Second Lanark

The Look of Love - Part 35

I looked at the arrivals board and clutched my overpriced airport balloon in my hand. I'd debated between 'Welcome Back,' 'I Missed You' and 'I Love You.' I'd decided that if I hadn't told him I loved him to his face yet, I couldn't really give him a balloon with those words, even if that was how I felt. 'Welcome Back' had felt impersonal, so I'd gone with the classic, 'I Missed You.'

I'd spent my two weeks at home glued to the phone, talking to Rob at every opportunity. When I wasn't on the phone with him, I worried about what would happen when I got back to university. Lark had disappeared after Cal left. We'd assumed she'd gone to her parent's friend's place to ride out the aftermath of our night out, but we didn't have any way to verify that.

I had no idea whether Coach Burton had managed to contain the initiation story or if I'd be going back to a swirling chaos there, too.

On top of that, I had this constant nervousness in the back of my brain about my night alone with Rob. The idea of sleeping with him made me equal parts nervous and excited. We hadn't really talked about it, but if we were going to be alone, finally, and I knew I loved him, it seemed like a no-brainer. Even if the no-brainer made butterflies congregate in my stomach, I was sure I wanted to be with him.

I watched the sliding doors that exited from baggage claim. Every time they opened, my heart kicked up a notch until I realized it wasn't him again. At last, I saw his brown head emerging through the doors and I moved forward, trying to catch his eye. My grin was so wide that it actually felt like my face might split in two. When his eyes caught a glimpse of me, they lit up. He dropped all his bags on the spot and ran over to me, scooping me up into his arms.

I laughed as he squeezed me tight.

"I didn't know I could miss someone that much," he said into my ear, kissing my neck.

A shiver of pleasure skated along my spine and I ran my hands through his dark hair, breathing in the scent of his cologne. Any time I'd walked past someone over the holidays who wore the same cologne, a shot of longing had pierced my heart. I didn't know what I was going to do if I didn't get the exchange.

He pulled back and his lips sought mine. His hands came up to cup my face as he pulled me deeper into the kiss. Normally these sorts of displays of affection embarrassed me, but it was like I'd forgotten we were even in an airport terminal. His lips finally released mine, and his brown eyes were bright. He looked at me, drinking me in, and I couldn't help but do the same. It felt as though I hadn't seen him in years rather than mere weeks.

"Thanks for coming to collect me," he said softly.

"Wouldn't have missed it for all the chocolate in the world," I said, rising up on my tip toes and kissing him again quickly. "You just left all your stuff in the middle of the exit."

"Sod it," he said, grinning. "I'd do it again in a heartbeat to get to you faster."

I smiled, feeling like my face might crack in half. God, I loved him and the words were perched on the tip of my tongue, but I couldn't seem to push them out. The air around us seemed to pulse with life and I was just about to say it, when a man behind Rob said, "Excuse me, sir. Are these your bags?"

Rob broke his eye contact with me to glance over his shoulder. "Indeed. Apologies. I'll collect it now." He moved away from me and grabbed his things. I moved to take one of his bags, but he shook his head with a grin. "Can't have my bird doing the heavy lifting. What do you fancy doing now?" Rob asked, adjusting one of the bags higher up on his shoulders.

Going back to the room, lying around with you. I didn't say this, though. Instead, I suggested, "Dinner?"

"Sounds brill," he said, and he overloaded one hand to reach for mine. He laced our fingers together and looked at me as he walked. "I'm so happy to be back."