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“I wouldn’t ask you to do that, Carter.”
“Well, I guess I just want to drive the point home, that I take this very seriously.”
“Understood.” She looked up the sky. “Would you mind if we left the beach? I’d really just like to spend the last couple of hours back at your place.”
I lifted myself off of our blanket and offered my hand to help her up. “Let’s get out of here.”
We spent the rest of the afternoon making love in my bed with a slow intensity that hadn’t existed before our talk. With my offer and admission of love, our relationship had just moved to another level, and I had to trust that her being away from me wouldn’t change anything between us.
As much as I was ready to dive head first into everything with her, there was still a small part of me that worried that today could be the last time I saw her. Crazy, right? After everything we’d been through. Maybe that was the part of me that still felt like I didn’t deserve to love this intensely when Lucy couldn’t.
The sun had almost completely set as we drove to the airport. Kendall wouldn’t let go of my hand. It felt so strange not taking her with me to Venezuela. It was as if I couldn’t remember what it was like to fly without her.
When we arrived at Miami International, I parked in the spot that the airline reserved for me. Neither one of us moved to exit the SUV as we just stared at each other until I finally cupped her cheek and pulled her into a passionate kiss.
“Perky, please don’t forget this, how right this feels.”
“I won’t. I couldn’t ever forget it, Carter.”
Her flight was two hours after mine, so she’d have to leave me at the gate for my airline and linger around the airport until it was time to head to her flight on a different airline.
One of the stewardesses, Renee, passed by us. “Good to see you’re back on, Trip.” She then winked at me.
I knew exactly what Kendall was thinking, and she was right. That flight attendant had been just another notch on my belt some time ago. It sickened me, especially now that I knew what it felt like to have meaningful sex with someone. I looked at Kendall and wanted to scream, “Stop looking at her. She doesn’t matter!” We just didn’t need this right now. It only added to the stress of our separating.
After a quiet few minutes of silence, I pulled her into a hug and whispered in her ear, “I have to go.”
Her tears moistened my pilot’s shirt as she said, “This feels surreal.”
“I know, but it’s only temporary. We’ll be back together again soon.”
She sniffled. “Okay.”
Lifting her chin to meet my eyes, I said, “P.S. I love you.”
She could tell from my expression that there was more to that sentiment than just me stating the obvious.
“A Beatles song?”
“Yes. But that one really matches this life moment, probably more than any of them.”
“I love you, Carter.”
“I love you, Perky. Promise me we’ll talk on the phone and figure out when we’ll be back together next.”
“I promise.”
“I’m gonna be thinking about you the whole flight. You know that, right?”
She playfully grabbed my collar. “You’d better be.”
“I’ll miss you.”
“Sing a song for me, Captain.”
“You can guarantee that.” I hugged her one last time, squeezing her tightly. “Fuck. I can’t let go.”
She pushed back and wiped her eyes before waving me away. “Go. You’ll be late.”
