Chapter 16
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
brIAN
“Thank god,” I mutter when my phone dings in my pocket. I don’t know who it is, and I don’t even care.
Standing in airport baggage claim, at the bottom of the escalator from the terminals, I’m in desperate need of a distraction, even if it comes in the form of the mostly insane group chat I’m in with Ben, Jeremy, Asher, Gabe, and Jordan Wyles—Amelia’s brother-in-law and Ben and Jeremy’s best friend from college.
Best Bros Forever
Jeremy
Has the package been acquired?
Me
You did not just refer to my girlfriend—the love of my damn life—as “the package.”
Jeremy
Yeah, that was pretty bad.
So is she back?
Me
Her plane just landed.
Ben
You don’t seem happy about that.
Asher
Oh, he’s happy alright. And he’s also freaked the fuck out.
Jordan
Oh yeah, the big love declaration in written form!
Telling her you love her in a note you gave her to read on the plane? That’s gutsy, dude.
Me
Tell me something I don’t know. I’m losing my damn mind.
I should have waited. Told her in person. Then I could see her eyes. Her face. Know what she was thinking. Six months ago me thought I was Jane Austin or something. Six months ago me was an idiot.
What if she doesn’t say it back, and then I’m just a guy, standing in an airport, regretting every choice I’ve ever made.
Jeremy
Holy shit, I’ve never seen you so unglued.
Me
This is a text chain. You literally cannot see me.
Jeremy
Yeah, but I can feel your angst through the phone. It’s a brother thing.
In love Brian in a sight to behold.
Asher
Well, you may be nervous, but I think it’s romantic as fuck. Professing your love in writing and giving it to her six months ago, to read today? I die. It’s the best.
Ben
It really is. It’s the grand gesture to end all grand gestures.
Me
Only if it works.
Gabe
Okay so, like, I thought about not saying anything because you did start dating my sister behind my back and obviously there needs to be some sort of payback for that, but I can’t abandon a brother in his time of need.
I know Liv better than I know myself. She loves you. I promise. Now pick her up and bring her home. You’re not the only one waiting to see her.
Me
About that. Maybe we can push dinner to tomorrow? I haven’t seen my girl in six damn months.
Gabe
I’m so sure you didn’t just tell me to cancel my sister’s welcome home dinner so you can…what exactly?
Asher
Brian, my dude, don’t answer that.
Me
Do I look like an idiot?
Jeremy
If you cancel dinner, you’ll face Maddy’s newly minted teenage wrath, and I’m pretty sure you want to avoid that.
Me
Fine, dinner’s on. Assuming she still likes me after I professed my undying love for her in a damn letter.
Gabe
Seriously, Brian, you and Liv were made for each other. I’m really joking about the whole big brother thing. I love that you’re together, and I love watching how much you love her. It’s special, what you two have.
Asher
Fuck, Gabe. That made me all emo.
Ben
Same.
Jordan
Big brother coming in clutch.
Jeremy
Emma just asked me why my eyes are all red and teary.
“I love you, too.”
My head snaps up, my phone falling right out of my hand and clattering onto the polished linoleum floor of the airport at the sound of Olivia’s voice, and when I look up, there she is.
My breath hitches, my heart banging against my ribs as the airport freezes around me, the entire world shrinking down to the space between me and where Olivia stands.
Wearing a long cotton dress the same green as her eyes, her hair tumbles over her shoulders, and she’s beaming at me.
Mine.
All fucking mine.
“Did I break you?” she asks, amusement in her tone. And then, without giving me a chance to respond, she laughs and drops her bag to the floor, throwing herself at me.
I catch her on the fly, my arms wrapping around her, hers tight around my neck, her legs around my waist. And with her body pressed against mine, all space between us gone, I am finally, perfectly, home.
“Fuck,” I mutter, burying my face in her neck and breathing her in, everything inside me settling with her in my arms. “I missed you so fucking much.”
“I missed you too,” she says, her voice muffled and laced with a happiness so huge I feel like I could reach out and touch it. “Maybe you could just carry me around for a while? I’m not ready for you to let me go yet.”
“I’ll never let you go,” I murmur, pulling back just slightly so I can see her.
My eyes rove her face, trying to take all of her in at once, the love that swarms me so enormous it shouldn’t be survivable.
Leaning in, I press my lips to hers. Electricity buzzes under my skin as our mouths move together.
As I tease her lips open and taste her for the first time in months.
As she sighs, her fingers playing with my hair and her legs tightening around me as if any distance between us is unacceptable.
As we both forget entirely that we’re in an airport, surrounded by people.
Because we’re not. In this moment, we’re the only people in the world.
It’s the best kiss of my entire life.
“I love you,” I say, pulling back just enough to see her, stroking my knuckles over her face, my eyes steady on hers.
Her breath catches and tears fill her eyes, even as her smile grows.
“I love you so much. I’ve wanted to say it for months.
Even before you left. I think I’ve loved you for years.
Since the first day I saw you, Liv, I knew you were supposed to be mine.
I wanted to say it the day you left for Italy.
Every time we talked. Texted. In every letter I wrote to you.
But I’m glad I didn’t because nothing in the world could be better than this. ”
“I love you so much.” Olivia’s voice is raspy with unshed tears as she brings her forehead to mine.
“I tore open your letter the second I sat down on the plane in Italy because I have no patience at all.” She laughs, shaking her head.
“And it was the best flight of my life because I knew I was coming home to you. I’ve wanted to tell you forever, too, but I’m also glad I didn’t because this is the most perfect moment of my life. ”
“Shit,” I mumble, kissing her lips, her forehead, her cheeks, everywhere I can reach. “I want to take you home and lock the door and I don’t want to come out for, like, five to seven business days.”
“That,” she says a little breathlessly, pressing a kiss to my neck that makes me shiver. “Let’s do that.”
I groan, reluctantly letting her slide down until her feet are on the floor but keeping my arms firmly around her.
“We can’t. I think Gabe will actually murder me if I don’t bring you straight to his house.
He planned a whole welcome home dinner. I’m not supposed to tell you that Amelia and Elliot are in town with Clara, and apparently Maddy is primed to throw some kind of teenage tantrum if you don’t show up. ”
Olivia laughs, laying a hand right over my heart that I cover with one of my own. “I know; she called me four times in the last two weeks to make sure I was actually coming home. Apparently, I have some serious groveling to do for missing her thirteenth birthday.”
I lean in and kiss her again, unable to stop now that she’s standing right in front of me. “Two hours,” I say against her lips. “Then I’m taking you home. Don’t plan on leaving our bed for at least the next three days. I have some time to make up for.”
“What about work?” she asks, her eyes bright with amusement. “Don’t you have important offseason business to deal with?”
Grinning, I kiss her again. “Took the week off. If there’s important offseason business, someone else can handle it. I have something really, really important to do.”
“Oh yeah, what’s that?”
I kiss her nose. “I need to make love to my girlfriend as many times as I can until we both collapse from exhaustion. Then I need to sleep with her wrapped up in my arms until we wake up and do it all over again. I fucking missed you, Liv, and I’m going to spend the next week showing you exactly how much. ”
“Just the next week?” she asks, voice full of sass. “Doesn’t seem like you missed me all that much.”
Growling, I lean in and suck on her neck, flicking her pulse with my tongue until she gasps.
I pull away, cupping her face in my hands.
“I didn’t understand what it meant to miss someone until I missed you.
It was like my heart couldn’t beat without you.
Like I couldn’t take a full breath until I saw you standing in front of me.
You’re my love, my soulmate, the other half of me.
I love you, Olivia. Today, tomorrow, and until the end of our days.
Be mine, Liv. No one will ever love you the way I do. Need you the way I need you.”
“I’m yours,” she says, her mouth tipped up in a soft smile as a tear tracks down her face. Her green eyes are bright, her cheeks flushed with a happiness that makes my chest ache. She is the most beautiful woman in the world. “My heart beats for you, too. I love you, Bry. Forever.”
“Forever,” I manage, emotion clogging my throat.
When I kiss her, it’s full of joy and possibility, the promise of everything that lies ahead. And then with joined hands, we leave the airport and step into the most beautiful future.
Together.