Tyler’s still nodding along as I finish speaking, deep in his own thoughts. “You know,” he finally says after a second, flicking on his blinker and merging into the lane that will lead us toward the airport departures. “You have a point. Maybe that isn’t the worst idea.”
My chest glows with pride at the compliment, and at finally being able to do the one thing I hadn’t been able to do with Tyler in all the time we dated—convincing him to think about his life plan. But then my stomach practically bottoms out at the follow-up thought—that I may have convinced the boy I’m falling for to move five thousand miles away from me.Again.
How many people does that happen to twice? I mentally kick myself for even suggesting the idea, but I don’t have much time to dwell on it, because soon we’re pulling up to the airport and Tyler is swerving off into the parking garage, stopping the car and hopping out.
“What are you doing?” I ask, puzzled as he opens the trunk and takes out my suitcase. “I can get to my gate in one piece, I think.”
He nods. “I know. Just wanted to walk you up to security, you know? Make sure you get there okay.”
I eye him warily as we start walking in step with each other toward the airport entrance. “I can get to security just fine.” I take my suitcase from Tyler as we walk through the double doors into the lobby, the rush of cool air greeting us and making the hairs on my arms stand on end.
Tyler throws his hand up in aYou caught megesture. “Okay, fine, fine. I want to spend a little more time with you before you have to go. Is that such a crime?”
If I thought my chest was glowing before when Tyler complimented me, it’s a full-on sunbeam pouring out of me now. “No, that’s definitely not a crime.” And as excited and fizzy as my blood feels at the prospect of getting to spend a few more minutes with Tyler, I can’t get Lucas’s stern expression or pleading voice out of my head.Don’t make him go through it again.
Calm yourself,my brain hisses at me, finally delivering the mental pep talk I need.You have to get your act together. He’s just a friend. We’re not going backward. We’ve come too damn far to go backward.We weave through tourists at the airport as we head toward the security checkpoint, the tension growing thicker and thicker between us with every step we take.
Finally, we stop in front of the snaking line of people, and I check the board to make sure that I still have plenty of time until boarding my flight—which I do. With nothing left to stall us, I turn and face Tyler, who is looking at me with a strange expression on his face. We both turn at the excited groups of people coming out of the arrivals gate, laden with leis and sun hats and thrilled expressions on their faces.
It makes me smile, even if my heart sinks a little. “Wow,” I note to Tyler, catching his attention. “All of these people are soexcited to be getting here and starting their adventures, but it’s time for me to end my own.”
He snorts. “That was entirely too profound.” His sarcasm earns him a playful shove on the shoulder, and he catches my wrist in his grip, eyes sparkling playfully as he lays my palm over his chest so I can feel his heart thumping through his T-shirt.
“But that means it’s time for a new one to begin, doesn’t it?” He arches an eyebrow at me, a test I’m not sure how to pass. My insides are doing a million backflips while my face is heating up like the sun, and it seems like all of my brain power has zeroed in on the nerves at the ends of my fingertips, pressed against the thin cotton of his shirt, and the strong warmth of his fingers wrapped around the slender bones of my wrist.
I force myself to swallow and say some words. “I guess you have a point.” They seem to be the assurance he needs, because he tugs me closer, the heat of his body suddenly much hotter and his musky, soapy boy scent even more intoxicating.
We’re not going backward,I convince myself as Tyler loops his arm around my waist and pulls me against him.It’s just a goodbye.
“Ol.” Tyler’s voice is low and husky, hard to hear over the continuous din of the airport gate announcements and the shuffling of people. But still, my ears are tuned to him just fine, and I even let the nickname slide off my back, forgiving it this once because of the warm, gooey feeling in my chest. “I know what you said about us being together, and I’m going to respect it, but you know I can’t let you leave without doing this.” His face inches closer to mine, his breath tickling my nose. Everything comes sharply into focus all at once.
Tyler Ferris is going to kiss me.It’s an exciting and terrifyingprospect all at once. Something I’ve done a million times before but holds so much more significance now. When we broke up, we had no idea that the kiss we shared that morning at my locker would be our last. But now this is it—ourreallast kiss. And judging by the way he’s slowly inching toward my face and it feels like every nerve ending in my body is on fire, we’re about to make this one count.
“Ol?” Tyler says again, tantalizingly close. “I’m only going to do it if you say I can.”
“Y-you can.” I’m not even embarrassed at the stammering, clammy idiot I’ve definitely transformed into. All I can think of is those lips on mine and how good it’ll feel to have them there again andoh my god he’s kissing me he’s kissing me and how did I go without this feeling for all this time and—
He threads his free hand through my hair and tilts my mouth up to meet his, his tongue claiming me slowly, but with purpose. I forget where I am and loop my arms around his neck, a little moan of surprise escaping my lips and egging him on, encouraging him to kiss me harder and deeper and faster.
For a few seconds in the crowded airport, kissing Tyler feels like I’ve been transported straight to heaven.
That is, until a voice filled with hurt rings out, calling my name.
“Olive?”
Chapter Twenty-Six
I’m pretty sure that the betrayal on Jack’s face mirrors my own from two days ago, when I walked into his dorm room and saw him cozied up with Lilly. He looks like he’s been simultaneously punched in the face and seared with a hot iron, his expression an array of painful emotions.
“This is where you were the whole time, wasn’t it?” His voice isn’t angry, just quiet and hurt as I step away from Tyler with anger flaring deep in my belly. “You were with him?”
Tyler, choosing this moment to be territorial, juts his chin up defiantly and places an arm around my shoulder, always the protector. “What are you even doing here, man? She told you to piss off. So maybe you should go do that.”
I’m still struggling to catch my breath, blown away by our kiss, but I inhale slowly and calm myself enough to speak, my pulse no longer jumping in my throat. “What are you doing here, Jack?”
He holds up his phone. “I’ve been texting and calling you, and I got no response other than that one text you sent me. I—” Now he’s the one who looks out of breath, lowering his phone,his eyes nearly spilling over with tears. “I messed up, Olive. I was a complete ass. What happened with Lilly never should’ve happened, and as soon as you walked out of my dorm room, I knew that. It…it forced me to look at myself and think about a lot of things. And the conclusion I came to is that there’s nobody else I’d rather be with in this world than you.” His eyes are shining as he takes a step toward me, and Tyler’s arm tightens around me, which releases a burst of warmth in my chest. “You’re my partner in crime, Olive. You’re the one who I planned my life with, who I dreamed all our big future dreams with. There’s no other girl that could ever take your place, and I was a stupid asshole for even trying. Just give me one more chance, please. Please, Olive.Onemore chance.” He swallows and turns his full-wattage puppy-dog gaze toward me, blinking pathetically. It’s the same look he gave me for the first time in his dorm room when I caught him with Lilly, and whatever manipulative intention he has behind it, all it does now is turn my stomach as he keeps speaking. After a second, it’s clear he realizes the begging look isn’t working, so he wipes at his eyes with a dignified sniff.
“Jack,” I plead, frustration rising. “Enough of this. Go back to school and go back to Lilly and go back to living the life I don’t fit into anymore.”
