“Oh, no, thank you. It’s not heavy,” I said when he mentioned something about the duffel on my shoulder.
It was in fact heavy – packed with a bunch of snacks and trinkets I’d collected for Lia over the course of five weeks. But I didn’t feel like sitting. I preferred standing by the massive window and staring out at the crowd milling under the enormous concourse. It was oddly comforting. It made me feel less alone, and less crazy for coming here in the first place.
Not that the crazy ship hadn’t already sailed.
The lack of sleep had me seeing things more than usual today. Every man in a suit reminded me of Julian, despite the fact that none of them looked remotely like him.
There was no looking like Julian Hoult, especially not Julian Hoult in a suit.
I still remembered the head to toe impact he had on me the first time I laid eyes on him in that elevator.
Staring blankly out at the crowd, I remembered the blue of his eyes, the way they pierced easily right into me. I remembered the way his lips curled in the slightest bit of a smirk, and I could see it now as I stared over the hundreds of heads at my gate.
I could actually see Julian.
“Miss?” The man who’d offered his seat stood up.
My pulse was racing. I didn’t realize I’d dropped my bag to the floor till he picked it up and offered it to me.
“I’m sorry,” I said hastily, blinking hard and murmuring something else about being fine, though I wasn’t sure I was.
My eyes were wild as they returned to the spot they’d seen Julian. It was empty now, but through the crowd, a silver glint caught my eyes. It was low – below hip level – but I followed it like a shooting star, confirming to myself that it was his Rolex before my eyes traveled up the sleeve of his suit, my heart jumping out of my chest when I finally looked up and saw him walking toward me.
In a tailored blue suit, parting the dense crowd of travelers and flight attendants, Julian Hoult was walking toward me.
Oh my God.
I didn’t blink. I didn’t want to lose him, and I didn’t even realize I was pacing toward him till I saw his lips faintly turn up.
Oh God.
That smile.
I felt the same adrenaline I felt my first time on the back of his bike. It rushed through me so fast and so forcefully I couldn’t breathe. Our steps quickened and slowed in unison as we closed the long gap between us, and I dropped my bag at our feet when I was finally close enough to confirm I wasn’t seeing things.
He was real, right in front of me, and for several moments, I held my breath and just stared.
“You’re here,” I said finally.
“I’m here,” he murmured, the sound of his voice rolling like a blanket over my skin. I drew in a deep breath, closing my eyes when I felt tears burning them. I shook my head when I felt his hand touch my cheek and reduce my voice to a whisper.
“How did you…?” I opened my eyes and studied every inch of his face to ensure myself that this was Julian. My Julian. The one who loved me, and not the one who sent me away. “What are you doing here?” I asked. His answer almost buckled my knees.
“I came to take you home.”
The tears fell despite the soft laughter escaping my lips. “Did Lia…?” I asked.
“Send me your flight information? Yes,” Julian chuckled, pulling me close and letting my tears seep through his shirt. I felt eyes from every direction on us as I cried, but I didn’t care. I was so fucking relieved I just didn’t care at all.
“I didn’t realize the deal fell through, Julian. I would’ve –”
“Don’t worry about that,” he said, cupping my face with both hands and thumbing away my tears. “That was the last thing I wanted you to think about.”
I shook my head. “You worked so hard for that deal, Julian,” I said, my voice breaking. “It couldn’t have been easy for you to let go of. I know that.”
“It wasn’t. But it was still easier than letting go of you.”
Julian’s chest rose and fell under my palms as he let out a breath. It was short, barely there, but I heard the sound of his pain and guilt in it. I saw the same in his eyes when I looked up at him.