Page 69 of The Flight Risk

“Lottie, you don’t understand.”

“What don’t I understand? Adam has fallen head-over-heels for you. I witnessed it firsthand. I am telling you that he is down bad for you and the way he held your face last night…”

“Wait, you saw that? I thought you were asleep!” I snap at Lottie.

“Hold on, he held her face?” Brooke asks in an annoyed tone. I know she’s mad that I didn’t tell her all the details from last night. I didn’t want to make something that wasn’t a big deal into a big deal.

“Yes, he held her face, like something you see in hmmm, I don’t know, an epic love story. God, I hope that one day a guy looks at me the way he looks at you. Loves me the way he loves you.”

I look at two mirrors in front of me, reflecting all the truths I’ve been avoiding out of fear and all the lies I’ve been telling myself.

“It’s the dream, Aunt Tess, and I won’t let you run away from love again.”

Brooke chimes in, “Neither will I.”

I know what they’re saying is true, but I’m terrified that I’m too late. Then Lottie says the one thing that gives me the final push.

“Go get your Matty, Aunt Tess.”

38

Irun through the hospital wing and make it to the elevator. I press the “down” button so many times I’m convinced the button is going to give up its integrity and cave in. The elevator doors finally open and there’s a huge part of me that hopes Oakley will be there waiting for me on the other side of the doors, like this is in fact a movie. Unfortunately, instead of Oakley, I’m greeted by three elderly women who move at a glacial pace out of the elevator. I squeeze past them and hit the “level 1” and the “close door” button all at once. I know he has training this morning so I need to get to him as soon as possible.

I reach in my purse to get my keys and that’s when I realize I didn’t bring my car with me last night. I called an uber because I didn’t trust myself to drive with how freaked out I was. I open my rideshare app and just as I’m about to request a ride, my phone screen blacks out. Shit. I was in such a rush I didn’t bring my charger and my phone just fucking died. I look up at the sky and say, “You are a hilarious universe.” And it’s then that I notice the ominous clouds encroaching. It looks like it’s going to pour. Almost like I summoned the rain, droplets fall on my head. I look up again, “Like I said, hilarious sense of humor.”

I back up slightly so I’m covered by the portico of the hospital. It’s starting to get chilly and I stupidly forgot my jacket in Lottie’s hospital room. I can see it right now in my head, draped comfortably over the uncomfortable lounger in the corner. How in the hell am I supposed to get to Oakley in time?

A cab pulls up to the curb, which seems like divine intervention. The hospital doors slide open and a sweet couple walks out, smartly opening an umbrella. Unfortunately, in the midst of rushing Lottie to the hospital, I didn’t have time or the brain compacity to look at my weather app and see that fucking hurricane-level winds and rain were coming through.

I need to take a chance, though. I jog toward them, trying to shield my eyes from the pouring rain. “Excuse me!”

They turn to me and I say, “I need to get to someone. It’s kind of an emergency. I don’t have a car because I came with my niece to the hospital because she had appendicitis and needed surgery and then this man. This sweet, wonderful, handsome, gentle man stopped by and checked in on us and I should have told him how I felt and that I’m so sorry for running away from him because deep down I didn’t want to and my phone just died and I can’t reach him or request any type of transportation.” Okay, I was not expecting to unload all of that to complete strangers, but here I am, standing in the rain, desperate. “Please, can I have your taxi?” And then I let my honesty come through fully, “I need to tell this man how I feel about him and I’m afraid that if I don’t do it now, I won’t have the courage to do it any other time.”

The older woman turns to her husband. They look at each other like they’ve been doing it all of their lives, and it warms me to my core. “Oh, Ed. Let’s help this woman. We can have them call another cab for us.” She taps him on his forearm, and he nods in acquiescence.

“Really?” And then I go in to hug these amazing people, but stop short because I don’t want to get their clothes wet in the process. I settle for an awkward wave. “Thank you.” I scoot into the cab and as the door closes, the husband yells, “Go get him, sweetheart. He’s one lucky guy!”

About twenty minutes later, the cab rolls up in front of Oakley’s house. I pay the driver and tip him excessively out of pure gratitude.

I get out quickly, slam the door behind me, and the car jets away. I run up the walkway to his front door. His garage door is closed so I can’t tell if he’s home or not. Here goes nothing. I bang on the door because stupid past me had to return the damn key like the final nail in the coffin of our relationship. The rain is coming down hard and I’m completely drenched. I bang on the door again. “Adam! Are you home?”

I stand there for a good minute. When there’s still no answer, I knock as hard as I can one more time. “Adam!”

No answer. Shit, he must have already left. I guess that makes sense. He wanted to get ahead of the storm. I turn, ready to give up and start walking down the stone path, when I hear his door unlock and swing open.

“Tess? What are you doing out there?” He waves me in. “Get out of the rain.”

“No.” I hold up my hand. “I need to say this before I chicken out and run away from you again.” He leans against the doorway and looks puzzled, because no sane person would voluntarily stay out in a storm like this. “I never thought I deserved love. I always thought love was a guaranteed way to get my heart broken.” My chest is heaving and my heart is racing. “But you. Your love. It healed my broken heart. You took me and Lottie in when you didn’t have to. You let me make a mess out of your immaculately clean, organized house. You were there for deep conversations about the future and weren’t scared to be vulnerable with me. You held space for me and the mess that I am.” I step toward him. “You even danced for me. To a Taylor Swift song, no less.”

His eyes crinkle deeply as he smiles in a way that makes my heart race and my knees weak. And yet, I’ve never felt stronger about the way I feel about this man.

I continue, “I know I broke us when I moved out, but I’m here now and I’m not running from love anymore. I love you, Adam.”

He takes a step forward, getting drenched in seconds. He takes my face between his large hands. “You didn’t break us, Tess. What we have. You and me. Cannot be broken.” He presses his forehead to mine, then says, “I love you too and I will dance to any song with you anytime you want.”

“Promise?” I ask it playfully and softly, almost inaudible. It’s a loaded question, even if it’s one word. It’s a powerful one. There were so many broken promises in my life and he’s the one person who has kept all of the promises he made to me.

“Promise.” He leans down further and rubs his thumb along my lips. I close my eyes and I’m sure when my eyes open again, I’m going to be in that hospital room beside Lottie’s bed. The reality is going to hit that I never ran down those hallways or stole someone else’s cab to get to Adam’s house. These moments are saved for the movies. Not for real life.