, I had to admit I hoped he was suffering, too. Just a little bit.
That probably made me a horrible person, but in my defense, I only indulged in my self-pity party for a few miserable minutes.
I stared unseeingly out the big windows overlooking the tarmac and the brown grass of the field beyond, and let out a heavy sigh before I checked the time.
6:46. The plane was in the air.
Finn was gone.
I sighed again and fought the tears I could feel pricking at my eyes. I wasn't going to cry. Finn was gone, but we could make it through.
Finn was gone.
I turned around, repeating the words like a mantra in my head.
Finn was . . .
He was . . .
Finn was standing right in front of me.
I froze, and I swore my heart stopped, my mouth hanging open as I stared at him. "What . . .? How . . .?" I reached out toward him, then snatched my hand back, half-afraid I was imagining him.
Finn's lips twitched and he dropped his bag, crossing to me in two big steps. He swept me into his arms, and I let out a soft gasp at the familiar scent of his shampoo, tucking my face into his neck as he held me tight. He pulled away only to move right back in and kiss me, stealing my breath again at the warmth of his lips, his touch.
After a long moment, he broke the kiss and took a deep breath. "I didn't go," he whispered against my skin.
I laughed, a little tingly and giddy. Lightheaded. "Yeah, I got that." I reached up to tangle my fingers in his hair, searching his face for answers. "But why not?"
He looked into my eyes, searching and quiet for a moment. "I couldn't go. I got your text and I just . . ." He looked away and wiped a hand over his face. "I'll have to talk to my mom, tell her I'm not coming. We'll just have to figure something else out."
My mind swam with guilt and relief. "Are you sure? I don't want to cause problems—"
"This is my choice," he said firmly, pulling me a little closer and pressing his forehead to mine. "You are my choice. We are. The rest . . .
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