Chapter 36
Evelyn
“Where’s your gate?” Jameson says, eyes scanning the departures screen above us as I fumble with my boarding pass.
I look at the signs next to the screen. A Gates are to the right, D Gates to the left. My flight says it has started its pre-boarding. I turn to Jameson with a heavy ache in my chest, because I’m not ready to say goodbye for real.
“I don’t want—”
“I’ll walk you there,” he interrupts, reaching for my hand and intertwining our fingers. “I still have time.”
Hand in hand, we walk briskly toward the D Gates, and I groan when we have to ride a tram to the concourse.
I worry I’m going to delay Jameson getting back to his own gate in time, because it is at the completely opposite end of the terminal from mine.
But he’s holding my hand tight, like maybe it doesn’t matter that much if he gets bumped to a later flight.
As we emerge from the tram, I see the sign for gate D7 up ahead.
There’s still a big crowd waiting to board, so I breathe a sigh of relief. Made it.
“There’s your brother,” Jameson says, pointing to him in line.
Theo spots us approaching and steps out of line, throwing his hands up at me in exasperation. “Jesus Christ, Evie, I’ve been calling you. I thought you weren’t going to make it.”
“Sorry. My phone’s dead,” I say sheepishly, because I slept in Jameson’s hotel room last night (again) and forgot to borrow a charging cable.
It’s going to be a long flight home without music, but I’m so damn tired from the chaos of this weekend that I’ll sleep most of the flight, anyway.
“Where’s Addy?” I ask, looking over his shoulder.
Only Hailey, John and Tyler are in line.
“She and Liam aren’t here yet,” Hailey tells me, throwing her head back with a groan. “But she just told us she’s nearly here.”
“Yeah, because she answers her phone when I call her,” Theo says, giving me a pointed glare.
I study the agents at the desk, and they’re checking boarding passes at a calm, leisurely speed. This line isn’t moving fast. I still have time to say goodbye.
Tugging on Jameson’s hand, I pull him over to an empty row of seats for some privacy.
When I tilt my chin up to look at him, I feel like I’m going to cry.
I do not cry over men, so it’s obviously the sleep deprivation—but also a little bit because I know exactly what I’m going to be missing in my life from now on.
And that’s a drop-dead gorgeous man from Atlanta who calls me baby girl and kisses me earnestly and saves me from all of the trouble I get myself into.
“I hate that this is what you’ve done to me,” I say, pouting at him. “Turned me into a girl who wants to cry over a guy she’s only known for a weekend.”
Jameson clasps my waist with both hands, pulling me in closer. “Two weeks from now, I have the day off work for Labor Day. I was thinking maybe I could fly in to visit you. Even just for the day. It’s a short flight.” His brows raise hopefully.
“You’d do that? You’d really come visit me?”
“Well,” he says with a laugh, “I like you, and you live in Florida, and if I want to see you again, then yes, Evie, that means I have to catch a flight to make it happen.”
Two weeks. I can survive two weeks without seeing him again. Two weeks, in fact, is a lot sooner than I ever expected to see him again. My smile stretches across my face and I feel my body tingle.
“Yes! I’d love that, Jameson. I can show you my place near campus!”
“Speaking of college,” Jameson says, and his hands move from my waist to around the small of my back, enclosing me in a tight embrace.
Our faces are only inches apart, his green eyes as vividly entrancing as always.
“I’m going to really show my age here, Evie, but .
. . Pay off that damn Michael guy the second you get back, okay?
Then study. Hard. No cheating this semester. ”
“Oh, don’t even sweat it,” I say. “This weekend has been an eye-opener for me. No more cheating on exams, no more robbing strangers, no more assaulting men with stilettos. I’ve had my Vegas fun, now it’s time to get my head down and work hard so I can—” My body tenses as I blink at him with devastated realization.
“Oh my God, Jameson. I have criminal charges now. Do you . . . Do you think I’ve ruined my chances of getting my nursing license?
No one will ever hire me now, will they? ”
“Evie, it’s misdemeanor assault in Vegas on a bachelorette weekend—you can explain it. You have not ruined your future, I promise.”
I glance back over my shoulder, and the boarding line is shrinking. Theo and the others are nearly at the desk, but I still don’t feel ready yet. I meet Jameson’s gaze again and feel my lower lip wobble.
“I should go . . .”
“I got you something,” Jameson says with a smile. Letting go of me, he sticks a hand into his pocket and holds up an orange wrapper. “Reese’s peanut butter cups. Your favorite.”
“It’ll just be my luck someone on this flight has a nut allergy,” I grumble, and Jameson laughs as he pushes the chocolate into my hand.
“Go,” he murmurs, “before they close the gate.”
I loop my arms around the back of his neck and memorize the curve of his mouth one last time before whispering, “Kiss me before they do.”
Jameson slides his index finger beneath my chin, tilts my mouth to his, and kisses me in the slow, tender way that weakens me at the knees every time.
It’s delicate and careful; mesmerizing and romantic.
Not for the first time this weekend, I think: I am so fucking thrilled this man sat down at the slot machine next to mine.