Page 56 of Squatch Out!
I feel her head nod against my shoulder. “I wish I could stay longer.” When she lets out a heavy sigh, I look over at her.Does she?
I kiss her hand again and then drop it between us. “I wish you could too.”
When we arrive at the airport, we turn in her rental, and then I walk with her to the line for security. My chest is growing tighter by the second, knowing this is as far as I can go with her, and it’s too late to talk her into staying.Why didn’t I say something sooner?
“This is it,” she says softly. “I’ll call you as soon as I get back home to let you know I got there safely.”
I nod, not trusting my voice. It might give away how tight my throat suddenly is.
“I—I’m really glad I met you, and I need you to know this isn’t goodbye for me. I don’t want it to be, anyway.” Her browneyes dart back and forth as she looks up at me. Like she’s memorizing my face, the way I did last night while she slept.
Another nod, as I swallow past the lump forming in my throat. “Yeah, me too.” Except I can’t help feeling like this is exactly that. Why would she want to leave the city where she’s built her life to slum it with me in the mountains?
Realistically, as time goes on…she’s going to forget, and I’ll be left behind.
Her soft pink lips tip up in a sad smile. Then she lifts to her tiptoes and presses her lips against mine. It was probably supposed to be a soft little brush. A polite kiss. But as soon as she touches me, I crumble.
My arms wrap around her, and I crush her against my chest as I devour her mouth in an all-consuming kiss. A kiss that tells anyone looking our way that she’s mine. A kiss to make her remember who she’s leaving and to give her a reason to come back.
When I step away, we’re both panting.
Her brown eyes are damp with tears. “I lo—” she catches herself, “I’ll see you soon.”
All I can do is nod, or else I’m afraid I’ll break down in front of her and probably beg her to stay. It takes everything I have to watch her walk through security and disappear into the maze of travelers heading for their gates.
An hourafter I watched her disappear, my phone chimes with a text message from her.
LIV: I made it to my gate. Miss you already.
I don’t respond, but I can’t stop staring at it.
Another hour passes.
LIV: We’re boarding now. I’ll call you as soon as I land.
I start to reply but then delete my message when it turns into me begging her to come back. I’m still trying to convince myself that this is for the best. A clean break rather than letting her into even more of my heart than I already have.
Eventually I just give up trying to decide what to say to her and make my way outside and around the terminal to where I can watch the planes land and take off.
LIV: OMG, I just realized I left you stranded when we turned in my rental. Please tell me you thought of that and you’re not answering me because you’re getting a ride back home.
I didn’t think of that, actually. So instead of replying to her message, I text my brother and ask him to pick me up.
LIV: We’re getting ready to taxi out, I didn’t get wifi for this flight, so I’ll talk to you later tonight when I get home.
LIV: Why do I feel like I’m leaving my whole heart behind?
Fuck me.
SEAN: You’re taking my whole heart with you…
delete delete delete…
Tears burnthe backs of my eyes as I watch her plane soar up into the sky and disappear into the low clouds.
She’s gone.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
