Chapter 43
The airplane wheels touch down with a soft jolt.
A tired smile tugs at my lips.
Finally.
Home.
There’s nothing like being back in Arizona after a long international flight.
The hum of the engines fades as the plane slows, taxiing toward the gate. I think about the moment, more than a week ago, when I landed in Thailand, and how happy I was that Nate and I wouldn’t be on the same return flight home. It’s funny how one week can change things so much—change my feelings.
I left Nate in Bangkok. Due to the upgrade, I had a different itinerary than he did. My flight departed first, but his got him home an hour earlier than mine. As I gaze out the window, I wish he were down at the baggage claim with one of his charming smiles, but I’m sure he’s already on his way home by now.
As soon as the seatbelt sign dings off, I switch my phone off airplane mode. A flood of notifications pops up, but one text catches my eye first.
Nate:
Landed an hour ago, but the back of the plane still hasn’t de-boarded. You’ll probably get home before me.
I snort.
Carly:
Maybe you live there now. I’ll visit.
Nate:
I hope you do. It’s the least you could do since I gave up first class for you.
Carly:
I thought you weren’t going to hold this over my head.
Nate:
I lied. I’ll probably hold it over your head for the rest of your life.
Carly:
Still worth it.
The overhead bins click open. Passengers shuffle into the aisle as I let out a slow breath. Almost there. I tap open Instagram out of habit, scrolling straight to my DMs.
Nothing.
Perhaps Mr. International is still flying home.
I gather up my stuff, and as soon as the cabin door opens, I step in line to walk off the plane.
I already went through customs in Seattle, so this is an easy trek through the terminals and then down the escalators to the baggage claim. But just as I funnel into the line of people waiting to step on the escalator, a notification pops up from Mr. International. I don’t have to open the app to read it.
@worth_traveling_to:
Hey, I just posted a new picture. Can you look at it and tell me what you think?
I glance to the top of the escalator, making sure I place my foot on the step. Then, I open Instagram.
It takes a second for my brain to process what I’m looking at.
The first picture on the feed is of Nate at the airport. He’s dressed in a black suit with a black tie—looking incredibly handsome—and he’s holding a white sign with my name on it. Carly Catterson. It’s just like how people do when they’re waiting for someone at the airport.
But the thing that my mind and my heart keep stumbling over is why?
Why is there a picture of Nate on Mr. International’s feed?
I blink a few times and look more closely at the picture, fitting the pieces together in my brain.
Then gasp.
It’s Nate.
Mr. International is Nate.
Tears rush to my eyes, and I blink them back as fast as I can.
Information comes to me in bursts, but I realize the picture of Nate is at the Phoenix airport. My head jerks up, eyes frantically looking around.
At the bottom of the escalator, Nate stands with a hesitant smile, holding the sign with my name on it.
We lock eyes, and his shoulders lift, as if he’s saying, I know. I can’t believe it’s me either.
I laugh as one tear falls.
All this time, it’s been Nate.
As I reach the bottom of the escalator, he steps forward, meeting me halfway.
“It’s you,” I whisper, still in shock.
He brushes a strand of hair back from my face, caressing my cheek with his finger. “It’s me.”
I shake my head in disbelief, fighting the tears that threaten to fall.
Nate’s hands go to my waist, tugging me to him. “Are you disappointed?”
Laughter bubbles out of me. “I’ve never been happier.”
Without hesitation, he pulls me into his arms, hugging me tightly.
And we laugh.
I cry and laugh, but mostly just laugh with joy .
Joy is a different kind of happiness. It’s deeper and more lasting. An internal feeling of peace and contentment. It’s not just about feeling good in the moment; it’s about something more steady and fulfilling. And it’s that feeling of joy that makes me realize I’m in love with Nate Farnsworth.
I think my heart always knew it would fall for him. He captivated me from the first day I walked into Voyager Travel, but my mind wasn’t ready yet. So the universe gradually brought us together until I was finally healed from Isaac and truly okay with being every different version of myself around him. Until I could stand here in his arms and not push him away or fight him.
Until I was no longer scared.
“I’ve been dying to tell you,” he says into my ear, and that’s when the flood of questions comes.
I pull back. “How long have you known?”
“Only a couple of days. Phi Phi Islands, when you talked about The Price Is Right. ”
“That’s why you went weird?”
“Yeah, it was a big shock, and then I got sick, but by the time I woke up with you in my arms the next morning, I knew.” He places a soft kiss on my forehead. “I knew I didn’t want to be without you. I just had to convince you too.”
“I think I was already convinced.”
“No, you were sure about Mr. International, but you weren’t sure about Nate Farnsworth.”
A smile spreads across my mouth. “I was more sure than I led on. I just didn’t want to admit it to anyone…even myself.”
He smiles too before leaning down and kissing me. It’s a different kind of kiss than we’ve shared before. It’s full of happiness, hope, and the possibility of a future.
He stops abruptly, holding my face in his hands. “And I don’t want you to be worried about work. I’m not Isaac, and I won’t?—”
I cut off his words with another quick kiss. “I know,” I mumble against his mouth. “You’re not Isaac. And if we can work this long together while hating each other, I’m sure we can figure out how to work together while liking each other.”
“Except, I don’t just like you, Carly.” His eyes stare deeply into mine. “I think I love you.”
I smile bigger than I have in my entire life. “I think I might just love you too.”
We both laugh again between kisses.
This is the most unexpected thing.
My office enemy—who was secretly my pen pal—has now become someone I love.
It’s going to take some time for my head to process all of that.
But I couldn’t have asked for a better ending.
I wanted it to be Nate.
I wanted it to be Nate so badly.