Arabella
Well,that’s that then. I’m too late. I got out of the limo just in time to see the plane lift into the night sky and disappear. You’re probably wondering how I could possibly know which flight he was on? Easy—it said Greenland Air on the side.
Now, I’m sitting on a bench staring out at the dark runway with all its sad little blinking lights growing blurry through my tears. I blew it. He’s on his way to start his new life and maybe even find someone else with whom to share it. And I’m left here to spend the rest of my days pining for a man who once loved me until I pushed him away.
I shiver, wishing I’d brought a stole, because I’m not quite ready to get back in the warm limo and go back to the life I don’t want anymore, but I’m also freezing. I hear footsteps behind me, but I don’t bother to turn around. It’s probably Bellford carrying a jacket for me. I swallow hard, trying to force my face to suddenly look like I’m not crying.
“Is this seat taken?”
That’s not Bellford’s voice. My entire body reacts with a surge of joy. I look up and there he is.
“Will,” I say, tears filling my eyes as I stand and turn to him. “I thought I was too late.”
He stands on the opposite side of the bench, looking extra manly in his adventure man outfit. Smiling at me, he says, “I told them I’d meet them in a couple of days. I had something far more important to do here.”
“I’m so sorry,” I whisper. “I’ve been such an idiot.”
He steps around the bench without taking his eyes off me. “Well then, we’re perfect for each other, because I haven’t exactly been a real Einstein when it comes to our relationship.”
I chuckle and smile up at him while he wipes the tears off my cheeks. Taking a deep breath, I say, “I came back from Vienna all determined to chart my own course and to prove to myself I can be in charge of my own life, but then, for some stupid reason, I thought I had to do it alone, instead of trying to chart a course with the man I love. And I’ve spent these past weeks trying to convince myself I made the right decision, even though I knew I’d never be happy another day in my life, but thenthatthought seemed far too pathetic because I should be able to be happy without a man, shouldn’t I? So I did nothing until tonight, when it hit me that you were about to leave and I would have given up the only person I’d ever want to spend my life with.”
He opens his mouth to speak, but I hold up my hand. “No, please let me finish because we haven’t gotten to the bit where I beg you to take me back. Except with some caveats, of course. Obviously, if this is going to work, I don’t want you to keep things from me or make decisions for me. And if you do mess up from time to time, I have to stop dumping you. What happened at the beach house was really more of a fight-it-out, have-amazing-make-up-sex-and-move-on sort of thing, not a stomp-on-your-heart-break-it-off-forever thing.”
I pause and get caught up staring into his beautiful brown eyes for a moment. Just the sight of him so close takes my breath away. “God, but you’re gorgeous.”
He grins down at me. “Belle, it’s—”
“No, wait. I need to get this all out. I should have told you the truth weeks ago because the second I laid eyes on you at the studio for the finale, I knew I was never, ever, ever going to get over you. You were there looking so handsome and kind of sad even though you were pretending to be fine, and I should’ve just, I don’t know, kissed you hard on the mouth or told you I was still in love with you and begged you to give me another chance or—”
He leans in and kisses me hard on the mouth while he pulls me to him and lifts me into the air.
Oh wow.
This is the most amazing starting-over kiss in the history of kisses. It’s filled with passion and promises and complete abandon, even though, technically, we’re in a public place. But it is an airport and airports tend to make people emotional.
After a few delicious moments, I pull back, feeling absolutely wild with lust. “Wow, I forgot how incredible that is.”
“I didn’t,” he says, smiling at me. “But before we go too far and get ourselves arrested, here’s what I think you need to know about me if we’re going to start over. I’m going to make mistakes from time to time. That’s inevitable because I’ve never built a life with anyone before. Once in a while, I might make a spur-of-the-moment decision and it won’t be the best choice or I’ll say the wrong thing, but I promise that I’m very good at learning from my mistakes. And if you don’t want to go Megxit, that’s okay. We’ll make this work. Really, we will. And I won’t let the money thing get in the way anymore because you’re right. It’s stupid to let something like having a bunch of money get in the way of happiness. Now, Iamgoing to keep working because I love what I do, and I want you to keep doing meaningful work as well. But in between all of that, we’ll be together. And I promise to always,alwaystreat you like my partner in life. You’re it for me, Belle. There’s no one else I’m ever going to want. Just feisty, fierce, elegant, sexy, lovely you. Nothing is ever going to change that. Even if you change your mind and dump me again and never take me back, I’ll still be loving you from afar. Or, if this works out, when we’re old and wrinkly and sitting in a restaurant arguing over which entrée to split, it’ll always be you for me.”
My face screws up into an ugly cry and finally, when I feel like my heart is going to burst with happiness, I say, “God, you talk a lot. Can’t we get back to snogging?”
He laughs and shakes his head, then leans in for a lingering kiss. “I’m in love with you, Arabella. And nothing will ever change that.”
“Thank God, because I am so in love with you it makes me crazy and stupid and so happy.” We kiss again, and I’m just about to suggest we get a hotel room for the night, when I remember the gala I’m meant to be at. “By any chance, would you be my date for this evening? It turns out my gran stood me up.”
“I’d love nothing more,” Will says, and I can tell by the look in his eyes, he means it.
“Then let’s go.”
We hold hands as we walk toward the parking lot where Bellford and Norm are waiting next to the limo. Oh, and apparently there’s a woman standing next to a green Prius who seems to be waving at Will.
And for some reason, she has tears in her eyes. “I thought I’d wait around to see if you needed a ride,” she says. “You know, if things didn’t work out, but apparently they did because, wow, you two really made outa lotjust now.”
She glances at the limo. “Oh…you’re good, then.”
Will smiles at her. “Yes, thank you, Peggy. I’ll make sure to give you a glowing review.”
“Oh, that’s not why I waited, but thank you,” she says. She smiles at me. “He told me the whole story. He really loves you.”
