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A sad laugh escapes her before she says, “Tomorrow will be perfect. I have no doubt. I hope it’s perfect for more reasons than just me getting married, but if for some reason things don’t play out how we hope, I want you to know I’ll be there for you, okay? You’re my brother, and I love you.”
“Thanks. Whatever happens can be ignored until after. It’s not like we haven’t been doing that for months.” My eyes shift to the floor, not wanting her to comment on how difficult that’s been for me.
Thankfully, she doesn’t want to go down that rabbit hole either. “True. So, you’re good?”
“For now.” I fake the best smile I can. “Areyougood?”
“More than good. I’m great! I can’t wait to be married.”
I harness all my focus to put solely on my sister. “Then let’s get you married,” I say with a much more genuine smile this time.
“Okay. Everyone should be here by five. I’ll meet you in my room at like quarter after? I’ll start my walk to the altar from there.”
“Got it,” I confirm. “I’ll be back in a bit.” Digging my keys out of the pocket of my jeans, I head to my Jeep.
DEAN
WhythefuckamI so nervous? I rub my sweaty palms against my well-worn jeans before pushing the sleeves of my flannel above my forearms. I swear it’s not usually this hot inside airports.
I scan the arrival screen again. It didn’t take more than a quick search to find her flight—there was only one that left Thailand around the time she texted me and connected to Eugene in time to get her here for the wedding.
The wordArrivedappears in white text next to American Airlines Flight 882 on the monitor above my head. She should be here any minute. I doubt she bought a suitcase since I saw her last, but she still has to walk through the baggage carousels to get to the Uber pickup area… or regular pickup even—perks of living in a town with a tiny airport. I doubt Avery has time to get her considering her rehearsal dinner is tonight. Plus, I would have seen her by now if she was waiting here too.
I haven’t seen Mack either.
My stomach flips at the thought of him, and my eyes scan the room for the hundredth time. What the fuck am I doing here? Is there any way she’s going to choose me over him? They have so much history and so many ties. How can I ignore that level of connection when family is more important to me than anything?
Anything besidesher.
She said we could talk, but I’m not sure she meant she wanted to be ambushed at the airport. She’s never been upset with me for showing up on a whim in the past, but this is different. I might not be the only one with this idea. Fuck, I’m worried. I take a deep breath.
I’m confident that I absofuckinglutely love this girl as much as she deserves. Maci said that Mack gave her a sense of security she never felt with me, but I can give her that. I can give her the love and safety that comes with years of knowing someone because I’ll never leave and we’ll have the rest of our lives together. We’re meant to be together. We found our way back to each other when we least expected it. There’s no way we aren’t soulmates, and I'm praying that today the other half of my soul comes home with me forever instead of leaving me behind for good.
Maci says she doesn’t believe in being fated for one person, but our connection can’t be explained any other way—how else would she find me on a small, local beach in a different country?
A new flood of people exit the hallway into baggage claim. Some of them hurriedly make their way to one of the three conveyor belts, anxious to be on their way. Others are slow moving, looking exhausted after traveling.
And then there’s Maci.
The moment I spot her it’s like I’ve been punched in the gut. My breath catches, and anxiety unlike anything I’ve ever experienced knots my stomach painfully. She’s frozen in place as families weave around her. Her phone is in one hand. Her other hand is pulled inside the sleeve of her green school hoodie, pinching the string between her fabric wrapped fingers as she chews on the plastic tip. Her eyes are locked on mine.
She blinks hard as if she thinks I’m an illusion, and I can’t tell if she hopes I’m real. There’s no way of knowing until she decides to walk toward me or walk away.
Except fuck that.
I didn’t come this far to only come this far. I catch half a step and a half a smile, but by then I’m already winding between other travelers to get to her. I come to a stop a foot away.
God, she’s cute. Her chocolate brown hair is knotted on top of her head. Her skin still holds a perfect tan from her month on the beach with me. Her black leggings hug her thighs perfectly, reminding me of how much I love being tangled in the sheets between them. Seeing her reinforces my need for her to always be tangled up with me, in my life. I need her more than I’ve ever needed anything, and this is the moment where I find out if she needs me too. She’s close enough her breath warms my skin, and I see the small gold specks in her brown eyes as she looks up at me. “Maci.” Her name comes out with relief, as if I thought I'd never get to say it again.
I hear a small thud as her backpack slips off her shoulder and hits the carpeted floor, but every other chaotic airport sound around us fades.
Her body collides with mine before I even have a chance to wrap my arms around her and pull her to me, and any residual doubt I had about being here disappears like the space between us. We stay that way for at least a minute, clinging desperately to each other in the middle of the airport as people detour around us to get to their carousels.
Pulling back slightly, I grip the side of her face and run a thumb across either cheek. Tears threaten to spill out of her eyes.
“I love you, Maci. I love you so fucking much. I always have, and I always will.”
The unexpected sob that breaks out of her startles me. Her cry racks through her as she shakes against me, pulling us together by her grip on the back of my shirt. Her hands twist into the fabric like she never wants to let go of me again, and it’s the best fucking feeling.
