Chapter Fifteen
Tristan opened the passenger door of his sleek sports sedan; a model that rivaled the sunshine yellow rental, aside from the colour. His car was a shade of blue I swore he’d asked the dealership to match to the colour of his eyes.
He was quiet, and I had nothing to say, or at least nothing of importance. All I could think to speak of was the beauty of his vineyard and how the day had a brighter disposition than I was feeling.
Needless to say, the drive to the airport was full of thoughts and silent whispers.
He drove with both hands on the wheel of his car, jaw set, eyes forward.
The radio stayed off. Whatever had filled the space between us all morning lingered now, quieter but heavier.
The weight upon my chest anchored me to my seat, and if nothing else, proved I was ready to move forward with my life. With Tristan.
It meant adding complications, but I was ready.
The airport tower came into view on my right, and something inside me tightened.
This was the part where real life reclaimed its territory.
He pulled into a parking spot and eased to a stop. While the car idled, engines hummed around us, voices echoed, and luggage wheels rattled over concrete. People hugged quickly. Others waved and moved on. Everyone seemed to know exactly what came next.
Everyone but us.
We sat there for a beat longer than necessary.
“Well,” he said finally, clearing his throat. “This is you.”
I nodded, fingers curling around the strap of my bag. “Yeah.”
Neither of us moved, the softs inhales and exhales of breathing filled the space.
I turned toward him, taking him in; the familiar lines of his face and the softness that hadn’t been there when the weekend began. He looked the same. And yet, somehow, completely different.
“Thank you.” My gaze focused down as the tiny pinprick of tears made an appearance. The words felt inadequate, but it was true. “For... all of it.”
As I swallowed, I chanced a glance at my unwritten future.
His mouth curved into a small smile. “Anytime.” As if trying to keep things from tipping too far, he said, “You ever need another driver to help you find the best viewing spots, you know where to find me.”
I huffed a laugh, grateful for the opening. “I thought you specialized in complications, not travel plans.”
That easy, lopsided grin that had undone me more than once over the past couple of days surfaced again, but this time with a shrug. “Sometimes they’re the same thing.”
The smile lingered, and softened with the shared heartbeats, and once again, the space between us shifted.
I hesitated, forcing my voice to have strength. It faltered. “I wish you could drive me home.”
His breath caught enough to make my heartstrings vibrate.
“I’m not really ready to leave you,” I added, the words tumbling out before I could second-guess them.
For that breath of innocence, he didn’t joke. Didn’t deflect. He took me in, eyes steady, expression open.
“I know,” he said softly. “Me neither.”
The simplicity of it nearly broke me.
He reached out, brushing his thumb over the back of my hand where it rested on my bag. It wasn’t a kiss or a promise, but the contact I needed to stay grounded and sure.
“You don’t have to decide anything today,” he said. “About me. About us. About what comes next.”
I swallowed and nodded. “I know.”
“But,” he continued with a sure and steady voice, “you don’t have to pretend it didn’t matter either.”
I met his gaze and let a small bubble of hope tease my lips. “It mattered.” More than he’d ever know.
That was the truth I was taking with me.
Outside, a flight announcement crackled over the loudspeaker. My stomach dipped.
I opened the door and stepped out, the cool air brushing my skin.
He followed, pulling my suitcase from the trunk and setting it beside me. For a second, we stood there, facing each other, the world flowing around us.
“I’ll text you when I land,” I said.
“I’ll be waiting,” he replied, no hesitation.
I surprised myself by leaning in, pressing a brief kiss on his lips. Not the movie version, not dripping with passion. More like a promise, but it lingered all the same.
“Take care, Anna.”
“You too, Tristan.”
I turned slowly, as my shoulders sagged, dreaming of ways to run into his open arms and declare all I didn’t yet have the courage to speak.
Inside the terminal, I joined the stream of travelers, checking in, moving forward on instinct. I didn’t look back right away, too afraid of what it might cost me.
But at the security line, I paused and twisted around.
Through the glass, he still stood there, hands in his pockets, watching. When our eyes met, he lifted his hand in a small wave.
Something loosened in my chest. Something settled too.
I waved as my shoulders rolled inward. One step at a time, I pushed forward.
As I reached the gate, my phone buzzed. Two messages from Tristan.
Safe travels.
Don’t forget calm isn’t the same as happy.
I smiled, tucking the phone into my bag as I found my seat.
When the plane lifted off and the city shrank beneath the clouds, I stared out the window, heart full yet aching and somehow oddly hopeful.
My life was waiting for me.
But now, I knew that life wasn’t the only thing that was real.
And that changed everything.