Chapter Twenty-Five #2
I look him in the eye and hope I can convey the answer sitting inside my own brain, the one I won’t speak aloud just in case Tyler or Ella overhears. I won’t. For a second, I seriously doubt my telepathy skills, until Lucas nods in appreciation, a look of understanding on his face.
He pulls me into a quick, awkward hug, giving me a pat on the back.
“It was nice seeing you again, Olive.” His voice is gruff and maybe a little bit emotional, but it’s hard to tell when he’s mumbling into my shoulder.
“Have a safe flight home. See you again soon?” He pulls back and locks eyes with me, a challenge there.
“Of course,” I lie, pasting on a smile. “I’ll be back before you guys know it.”
Lucas looks pleased at this, nodding carefully.
As if that’s the cue, Tyler and I say our final goodbyes, give Mele little kisses on her chubby cheeks, and head out to the car. Even Tyler looks glum as he waves goodbye to his niece, though his trip isn’t over.
“It makes me a little sad,” he explains as he turns the key in the ignition, as if he’s reading my thoughts. “That the next time I come back to visit, she’ll have grown so much. I wish I could live here.”
“Why can’t you?” My question shocks both of us, and Tyler turns to me in surprise.
I rush to clarify. “I mean, you’ve always been about last-minute, spur-of-the-moment kinds of adventures.
Moving to Hawai?i after graduation seems exactly like the type of thing you’d do.
You know how your mom wants you guys to connect to your roots more.
” I don’t mean it as an insult, more so that I’m jealous of Tyler’s ability to be so carefree and spontaneous with everything, but my words still seem to sting him, shuttering his expression.
He nods and we continue the drive to the airport in silence.
“I know you think I’m totally reckless,” he says quietly after a few minutes, nothing but the hum of the tires taking up the sound in the car.
“I know I don’t have a ten-step life plan the way you do.
But moving across the entire continent—hell, off the entire continent, without a job and leaving my parents—is a little reckless even for me, don’t you think?
Even if it meant connecting with my heritage. ”
I’m still in damage-control mode, but I surprise myself with the words that come straight from my heart, meaning every single one.
“I don’t think I’d call that reckless. You have family here, and a niece that you want to see grow up.
A huge part of your ancestry comes from this beautiful place that you want to learn more about.
It’s not the same thing as if I decided to drop everything and come here, you know?
I’d have nobody. But you’d be following your family.
That…that seems like a pretty good life plan to me.
And certainly more exciting than my riveting plans of an accounting degree from community college.
” I briefly wonder what life would’ve been like if Jack hadn’t done what he did, and if we were still dating.
I didn’t have any plans to come out to the University of Hawai?i with him, but what if he’d decided to stay here after college?
Would I have had to shift my entire life plan to accommodate him? Would I even want to?
I can’t help but think that if Tyler was factored into the equation, maybe I’d at least consider the idea.
Tyler’s still nodding along as I finish speaking, deep in his own thoughts. “You know,” he finally says after a second, flicking on his blinker and merging into the lane that will lead us toward the airport departures. “You have a point. Maybe that isn’t the worst idea.”
My chest glows with pride at the compliment, and at finally being able to do the one thing I hadn’t been able to do with Tyler in all the time we dated—convincing him to think about his life plan.
But then my stomach practically bottoms out at the follow-up thought—that I may have convinced the boy I’m falling for to move five thousand miles away from me. Again.
How many people does that happen to twice? I mentally kick myself for even suggesting the idea, but I don’t have much time to dwell on it, because soon we’re pulling up to the airport and Tyler is swerving off into the parking garage, stopping the car and hopping out.
“What are you doing?” I ask, puzzled as he opens the trunk and takes out my suitcase. “I can get to my gate in one piece, I think.”
He nods. “I know. Just wanted to walk you up to security, you know? Make sure you get there okay.”
I eye him warily as we start walking in step with each other toward the airport entrance. “I can get to security just fine.” I take my suitcase from Tyler as we walk through the double doors into the lobby, the rush of cool air greeting us and making the hairs on my arms stand on end.
Tyler throws his hand up in a You caught me gesture. “Okay, fine, fine. I want to spend a little more time with you before you have to go. Is that such a crime?”
If I thought my chest was glowing before when Tyler complimented me, it’s a full-on sunbeam pouring out of me now.
“No, that’s definitely not a crime.” And as excited and fizzy as my blood feels at the prospect of getting to spend a few more minutes with Tyler, I can’t get Lucas’s stern expression or pleading voice out of my head. Don’t make him go through it again.
Calm yourself, my brain hisses at me, finally delivering the mental pep talk I need.
You have to get your act together. He’s just a friend.
We’re not going backward. We’ve come too damn far to go backward.
We weave through tourists at the airport as we head toward the security checkpoint, the tension growing thicker and thicker between us with every step we take.
Finally, we stop in front of the snaking line of people, and I check the board to make sure that I still have plenty of time until boarding my flight—which I do.
With nothing left to stall us, I turn and face Tyler, who is looking at me with a strange expression on his face.
We both turn at the excited groups of people coming out of the arrivals gate, laden with leis and sun hats and thrilled expressions on their faces.
It makes me smile, even if my heart sinks a little. “Wow,” I note to Tyler, catching his attention. “All of these people are so excited to be getting here and starting their adventures, but it’s time for me to end my own.”
He snorts. “That was entirely too profound.” His sarcasm earns him a playful shove on the shoulder, and he catches my wrist in his grip, eyes sparkling playfully as he lays my palm over his chest so I can feel his heart thumping through his T-shirt.
“But that means it’s time for a new one to begin, doesn’t it?
” He arches an eyebrow at me, a test I’m not sure how to pass.
My insides are doing a million backflips while my face is heating up like the sun, and it seems like all of my brain power has zeroed in on the nerves at the ends of my fingertips, pressed against the thin cotton of his shirt, and the strong warmth of his fingers wrapped around the slender bones of my wrist.
I force myself to swallow and say some words. “I guess you have a point.” They seem to be the assurance he needs, because he tugs me closer, the heat of his body suddenly much hotter and his musky, soapy boy scent even more intoxicating.
We’re not going backward, I convince myself as Tyler loops his arm around my waist and pulls me against him. It’s just a goodbye.
“Ol.” Tyler’s voice is low and husky, hard to hear over the continuous din of the airport gate announcements and the shuffling of people.
But still, my ears are tuned to him just fine, and I even let the nickname slide off my back, forgiving it this once because of the warm, gooey feeling in my chest. “I know what you said about us being together, and I’m going to respect it, but you know I can’t let you leave without doing this.
” His face inches closer to mine, his breath tickling my nose.
Everything comes sharply into focus all at once.
Tyler Ferris is going to kiss me. It’s an exciting and terrifying prospect all at once.
Something I’ve done a million times before but holds so much more significance now.
When we broke up, we had no idea that the kiss we shared that morning at my locker would be our last. But now this is it—our real last kiss.
And judging by the way he’s slowly inching toward my face and it feels like every nerve ending in my body is on fire, we’re about to make this one count.
“Ol?” Tyler says again, tantalizingly close. “I’m only going to do it if you say I can.”
“Y-you can.” I’m not even embarrassed at the stammering, clammy idiot I’ve definitely transformed into.
All I can think of is those lips on mine and how good it’ll feel to have them there again and oh my god he’s kissing me he’s kissing me and how did I go without this feeling for all this time and—
He threads his free hand through my hair and tilts my mouth up to meet his, his tongue claiming me slowly, but with purpose. I forget where I am and loop my arms around his neck, a little moan of surprise escaping my lips and egging him on, encouraging him to kiss me harder and deeper and faster.
For a few seconds in the crowded airport, kissing Tyler feels like I’ve been transported straight to heaven.
That is, until a voice filled with hurt rings out, calling my name.
“Olive?”