Ellie's boyfriend kissed her goodnight and disappeared without a trace, never to be seen again... until now.
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A week before their high school graduation, Austin and Ellie parted ways with a goodnight kiss, thinking they'd be seeing each...
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⚠️ This is my warning that there is smut in this chapter. If you don't want to read it, skip ahead to the next one. (Mamma, det betyder att DU inte ska läsa.)
I was at the airport early, eagerly awaiting Austin's arrival. We had a full week ahead of us. No work, and no demands. Just us, free to be together, and I was beyond excited. There was so much I wanted to do and so much I wanted to show him.
A lot had changed since he moved away. People had left, stores had closed and others opened. A new housing developments had been built, but the essence of the town remained the same. It wasn't so small that everyone knew each other, but small enough that I knew where everything was located and had my favorite places to go. People were friendly, and I couldn't wait to experience it with Austin. His first time back in Willow.
My leg bounced up and down as I sat in a chair with my eyes glued to the arrival area. I knew from the big screens that displayed all departures and arrivals that Austin's flight had landed. Since he didn't have any luggage other than his carryon bag, I knew it wouldn't be long before I'd see him. And that made me about as anxious as I was excited.
I scanned the area while my heart pounded hard inside my chest. There were so many people milling around that it would be easy to miss him, but then the doors in the back opened again, and a few people stepped through, including Austin. He stayed in the back of the group and I knew it was on purpose, but I could still see his face as he moved towards the exit. The second his eyes met mine, his face split up into a sly smile. And damn if it didn't feel like an electrical current to my heart.
Holy shit. He looked good.
Austin picked up the pace and walked with a purpose straight towards me. It surprised me to see that he didn't wear a baseball cap. His hair had grown out a bit. He kept it longer on top and shorter on the sides, and had a couple of days' old stubble on his chin.
I got up from the chair to meet him.
The smile on his face widened the closer to me he got, and I realized he had no carry-on bag, just the same old duffel bag he brought to all our meetups, slung over his shoulder. He looked so casually cool. I was pretty sure he drew the attention of several other women, but I didn't care because he was coming to me.
"Baby," he sighed into my hair as his arms wrapped me up in an embrace and I was squeezed against his chest. I softened against him and closed my eyes, inhaling the familiar scent, allowing myself a few seconds to just breathe him.
"I missed you," I whispered and swallowed the lump in my throat.
"Missed you too, but I'm here now." Austin pressed a soft kiss to my lips before he stepped out of the embrace and took a steady grip of my hand. "Take me home, babe."
