A Lover's Lament

I haven’t talked to Devin since yesterday. After he hung up, I received an email with his itinerary, and I haven’t heard a word since. Did I piss him off to the point where he didn’t want to see me? I told him that what I had with Wyatt is over—that it was over long before he came into the picture. Shouldn’t he trust me?

Running through the terminal, I find Gate 13, only there are people swarming everywhere. Weaving may way through the crowd, I get as close to the ramp as I can. Pushing up on my tiptoes, I jump around, trying to get a better look, but the crowd is too thick. And that’s when I realize … these people are waiting to board. I glance down at my watch and then elbow my way to the information desk.

“Excuse me,” I ask, tapping the counter.

The perfectly coifed woman looks up, clearly irritated with my tapping, but right now I don’t have time to give a damn. “Can I help you?” she asks.

“Flight 4402 from JFK,” I say, pointing out the window to a plane on the tarmac. “Did it just land? Are the passengers still on board or—?”

“They’ve already exited the plane, ma’am.”

“Shit,” I hiss, running a hand through my hair. My heart plummets inside my chest and tears prick my eyes. “Thank you.” I offer her the best smile I can muster, and then I turn to look for the sign indicating Baggage Claim.

“Miss?”

I spin around and look at the woman that just inadvertently ripped my heart out. And I’m not just being melodramatic. If I missed Devin, then I have no way of getting ahold of him. I have no phone number, no address for his mom’s house, and I have no idea what hotel he’s planning on staying at. Essentially, I’m all alone—in Pittsburgh of all places. “Yeah?”

“The passengers probably haven’t made it to Baggage Claim yet.” Yes! A smile creeps across my face and she returns it. “If you hang a left at the bathroom right there,” she says, pointing to the left, “go down the escalator and then hang another right, you can probably beat them. It’s a shortcut.” She winks, and I take off.

She was right. Baggage Claim was only a hop, skip and a jump away. The only downfall? This place is fucking packed. By the looks of it, every damn plane on the tarmac landed at the same time.

There’s no way I’ll find Devin in this crowd.

My eyes scan the room, and once again I’m hopping around on my toes, trying to get a good look but seeing a whole lot of nothing. What little hope I had is dwindling fast, and after a solid ten minutes of searching, I decide to call uncle. I’m exhausted, in desperate need of a shower, and my hair probably looks as though I stuck my finger in an outlet. And let’s not forget my heart … it’s pretty beat up right about now too.

Wrapping my hand around my hair, I pull it off of my neck before draping it across my shoulder. Now what? Spinning around, I readjust the strap of my purse and scan the room one last time before going to collect my luggage. People are bustling past me at warp speed, kids giggling and running around, men and women pushing their way through the crowd to get closer to the carousels. When I see a young woman throw herself into a man’s arms, it’s like a punch to the gut.

That should be me.

Tears spring to my eyes, and I take a step toward the baggage carousel when I catch a glimpse of camouflage. A wave of people walk past me, but my feet are rooted in place as I wait with bated breath to see what—or who—will be waiting for me when they pass. As though Moses himself was there, the sea of people part, leaving me with a perfect and uninterrupted view of—

“Devin.” The sound of his name on my lips sounds distant and foreign. Everything around me is one big blur, streaks of color trying to break the hold my eyes have on the soldier in uniform.

There’s a tingling in my chest that I’ve never felt before, and as I suck in a hopeful breath, waiting for him to look up, my chin starts to tremble.

He’s looking at me, his gaze wandering around my body, and when his eyes finally make their way to mine, that tingling in my chest radiates outward, shooting sparks of familiarity to all parts of my body. The hair on the back of my neck stands up, my hands shake and those tears that had been welling up in my eyes finally decide to burst free.

Devin takes a hesitant step … followed by another … and then another. Finally kicking into gear, my feet move forward, but I only get a few steps before two warm arms wrap around me, dragging me in close. A sob rips from my chest as I bury my face in his neck. Fisting my hands in the front of his jacket, I anchor myself to Devin.

“Katie.” His warm breath fans the side of my neck. I can’t imagine what we look like to everyone else, two people holding on to each other for dear life, both of us—well me, for sure—afraid to let go in fear of what could be lost.

Loosening my grip on the front of his jacket, I slide my hands to his back and toward his neck, holding him to me. My fingers move to tangle in his hair, only there isn’t much hair, so I do the next best thing—the thing my heart is aching to do.

Cupping his face in my hands, I pull back just enough so I can look in his eyes, which are swimming in tears. Without breaking eye contact, I drag his mouth to mine and our lips crash together like waves on a shore.

My eyes drift shut, my head tilting to the side to give him better access. He takes the invitation willingly and pushes his tongue into my mouth, sliding deep, exploring and tasting.

Devin’s hands are everywhere—gliding down my arms, gripping my waist and then sliding up my back before finally settling. One hand wrapped around my neck and the other pressed firmly against my lower back, he holds me close to him. Our bodies are flush, not a lick of space between us. His heart is beating so hard that I can feel it against my chest, and his body pressed against mine is the sweetest thing I’ve felt in a long time. It feels like just yesterday we were doing this for the first time.

Devin pulls back and my heavy eyelids bob open. “I missed you so much,” he mumbles, his lips brushing against mine. The sound of his voice causes shivers to run down my spine, and I tighten my grip on him.

“I missed you too,” I say, my body relaxing against his. He groans and his lips find my cheek, my nose, my chin, my neck … they hit on every place they can reach before landing back on my mouth. Only this time, the kiss is sweet and gentle, completely different than the one just a minute ago.

So many things are running through my head and being said right now … so many emotions being conveyed. Relief. Comfort. Happiness. Regret.

Devin’s grip loosens and I close my eyes tightly, desperate to stay in

this perfect little bubble for just a few more moments—not wanting to let reality and unspoken words tarnish the here and now.