He sighed, leaning against the dresser. "They're killing us, babe. I can't very well go jetting halfway around the world with you. I'm ready for some normalcy. Plus, bet your ass that dickhead will figure out a way to go along."
I stood up and slid my arms around his waist. With my head rested against his chest I could feel the light thumping of his heart. "I'm ready to be normal too. I'm just afraid it'll hurt me if I turn them down."
"They're assholes for even putting you in this position. How long will you be gone?" he asked, running a hand along my spine.
"A month."
"Shit, seriously?" He shook his head, unsure of what to say. "I mean, what am I supposed to do? If you're gonna go, you're gonna go. I'll go back home and take care of things, I guess." He ran his hand over his wet head, a sure sign that he was frustrated. "I just have a sneaky feeling this won't be the last surprise trip this year. I'm not ready to throw in the towel on this relationship, but I'm not going to lie, I want you with me. Not constantly on the road."
I almost couldn't believe the words coming from his mouth. It was amazing to think how far we had come. Alec had been cautious from the beginning of our relationship. When things got serious he pushed me away, fearing a steady relationship would interfere with medical school. The fact that he was showing so much patience only proved how committed he was to keeping us together.
"I want that too, believe me. I'm going to work this out. After this event, I will not accept another one this year."
"What about those other two big events you were talking about? RT and BEA, or whatever they're called?"
"Damn, you're right," I said, groaning. In the midst of everything else that had happened during the past couple of months, I'd forgotten about how much I was looking forward to those two events. I was already signed up for both, so I wouldn't want to disappoint anyone by dropping out. "I'll fix it," I whispered, even though I had no idea how.
He nodded, cupping my face. "Don't stress about it, babe. I don't mean to freak out on you. This is your job. I realize that, but I'm also done talking about it right this second. I can think of a better way to spend our final hours together."
He tugged off my shirt and proceeded to show me what he meant. All talk of book events and travel schedules was suspended as we lost ourselves in each other's bodies.
***
I awakened the next morning an hour before my alarm was set to go off. Turning on my side, I studied Alec's features in the dim light. To me, he looked younger than his age when he slept. Maybe it was the boyish expression on his face. I wanted to reach over and touch him, but I resisted the urge, not wanting to wake him. During the past few days out relationship had seemed to reach a deeper level of emotional understanding. I felt complete and fulfilled being with him. In a few short hours I would have to hold on tightly to that feeling as we boarded planes going different directions.
I climbed carefully from the bed before I could cave in to the urge to cling to him and beg him to take me back home. Closing the bathroom door behind me, I decided to soak in a hot both, readying myself for the next few hours.
"You sure you have everything?" Alec asked two hours later, sweeping the room one last time with his eyes.
I smiled at how well he knew me. Despite my best efforts, I always managed to leave something behind at every hotel—a bikini top, the left shoe to my favorite pair of sandals, a book I'd been reading, earrings I got for Christmas. Personally, I blamed it on gremlins sneaking into my room and taking my things.
"Triple-checked," I reassured him, patting my pocket to make sure I still had my phone.
"Like that means anything," he chuckled.
"Well, obviously if I forget something this time it will be your fault," I replied, sticking my tongue out at him.
I'm sure our light banter was a mask to hide our true emotions. Anything we could do to prolong the inevitable sadness of saying goodbye at the airport.
The car I had prearranged was idling at the front of the hotel with our bags loaded into the trunk when we stepped outside, hand in hand. Alec held me snugly against him during the short drive to the airport. There wasn't a lot of traffic to slow us down, and before we knew it the driver was pulling to the curb at my terminal. Alec was flying out on a different airline and would be dropped off at a different location.
The driver hopped out to grab my bags from the trunk while Alec and I stepped from the car. "I'll call you when I land," I said, embraced in his arms. I could feel him nod, but he didn't comment. It was difficult to think of how unfair all of this was to him. He originally showed up in Philadelphia to propose to me. Instead, he walked into my betrayal and the sudden news of another month of me being away from home. Neither of us had mentioned the small jewelry box since the first time he pulled it out in the hotel room. Inside the box sat a symbol of our future together. A future I couldn't see, just as I hadn't yet seen the ring.
Alec tipped my head back and dropped a deep, lingering kiss on me. I slipped my tongue between his lips, wanting to taste him one last time. "I love you. And you belong to me," he said, against my mouth.
"Only yours," I murmured as my eyes filled with tears. I would never doubt him again. Hopefully he felt the same.
I walked away with my mind so wrapped up in Alec that I passed through security in a haze. They could have asked me to strip down naked to be searched and I wouldn't have flinched. As I reached my gate, I searched for the most isolated seat I could find and slipped on my
headphones to be alone with my thoughts, without interruption.
Chapter 22
My first few days in Seattle were mostly business as usual. I attended a large book event with multiple authors signing and then a dinner with my agent, Jillian, and a few other authors whom she represented who also attended the signing. Jillian made reservations at a swanky restaurant that specialized in sushi and other seafood delicacies that excited everyone but me. Raw fish wasn't my thing. The mere thought of it made my skin crawl. I stuck to something I was certain my stomach could handle, ordering noodles.
"I bet you're sick of being on the road," commented Jana, an author I'd been friends with on social media for years, as she dipped her California roll in sauce.
"You have no idea," I laughed, trying to make light of it.