Page 34 of The Plan
Aunt Addy pulls me into a hug. I can tell she’s trying to keep herself together because she’s trembling. I feel awful.
“Let’s go out and do something today,” I say, in the hope of cheering her up a little. I don’t mention that it’s the last chance we have because I’ve already booked a flight for this evening.
“Okay.”
* * *
The day goes by all too quickly and before I know it, Aunt Addy is driving me towards the airport. Annoyingly, she has spent a good part of our last hours together staring at her phone. I get annoyed at myself for being irritated by it, because Aunt Addy has a life she can’t just stop because I’ve decided to uproot once again.
“Are you sure you don’t want to wait and say goodbye to Blake and Sinead before you go?” she asks me for the millionth time.
“I’ll call them when I get to London,” I promise.
I haven’t heard anything from him all day, so I can only assume what that means, and I’m not coming up with anything good. Surely if he saw anything worthwhile in last night then he would’ve at least been in touch today?
I’m doing the right thing,I repeat over and over, trying to convince my heart and get it to fall in line with my head.
“We’re here,” Aunt Addy says, and when I pull myself from my daydream—or nightmare, depending on how you look at it—I see that we’re in the drop off car park outside Belfast airport.
My heart drops when I look at the departures sign and other passengers with their luggage, most of whom are looking a lot more excited than I’m feeling about the journey ahead of me.
Aunt Addy parks so she can come with me to check in. I go through all the motions of handing over my passport and ticket, but it’s like I’m not really there. I’m heading back to a life that I hated all because my ex-husband is a bigger wanker than I thought the first time I was in this airport. Not only has he betrayed me, but he’s left me with nothing other than a few pieces of furniture.
“You don’t have to do this, Addison. We can figure it out. I have money you can borrow to get your business started.”
I refuse her offer like I have done all day. I don’t want Aunt Addy’s money. I don’t want anyone’s money other than what I’ve earnt myself.
I look up to the security check ahead and let out a huge breath. This is not what I expected when I came back to Ireland a few weeks ago. I had this whole plan laid out; returning to London so quickly was not one of them.
“I need to go. Thank you so much for everything. I promise I’ll be in touch and I’ll be back in no time.”
I pull her in for a hug. When I let go, the sight of her trembling chin breaks me. My first tear drops and she reaches out to wipe it off my cheek.
“I love you, sweetheart,” she whispers, and I take the opportunity to turn and walk away. There’s no chance I can say it back without falling apart.
I’m next in line and just about to put my bag on the conveyor belt when I hear it.
“ADDISON!”
Thinking I’m imagining things, I take another step forward and smile sadly at the woman working the scanner when I hear it again.
“ADDISON!”
Only it’s louder this time, and I’m pretty sure I’m not hearing things.
I turn around to see an image I would’ve sworn only happens in films.
Running towards me, with Sinead being pulled along behind him, is Blake. He looks harassed with wide, panicked eyes—eyes that are locked on me.
I reach out and grab the bag I’d just placed down before taking a step and leaving my place in the line. By this time, Aunt Addy has Sinead and Blake’s slowed to a fast walk as he approaches me.
“Don’t go,” he pants out.
“What?”
“Please, don’t go.”
“It’s too late. I have to.”
