Page 67 of One More Round

With a sigh, he stands from the bed and leans down to clasp my shoulder as he walks by. “Alright. Well, if you change your mind, we will be near Terminal 3. Link, Bern, and I are leaving to meet the girls there now.”

I watch him leave my room and hear him say something to Link. Then there’s some rustling of keys and the front door opens and closes behind them.

I sit there for a while, playing back my conversation with Dex. I think about how upset Gia was when I ended it with her that morning. The past few weeks have been hard avoiding her, even though it’s all on me. Because I’ve wanted to go to her so often. The thought of her not being around anymore, even to glare at from across the room, feels like a sucker punch to the gut. Yeah, I learned to live my life without her around. I managed to survive, and I’ll do it again. But for some reason, it seems that it’s going to be a lot harder this time.

Shit.

Glancing at my phone, I realize that if I don't go now I’ll probably miss her. Because I do want to see her one last time. I want to kiss her face one last time, tell her goodbye and wish her the best of luck in her new life. I jump up from my chair on the floor and head down the hall. I get to the front door and realize I don’t have my shoes on. Jogging back down the hall to my room I snag up my shoes from where I kicked them off earlier and grab my keys from my nightstand too.

I run to the elevator and jab the down button, but it doesn’t light up. I jab a few more times and then I decide I don’t have time to wait for the elevator to start working. Has it been down all day or just right now when I need it the most? I turn around and rush to the staircase skipping steps as I go. I get out to the building’s private parking lot and jump in my car, cranking it on. I nearly pull out of the space when my “low gas” light dings on. I smack the steering wheel in frustration. I don’t want to chance running out of gas on my way to the airport, so I jump out of the car and run back through the building lobby to hail a cab in the front. Surprisingly, there isn’t a wait. I nod to the doorman and jump in the waiting taxi. I tell him I need to get to O’Hare as quickly as possible. He just rolls his eyes and mutters that he will do what he can.

My legs bounce in a quick rhythm to match the impatience I have sitting in the back of the cab. I’m stuck with no control over how quickly we get there. I know that even if I would have had enough gas, driving myself would have gotten me stuck in the same traffic. But the feeling of being completely out of control is getting to me. I check the time on the front dash and cringe. I’m going to be lucky to get there before she boards. Her flight leaves soon and it’s going to take her a good amount of time to get through security. She’s almost down to crunch time. I’m still at least eight minutes out. I pat around my jeans pockets and realize I left my phone back in the apartment. So much for texting Dex to tell him that I’m almost there.

After the longest ten minutes of my life, the cab pulls into the drop-off zone. I tell him I’ll get out here, I’m quite far away from the entry for Terminal 3, but I know it will take longer if I stay here and wait in the cab.

I shove a wad of cash at him and jump out, sending a silent “thank you” to the sky that I didn’t leave my wallet too. I take off jogging, weaving through the throngs of people. I know once I can get to the correct doors, I won’t have far to go to find her.

I finally make it through the doors and I’ve only taken three steps into the building when a security guard steps in my path.

“I'm sorry, son, but you need to slow down.”

“Sorry, but I just wanted to say goodbye before she flies out of my life for good,” I tell him, slightly concerned with the sappy shit that just rolled off my tongue.

“Still, no running,” he grumbles and moves on.

I stretch up to see over the crowds of people. Sure, it would have been easier if her flight had been at a less busy time. I bump into a woman and mutter my apologies when I spot Dex and Link. Thank God! I push through the crowd and come to a sudden stop when they turn and start to head my way.

Dex registers me first. He has his arm around a weepy-eyed Morgan, paused in a kiss to her temple. I survey the group and see Ruby and Bernie, arms hooked together the way girls often do and Link standing next to Ruby. It’s the person I don’t see that makes me realize that I’m once again too late to say goodbye.

I bend over and rest my hands on my knees to catch my breath from the impromptu run and try to center my breathing. I keep my head focused on the horizon of people behind them, searching for Gia. Then I hear Dex’s voice by my side.

“She’s gone, man. She’s probably already in line to go through security.” His voice is laced with pity.

Breathing hard I say, “I just wanted to say goodbye,” as I stand to my full height, hands on my hips.

“I can call her,” Morgan suggests. “Yeah, I’ll call her, and she can come back. You can still say goodbye.” Her voice is full of hope at the suggestion.

I shake my head.

“If you want a more dramatic effect, you could buy a ticket, get through security and meet her in the boarding area. She’s flying Southwest.” Link offers this as Morgan, Ruby, and Bernie all look wistfully at me. But it’s no good.

I shake my head again and tell them, “No. No, it’s better this way.”

“Says who?” Dex questions me.

“Says Fate? Who the fuck knows, but something didn’t want me here.”

“Really, let me call her.” Morgan reaches into her purse to grab her phone, but I put out a hand to stop her. I’m too far away to touch her but she stops when I nearly yell at her.

“No. Don’t. I’d rather her not know I was here.”

She looks like a kicked puppy, but she must have released her phone because her hand comes up and out of her purse and Dex squeezes her closer to his side.

“Sorry, Morgan, I didn’t mean to yell.”

She sniffs but nods. I turn back the way I just came and hear them follow behind me.

“Did you drive?” Link asks as he catches up with me.

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