Page 718 of Not Over You

The weekend after Piper’s stay, I decided to surprise Liv with a weekend getaway. I knew her work in Beaufort was coming to a close, and I wanted to do everything I could to sway the odds in my favor for her to stay.

We hadn’t really talked about it since the argument we’d had. I felt like we we’re both avoiding the inevitable, and the issue needed to be addressed sooner rather than later. And my surprise was my passive aggressive way of addressing it.

I met her at her hotel Thursday after she finished work for the day; she’d been working half-days for the past week or so, and the timing worked out perfectly for what I had planned.

I decided to incorporate some romantic suspense into the surprise, so I left a note with some flowers for her with the hotel receptionist that read:

* * *

Pack a bag – we’re getting away for the weekend. I’ll pick you up at 2.

Love,

Lincoln

* * *

Around the time she normally arrived back to her hotel room after work, I received a text with a picture of my note. I grinned as I read the message.

* * *

Liv: What is this?

Me: It’s a surprise :) Hurry up and pack

Liv: But how do I know what to pack if I don’t know where we’re going

* * *

Chuckling, I shook my head. Liv had a love-hate relationship with surprises, and I sure as hell loved surprising her.

* * *

Me: Well, I guess you’d better be prepared for anything then ;)

* * *

She sent me a string of angry and crying emojis but didn’t argue further. I pulled up outside her hotel at five minutes to two, and I was surprised when she came out on time.

She fought a smile as she hopped in my truck, setting her bag behind the seat. “Where are we going, Linc? You know I hate surprises.”

I started the engine. “You love surprises, and you know it. You’ll find out soon enough.”

She playfully groaned, feigning irritation. “Come on, Linc. Please tell me something. Anything.”

I chuckled and reached over to squeeze her thigh. “Patience, my sweet Liv. Patience.”

She growled in frustration. “I hate you so much right now.”

I laughed out loud. “You won’t when we get there.”

Liv crossed her arms with a huff, but a smile was still peeking through on her lips. I couldn’t wait to see her reaction when we reached our final destination.

When I took the exit for the airport, Liv perked up in her seat. “Are we going to the airport?”

“Maybe,” I answered, trying to play out the surprise for as long as possible.

“Okay, so we’re going somewhere we have to fly to get to,” she mused. She pursed her lips, and I knew her mind was trying to put the pieces of my puzzle together. “But that could be anywhere.”

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