I couldn’t believe I would be seeing him again tomorrow.
It hurt me more than I'd expected, not being able to say goodbye to mama, despite everything she was still my mother and I loved her but this was for the best. I couldn't let anyone— even her stand in the way of my dreams, of my purpose. The flight back to Paris was just as I'd remembered, thrilling, long and anticipating. I hadn't told any of my friends I was coming back today purposefully.
When the plane began its descent the flight attendant began to hand out fortune cookies after the poorly tasting meals. I cracked mine open and it read;you will soon learn why some things are better kept secret and why one should keep their friends close and their enemies closer.
I laughed and ate the rest of the cookie, these things always had the most pointless and cryptic messages in them. Once the plane landed I checked in and texted River,
ME: Airport
RIVER: What??
Me: right now!
Read at 16:45PM
After about 20 minutes or so River texted me that he was there and I nervously made my way out of the airport, when I saw him, six-foot-something tall and wearing all black and standing by his Porsche. Oddly enough his hair seemed to have grown longer within the past week and he appeared even prettier to me than he was the first time I saw him. I dragged my suitcase along with me as I made my way up to him and stopped in my tracks.
My heart felt so full and yet so empty at the same time, I smiled and so did he. He seemed sogenuinelyhappy to see me and that made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I wanted to wrap my arms around him and have him spin me around like in one of those cheesy romance films I'd watched when I was younger. But again, to hold him felt way more intimate and I was way too much of a coward to take that step.
And yet to my complete surprise when I didn’t reach forward he did, he embraced me in his arms, and because of how much taller he was than me my feet lifted off the ground a little. He leaned his head into the crook of my neck and whispered something incoherent. He took me into his arms and I held him closer to me than I ever had before and It was better than anything we’d ever done before this. Nothing compared to the feeling of seeing someone your heart has longed for so dearly after being apart. I felt happier than I’d been in a while.Somuch happier.
We didn’t say anything after that, he loaded my suitcase into the trunk of his car and we drove in silence, because everything we wanted to say we already felt, and we had this mutual understanding of sorts that things would be different now.
Gooddifferent.
Chapter 21
Bad Blood
RIVERANDIremainedin silence as he parked his car in the campus driveway, I couldn't believe I was back here. There were moments when I thought I'd never even see this place again, I had to admit I hated the pressure of school sometimes but it was a blessing compared to living under my parents' roof. It was almost like with them I wasn't allowed to be my own person, I wasn't allowed to have my own beliefs and opinions without that appearing as a personal attack towards them. I couldn’t say how I felt without it coming off as ungrateful and it was exhausting and I was so glad I was back here.
"Hey, are you okay?" River asked, those were the first words he said to me,
"I am now," I assured him and his sharp captivating blue eyes remained firmly on me, and it was only at that moment that I realised that they had hues of the earthiest green.
"Thanks for the ride, I appreciate you picking me up so early and at such short notice." I thanked him and he assured me that it was no problem. I then proceeded to open up the car door to leave but he stopped me.
"Wait, come here." He said, his voice low and all-consuming.
I closed my eyes and I could feel his hot breath on my skin, I wanted to feel him, I wanted to be as close to him as I possibly could. I reached to wrap my arms around his neck brushing his perfect light curls, he pulled me in closer.
"You make me feel alive River..." I whispered,
His lips brushed mine, like a tease, and I could almost feel the want oozing off of him. His mouth connected with mine and then all at once the world fell away, his kiss was soft slow, and full of desire. I ran a hand through his hair and he sighed into our kiss, and I knew how good it felt for him too, and in his kiss, he told me that he was awake, that he and I were connected within, and that he saw me for who I was. The sound of the early morning gulls called to us in the distance, rejoicing in our inevitable embrace. His tongue slipped through and tamed mine in a battle of lust, I groaned and pressed my chest against his and he slowed his kiss once again before pulling away.
"Eager are we?" River smirked and I shoved him playfully,
"You're unbelievable Kennedy." I groaned leaping out of the car and taking my suitcase out of the backseat,
"I'll see you later, ma préféré." There it was again,my favourite.
I remembered a time I wondered what it would be like to be someone's favourite, the one they'd choose over anyone else and the one who was unlike any other. I felt like in English we had such simple words to call the ones we cared for, but in French, everything had a deeper meaning. It'd sound bizarre to call someone your preferred one in English and it probably wouldn't sound as romantic but if you think about it it's truly beautiful.
At least to me anyway.
I shut the door and then River drove off and I was alone again. I made my way across campus and checked in again at the admin desk.
"You are late Miss Nnandi, check-in for first years was yesterday?" The lady at the front desk chided, she had hair like flames and black-rimmed glasses that made her evergreen eyes burst with colour, she was really pretty and didn't belong cooped up behind a desk at the girls' dormitories.
