Skye didn’t think that even came close to capturing how she felt about Ben. There weren’t enough sonnets or love songs to describe how her heart soared when he looked at her. Everything faded to a blurry haze and all she could see were his eyes. Eyes that she wanted to wake up to everyday. Eyes that told her she had found home with him. Eyes that said he loved her. Skye knew it sounded insane to say that after knowing him only a month she wanted a future with him, but it felt so natural and right to be with him. This moment, these months ahead of them, felt as unnatural as anything. They weren’t supposed to be apart.
“Yes. I’m one hundred percent in love with him.” She hung her head. “But I was afraid to tell him before he left. I should have told him. Everything happened so quickly. It was like all of a sudden we found each other and then I had a week to say goodbye.”
“You can still tell him. It’s never too late to say ‘I love you’.”
“It’s not, is it?” Skye started imagining all the ways she could tell Ben how she was feeling.
“Never too late. Now let’s go eat.” Faith wrapped her in a hug before they headed inside.
Skye knew she had a friend in Faith like no other.
One Month Later
“Have any packages arrived from me yet?” Ben sounded excited on the other end of the phone.
“You sent me something?”
“Yes, want to know what it is?”
“No, I want it to be a surprise.” Skye hugged her knees to her chest. With the time difference they didn’t talk nearly as often as she wanted.
“I love your kind of surprises. Especially ones with black lace and—”
“I hope no one can hear you right now.” Skye giggled. What she wouldn’t do to slip on that naughty piece of lingerie and parade around in front of him. She’d even throw in a can of whipped cream.
“There’s something I’ve been wanting to ask you.”
Skye sat forward. His voice had changed from playful to serious. “What is it?”
“I didn’t know how all of this would work out until I got here, that’s why I haven’t mentioned it before.” He paused. “But, a lot of the guys over here are putting in for their two weeks of leave. We can take time off during the deployment. So, I was thinking I could spend my two weeks with you.”
Skye wanted to leap off the bed. Her hands started shaking.
“Skye, you still there?”
“Yes, yes I’m here. I’m just surprised.”
He laughed. “Well, I was worried it couldn’t happen so I was afraid to mention it before. I didn’t want to get your hopes up and then have to disappoint you. So, here are your choices: Japan, Australia, Alaska, Hawaii, or…”
“Wait, you want me to meet you somewhere?”
“Yes, baby. I’ll fly you almost anywhere in the world. Where do you want to go for two weeks? I’ll cover the entire trip.”
“I can’t let you do that. It’s too much. I can afford it.”
“Skye,” his voice darkened. “I know you can afford it. I know you make tons of money, and you’re a successful businesswoman. I want do this for you. Let me.”
“Ok. In that case, where do you want to go?” She couldn’t believe he was on the phone asking her to meet him on the other side of the world. The butterflies were in rocket mode in her stomach.
“With you? I don’t give a damn. Two weeks with you in a prison would be awesome. You pick. Every place over here is beautiful.?
?
“When can you take leave? What are you thinking?” Skye would pack tonight if she could fly to him tomorrow.
“I need to put in for my leave about a month ahead of time, so sometime in June. How does that sound?”
Another month without his strong hands and rock-hard chest was going to be tough to bear, but it was better than five more months. Seeing each other during the summer would break up the deployment. This was the best gift he could ever give her.