“I’m sorry,” I say quietly, bringing her knuckles to my lips. “We have approximately three minutes until this plane leaves. Tell me right now you can’t forgive me and I’ll get off and you’ll never see me again. Tell me I still have a chance and I’ll come with you and show you every day how much I love you and love being with you.”
“There won’t be mattresses,” she sniffs, turning to face me.
“I know.”
“No home comforts, no coffee, no tea after the first few weeks. No internet, electric, chocolate.”
I smile softly. “Will there be you?”
“Yeah,” she replies, biting her lip. Her gorgeous eyes glitter with excitement. “There will be me.”
“And you’ll give me a do-over?”
Tears come with her laughter as she unbuckles her belt and wraps her arms around my neck. “I’ll give you a do-over.”
“Then I’m going wherever you are.”
When I kiss her she accepts it and returns it with equal passion. She tastes sweet and I wonder how I ever thought I could give this up.
“I’m making the selfish choice, Tempest. I’m keeping you even though it’s probably not the right thing to do.”
She shakes her head at me, looking amused. “I don’t care, we’ll take it one day at a time. Everything else can come as it comes.”
“Finally.” Cassius grins at us before taking the seat beside me. “I was wondering when you’d show up.”
I grin and kiss her again.
“There’s a stipulation to this though, Tempest. After this trip we have to go on a vacation of my choosing, with a pool, and a beach and waiters.”
She laughs, throwing her head back with it. “Deal. One hundred percent that’s a deal.”
I kiss her again, swallowing her laughter as Cassius makes gagging noises beside me. That is until I kick him in the shin with the back of my heel.
“It’s time for safety speeches,” somebody calls from somewhere on the plane.
“The things we do for love,” I grumble, kissing her one last time. “If I die, it’s on you.”
“Not even funny, Sarge,” she replies, slapping my chest directly over the tattoo I’ll reveal to her later. For now, I’m going to sit back, relax, and enjoy these last few hours of electricity with Tempest. Soon it’ll be sleeping bags and tents.
Maddox: Miss you both already. Look after her, Dad.
Sargent: That goes without saying.
THE END