look at him through half-hooded eyes and slowly drag my tongue across my bottom lip before biting it gently. “Sounds delicious.”
His mouth drops open and his eyes widen. “God, you’re sexy, woman.”
“Just take me home, Zack.”
“I like the sound of that,” he says, this time sounding more content than sexy.
I do too.
Chapter Twenty-Three
“I’m going to miss you, you know.”
Zack leans his forehead against mine at LAX. We’re standing at the airport, saying good-bye before I leave to pack up my condo and spend one last week in Minneapolis with my parents and Mia before we both move to opposite sides of the country. I try to enjoy our last few minutes alone, while conscious of the looks we are getting from passerby’s. I know I need to start getting used to seeing cell phone cameras clicking away whenever I am with Zack, but it’s still such a foreign thing
Like Zack promised, after the scene at Rue21 we were all over the blogosphere. And very little was flattering about the words they called me. Gold-digger, Midwestern tramp, hussy, were just a few of the names I was called over the last couple of weeks. It sucks, big time. I’m able to roll my eyes at the gold-digger comment; I was perfectly fine supporting myself. But the other ones just hurt. I’m tempted to begin doing all my grocery shopping on-line so I don’t have to stand in a grocery store checkout lane seeing horrid pictures of myself with Zack on the cover.
“I’ll miss you too.” I sniff and try to prevent tears from filling my eyes. “It’s only one week just to pack. You’ll be so busy finishing up writing and working on the album you won’t even notice I’m gone.”
“I’ll know you’re gone every time I lay down in my bed and you’re not there.”
I can’t deny the flip my stomach does thinking about what we had done in his bed that morning…and then the pool table. Oh, that had been fun. My grip around his waist tightens just thinking about it. “I love you, you know.”
He leans forward and kisses me. It’s a completely inappropriate kiss give that we’re surrounded by so many cameras and in such a public setting, but I don’t care. I want to be with him as much as possible, as close as possible, while I still have the time.
“I love you, too. So much, Nicole.” His deep rough voice sends a shiver down my spine. As if on cue, my flight is announced and I know I have to leave him to board.
I give Zack another, chaste kiss, and wave good-bye with tears in my eyes but a smile on my face. I want to throw myself in his arms and say screw my condo and everything in it. Besides the clothes and a few keepsakes nothing is important anyway. I can’t bear to leave him again. But then I shake my head at the thought. I’m a big girl, and it’s only a week. The time will fly by and soon I’ll be back with Zack. I sigh and wave good-bye one last time before getting in line to board the plane.
I reach my condo late at night. Kicking off my shoes at the door and setting down my suitcase and purse, I look around and wish, for possibly the hundredth time since leaving L.A. I could hop on a plane and head straight back. Everything in my condo represents my life when I was afraid to move on. Knowing I have Zack waiting for me makes me want to pitch it all and leave without ever looking back at the person I was in my grief.
I still can’t believe how deeply Zack has become a part of me. But in times like this, it’s overwhelming in the best way possible to know how much he loves me. Just thinking of him brings a smile to my face.
I send a text to him.
Home safe. Miss you already. Luv you
He responds almost immediately. I giggle at the thought that he’s been sitting around doing nothing except waiting for me to send a message. I’m sure he wasn’t, but it still makes me smile.
I started missing you before your plane even took off. Hurry home.
Home. To Zack. My smile grows even bigger. But then I start feeling stupid smiling to myself all alone in my condo so I stop. And look around some more. It’s late, and the last thing I want to do is