Sweet Dandelion

A laugh bubbles out of my throat and I push him away, his stomach hard beneath my hands. “You’re so full of it.”

“Finish packing, Meadows. We nee

d to leave for the airport in an hour.”

“Right.” I lower my head, stomach coiling at the reminder of the flight waiting for me to catch.

He squeezes my hand as he passes. “It’s all going to work out. Don’t stress.”

I flash him a smile. “I know.”

I finish packing and in what feels like no time at all we’re piling into the taxi to take me to the airport. I told Ansel he didn’t have to come, but he insisted. Truth be told, I’m glad. It’s going to suck saying goodbye to him, but I know he’ll make sure I don’t chicken out and stay.

Since it’s the afternoon, the drive to the airport takes a little longer than normal, but is still too quick.

Ansel hops out, paying the driver despite my protests, and grabs my suitcase for me, wheeling it inside.

“Is Sage picking you up?”

I shake my head. “He doesn’t know I’m coming back. There are some things I need to do first.”

Ansel arches a brow. “Do what you have to do, Meadows, just don’t forget to call, write, send a carrier pigeon—on second thought, no carrier pigeons, I bet they shit everywhere.”

I can count on Ansel to make me laugh. We make it to security and I know it’s time to say goodbye.

“I love you.” Standing on my tiptoes I hug him tight.

“Love you too, Meadows. Don’t forget about me.”

“Never.” I kiss his cheek and step away, tears coming once more.

Grabbing the handle of my suitcase, I start to walk away.

“Dani! Wait!” His voice stops me when I’m barely twenty feet away.

He jogs the short distance to me, pulling something out of his back pocket.

My eyes rest on the envelope in his hands, my name in Lachlan’s writing on the front.

“You … you should read this.” He holds it out to me. I stare at it like I can light it on fire with my brain waves alone. “Meadows, read it, okay?”

I finally get my hand to take it. “You read it?” I squint at him, rubbing my fingers over the edges.

“Yeah.” He gives me a sheepish smile. “I know I shouldn’t have but when I saw it I knew it had to be from him and I wanted to see what he had to say.” He scratches the back of his head. Lowering his head, he whispers in my ear, “You were never going to choose me, not when you have someone who loves you like that.”

He grips my hands around the letter before backing away a step at a time.

“Read it, Meadows.”

He turns his back to me then and I watch him walk away until he’s gone from my sight. I look down at the letter clasped in my hands, tempted to toss it in the trash, but I don’t.

I have a plane to catch.

Chapter Seventy-Seven

The plane reaches thirty-two-thousand feet before I finally open the letter.

Dani,