AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Thank you,” I say.
As I turn and run, Archie calls after me, “And try not to screw it up this time!”
I race through the concourse like I’m twenty years old again and playing football. The drive is on, the end zone, gate 46. The gate gallery is my open field. I break into it, dodging travelers with luggage in tow, toddlers escaping their mothers, airport electric carts… I scamper yard after yard, the ball is my heart, winning Winter back will be my touchdown.
I look up at the gate signs, numbers flying by.
Gate 25. I’m halfway there!
The momentary distraction almost makes me crash into a family of four assembled outside a newswire, but at the last second, I skim left and avoid smashing the teenage son to the ground by a hairbreadth.
I run on.
Gate 31.
Gate 37.
While I run, I scan the crowds for a white-blonde head.
By gate 42, I’m winded hard. I’m really not twenty years old anymore. But I summon the last dregs of energy and force my legs to pump forward.
When I finally reach gate 46, there’s a long line of passengers waiting to board the plane. The flight attendants are already letting people in.
Panic strikes.
Panting hard, I search the queue for Winter while my pulse speeds out of control, both from the physical effort and the fear that I’ve missed her again.
But then her unmistakable blonde hair waves at me like a signal flag in between two tall, athletic types, who, judging from the breadth of their shoulders, could be real NFL players.
“Winter,” I call. But the sound comes out half-strangled and not nearly loud enough for her to hear me.
Hands on my knees, I take a few deep breaths until my respiration goes back to almost normal.
“Winter,” I shout again. “Winter, wait!”
I walk up the line until I’m right beside where she’s standing.
“Winter!”
Her head finally turns, and her eyes go wide as they meet mine.
23
WINTER
Fatigue has officially fried my brain, because I’m hallucinating. I see Logan standing next to me in the boarding queue. But that’s impossible.
“Winter, wait… Don’t get on the plane,” phantom Logan pants, visibly out of breath. “I have to talk to you.”
Only his voice sounds real, and he looks real, and other people are staring at him, too, so… he must be real!
I gently push past the two hunks behind me and exit the boarding line. “Logan? Where did you come from?”
He bends over slightly, still panting. “Bar… Other side of the airport.” He points backward. “Dude behind the counter said you’d just left…”
“Mark?”
Logan nods. “Made a run for it on no sleep, no food, but I had an espresso so I guess I’m okay.”
