Page 6 of Sparks Still Fly

He’s here!

I check my hair and lipstick for the third time in less than a minute and run to the door before she leaves without me. We’re meeting him at the airport, even though he asked Bon not to go to the trouble. She’s too excited to see him, though, and I’m thankful for it.

I don’t remember a single moment of our cab ride. I’m too busy making up all kinds of scenarios in my head for when we first see one another. Will he hug me? Will he care that I’m there? I can’t hear anything Bon is saying in all her excitement to see her brother, and before we know it, we’re walking toward Arrivals, where people are pouring through the sliding doors.

His buzzed blond head comes into view, green eyes focused on where he’s headed toward the doors leading outside.

“O! Owen!” Bon jumps up and down, waving him over.

He turns his head toward where we are, eyes brightening as a wide smile splays across his face when he meets his sister’s eyes. It’s so sweet, seeing them reunite like this.

In a few long strides, he’s standing in front of us, hugging Elaina tightly and lifting her up.

“Lainey Banainey! You came!” He sets her down and ruffles her hair, as big brothers do. He looks up, and his eyes finally meet mine. My palms are so sweaty that I’m worried there are drips on the floor.

He reaches for me. My heart leaps inside my rib cage. I nearly black out.

“Sunshine,” he whispers, so only I can hear. The hug is quick, but I register every moment. One hand around my waist, fingers gripping tightly. Another up my back, clutching the back of my neck. His chest against mine. His nose in my hair. The lingering hand on my elbow before he lets me go.

“Hello, Owen,” I say dumbly, wiping my hand on my jeans as his smile widens. I swear he loves seeing me squirm like this.

“Maevey. Thanks for coming with her.” He picks up the duffle bag he dropped when he hugged his sister and casually rests an arm on her shoulder. Bon is a few inches taller than me, but she’s still nowhere close to Owen’s massive height. “Where are we off to?”

As we walk out of the airport, Elaina rattles off all the places she wants to take Owen to. I hang back, just taking in the sight of him, floating in the relief that he’s really here and he’s safe. He looks happy, and that makes my heart beat more steadily and fills my lungs with a little more air. Things feel right when he’s close by.

Still, I made plans to go out tonight because this isn’t about me. He’s here to visit his sister, and the more time I spend with heart eyes around Owen, the more likely I am to be noticed by Bonnie. It’s too late for Charlie. She sees the heart eyes and calls me out on it with not-so-subtle head shakes, so that’s just one more reason to stay away while he’s here.

4/

there she is.

owen

april, 9 years ago

After the girls picked me up at the airport, Maeve took off to go to a, acting class, so I spent the afternoon sightseeing with Lainey. There was an exhibit she was super excited about at the MET, and I love seeing how animated she gets. We had dinner, then walked through Central Park, and having a conversation with her without a computer screen felt so good.

By the time we get back to their tiny apartment, which I’m noticing is barely larger than their dorm room from last year, I’m ready to sit my ass down and relax. Charlie chats with us for a bit, but then she heads to her bedroom to do some reading. She’s not much of a talker, and I’ve always respected how well she sets boundaries for herself. If that girl doesn’t want to do something, she simply will not do it.

It’s 21:30, and Maeve stands in her doorway, looking like she’s just walked off a runway. The curve of her hips sends my heart thrumming, and I’m forced to avert my eyes to avoid a sudden and ill-timed erection.

I need to get out more.

She saunters in, wearing a pair of hip-hugging pants that cling to her curves like a second skin. Her midriff is exposed, cinched tight with a shimmering belt, and topped with a cropped shirt that barely covers her chest. Thank fuck she’s got a jacket on. I don’t think I can handle seeing much more of her skin without having a very inappropriate reaction to it.

Her lips are a shade of red that matches her top, and she’s wearing dark eyeshadow instead of the light pink she wears every day. Her normally straight hair is in curls that bounce down her back as she walks toward us.

She announces she’s heading to a party nearby and throws a tiny purse over her shoulder. Before I can object, ask her to stay, go with her, or literally do anything that would keep her in the same room as me, she’s out the door, blowing a kiss to Elaina over her shoulder that I definitely don’t wish was aimed at me.

“You just let her go out on her own like that?” I point at the door and look at my little sister, who scoffs at my question.

“Let her? Have you met Maeve? No one lets her do anything. She does what she wants.” She rolls her eyes when she sees my own widen in shock.

“But we have safety measures in place. Both of us always know where she’s going and with whom. We can see her phone location, and she never ever has more than two drinks if I’m not with her.” I finally take a full breath, thankful that they have this system. “Plus, she’s probably meeting Cam there. It’s cute that you’ve got the whole protective big brother thing going on with her, too.”

Yeah, that is not what’s happening here, but I’m not about to correct Lainey. And who the fuck is Cam? And why would that make me feel better? And why does it make me feel like chasing after her?

Charlie joins us for a couple of rounds of Scrabble, but I lose both times. My head’s not in it. It’s with a certain blonde who left here one hour and forty-seven minutes ago. But who’s counting?

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