This time, I wasn’t going to let the realest thing that had ever happened to me slip through my fingers.
THIRTY-FIVE
Frankie
My foot tapped incessantlyagainst the marble-tiled floor.
We’d had to wait on the tarmac for over an hour, and I’d almost suffocated being stuck inside that hot plane. The moment I’d gotten off my flight, I’d made a beeline for the ticketing counter. Apparently, everyone going to Atlanta had some dire need to speak with a customer service representative, because the line was still ten people deep.
I’d tried calling Oliver, but it had gone straight to voicemail. I anxiously scanned my phone. There was only one more flight back to Key Ridge tonight, and I had to be on it. I didn’t even care that my luggage would still be routed to Atlanta; I’d get it later. All I knew was that Oliver was supposed to leave in the morning, and I couldn’t let that happen without baring my soul to him. I hoped it was enough.
I had to tell him I was in love with him.
Maybe not taking this job was about to be the craziest, most irresponsible move I’d ever made. Maybe chasing a guy was completely delusional. The only thing I was certain ofwas that ever since I’d come to this decision, I hadn’t stopped smiling. Joy radiated from me, the kind that I’d expected but had never appeared when I’d accepted that so-called dream job.
I felt free—free to run into his arms. Now I had to hope they’d still be open for me. Part of me was nervous. This was Oliver, after all. Allergic to commitment, hater of deep conversations, carefree Oliver. But underneath my nerves, I knew how he felt about me.
I’d be yours if I could.
Oliver had never said he hadn’t wanted me for keeps. He just wasn’t meant for the life I thought I’d wanted to live. A life I had now realized I didn’t want either. It couldn’t bring me the happiness I’d found in Key Ridge. I could confidently return to him now, excited to start the next chapter, whatever that may be. I had absolutely none of it figured out, but I didn’t care. He was all I wanted. We’d figure the rest out together.
The line remained stalled as I anxiously checked the time on my phone. I couldn’t miss this flight back to Key Ridge. I thought about calling Oliver again, but I wanted the big grand gesture. His face when he saw me knocking at his apartment door? It was too good to pass up.
I was barely aware of someone yelling something in the distance as I peeked around to watch in agony as the elderly woman at the front of the line fished around for something in her purse.
Then I heard it. The faint sound of my name. It couldn’t be though…
I jerked my head around and nearly choked on a laugh.
Oliver was sprinting down the moving walkway, dodging people and waving frantically with a huge grin on his face. “Frankie!” he called again.
The entire terminal was staring at him at this point, but he didn’t seem to care. Of course he didn’t.
His hair hung in his face and his eyes were brighter than I’d seen them in days.
I gasped and brought a hand to my mouth, leaving the line and jogging toward him. He caught me in his arms as I wrapped my hands around his neck. He kissed me and I wanted to sob with relief.
“What are you doing here?” I asked when we broke free.
“Getting the girl,” he said, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear.
His words nearly caused my heart to explode.
“I can’t believe you’re here,” I said, brushing my fingertips along his jawline.
“Well,” he said, squeezing his arm even tighter around my waist, “it was brought to my attention that you might be in love with me, and I thought it would be a shame to let you get on this flight without telling you that I’m in love with you too.”
“Y-you are?” I blinked the tears from my eyes.
“Very much.” His dark eyes searched mine.
I kissed him again, still not believing this was real life. Maybe Mattie had been right all along. Life could be a fairy tale, and this was mine.
When we finally parted, he raised an eyebrow and tilted his head.
“What?” My forehead crinkled.
“Don’t you have something to say to me?” he probed.
