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He nodded slowly, as if deciding. “Follow me,” he said curtly.
With a grateful nod, I fell into step behind him as he led me to an express lane they had for situations like mine. My gratitude toward Officer Daniels couldn’t be overstated as we bypassed the winding line of passengers.
Once through security, thanks to Daniels’ help, I bolted toward the departure boards—massive screens filled with destinations and flight numbers. My eyes scanned quickly for United flights; there were several departing soon.
The terminal was a living organism—a cacophony of announcements and conversations, children’s laughter mingling with the roll of suitcase wheels on tile. My gaze darted from face to face, searching for those distinctive electric blue eyes and chestnut curls that would stand out in any crowd.
There! A flash of blue—no, it was just a scarf wrapped around another traveler’s neck. My heart lurched with each false alarm.
The pressure mounted with each passing minute; time was slipping away like sand through my fingers. She could be boarding right now, heading off into her life without ever knowing how much these last few days had changed me.
I weaved through the crowd, sidestepping a child chasing after a rolling toy car and nearly colliding with a man buried in his phone. Excuse me’s and sorry’s fell from my lips in an endless stream as I pressed on, relentless in my search for Trisha.
Another glimpse of chestnut curls had me quickening my pace—only to deflate when the woman turned around and her eyes were brown, not the striking blue that haunted my dreams.
The digital clock above gate C14 mocked me as it ticked closer to boarding time for JFK—my arbitrary destination based on Trisha’s wake mention. With each passing second, hope dwindled. Had she already passed through one of these gates? Was she already soaring above the clouds while I was stuck on the ground?
My breaths came quick and shallow as panic threatened to take hold. But giving up wasn’t an option—I couldn’t let it be. Not when so much was left unsaid between us. Not when every fiber of my being screamed that she was worth every effort.
With determined strides, I continued my search through the bustling airport—hoping against hope that fate hadn’t taken her from me just yet.
I raced past a blur of shops and faces, each step propelling me forward with a mixture of dread and determination. Then, like a lighthouse cutting through the fog, I saw her—Trisha, standing near a gate that wasn’t JFK but Baltimore. My heart stalled and then kicked into overdrive.
“Trisha!” I called out, my voice threading through the hum of airport life. Elbowing past a couple dragging their luggage, I closed the distance between us.
She turned at the sound of her name, her electric blue eyes widening in surprise. “Blaze? What are you doing here?”
The final boarding call crackled over the intercom, igniting urgency in my veins. I reached her just as the attendant began to close the gate.
“Trisha,” I said, breathless from both the run and the swell of emotions threatening to choke me. “I had to see you—to tell you...”
Her gaze searched mine, confusion etched on her beautiful face. The air between us crackled with tension and unspoken questions.
“I realized something after I left last night,” I continued, my voice steady despite the chaos inside me. “I don’t want to say goodbye—not now, not ever.”
Her lips parted slightly, but no words came out. She just stood there as if time had stilled around us.
“Stay with me,” I pleaded, the weight of everything we’d shared hanging in the balance. “Let’s see where this goes.”
The gate agent cleared her throat impatiently, but we were in our own world now—one where only our choices mattered.
EIGHTEEN
TRISHA
The hustleof the airport blurred into the background as I spotted him, an unexpected anchor in the sea of travelers. Blaze stood there, a touch of disbelief etching his rugged features as our gazes locked. I couldn’t help the flutter in my chest, a mixture of surprise and something more potent.
“Trisha,” he breathed out, and I heard my name like a melody from his lips.
“Blaze,” I returned, feeling a smile spread across my face despite the whirlwind of emotions. The distance between us disappeared in a few strides, and before I knew it, we were wrapped in an embrace that felt like coming home.
“I didn’t think I’d see you again,” he admitted, pulling back just enough to search my eyes.
“Neither did I,” I said, the honesty in my voice mirroring his. “But here you are.”
He nodded, a gentle seriousness taking over. “I need to tell you something—something important.” His hands rested on my shoulders as if grounding himself. “I haven’t stopped thinking about you since last night. You’ve been... you’ve changed things for me.”
My heart raced with his words, warm and unexpected, like the sun breaking through on a cloudy day.
