ANABEL

 

When I reach the door, I close my eyes, my head tilted backward so that the warm rays of sun can kiss my face. I inhale deeply, the saltiness from the ocean filling my lungs. The soft breeze swirls loose curls around me, lifting them in the air and messing my dark locks.

The whole scene brings back memories. Memories of another day, just like this one. The day I made a decision that took me across the ocean and brought me so much. There were good moments and bad moments, but in the end, it doesn’t matter.

That day, that decision, brought me William Price, and I would do it all over again—the good, the bad, and the ugly—just to have him in my life.

I’m finally done.

The presentation of the thesis went well, and now I’m officially a college graduate with a master’s degree.

I’m finally free, and I can go to him.

Last time when I left the States to come back home and resume my life—my normal life—William came all the way to Croatia to win me back. This time I’m going to him willingly. I’ll tell him about everything that’s been going on through my mind for the past few weeks and hope he’ll have me regardless.

Opening my eyes, I take a step down the stairs, I have to get back home and finish packing but I stop, shell-shocked.

I blink a few times, and then a few more just for a good measure before I run down the stairs so fast my feet trip over each other almost causing me to fall. But I don’t, thank god. That wouldn’t only be embarrassing, but also dangerous.

He’s waiting for me next to our bench. The one where we kept on kissing after he came to get me the first time around. His arms are open.

Inviting.

I run into them. And as soon as I’m within reaching distance he pulls me in. His big, strong hands wrap around me and he lifts me to his chest. My legs wrap around his waist and my hands tighten around his neck.

With my hand settled in the crook of his neck I let myself breathe him in. His clean, spicy scent and Will.

My Will.

“What are you doing here?” I finally manage to utter.

Those first few minutes after we see each other after weeks or even months are always filled with silence. It doesn’t matter where we are because in our world only the two of us exist.

We hold onto each other close. Never letting go. Never loosening our hold.

It’s just us and this feeling of finally being complete.

Belonging.

His nose traces my neck, and I can feel him inhale my scent. “I couldn’t stay away much longer. Not when I knew you need me here. Not when I miss you so damn much it hurts.”

“I miss you too,” I whisper against his skin, kissing the hollow between his shoulder and neck.

Moving just a bit, I cup his scruffy cheeks.

His brown hair is messy and chocolate eyes have bags underneath them. He probably came straight from the airport.

“I came to your apartment, but you weren’t there.”

“I had to come to school. It’s the defense of thesis day.”

“What?” His brown eyes widen. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

I shrug, my fingers digging into his messy locks and massaging his scalp. “I planned to tell you once I got to the States.”

This surprised him even more. “What the actual fuck?”

Laughing slightly, I kiss the tip of his nose, trying to placate him. “My flight leaves in a few hours. Or, well, was supposed to leave in a few hours.”

“You were coming to me,” he whispers, sounding almost shocked.

“I was coming home.”

A smile slowly spreads over his lips. “You’re my home too, Tinkerbell.”

His lips seal over mine, kissing me slowly. The first touch of his lips on mine is always the best.

Slow torture.

I’ve missed his kisses so much I want to plunge into him and devour his mouth, but at the same time, I want to feel every single thing.

Every emotion.

Every breathe.

Every beat of his heart.

I want to feel it all.

His hands cup my butt, holding me in the air, so I pull at the strands of his hair, bringing him closer to me.

I tilt his head to the side and trace his lower lip with the tip of my tongue. His mouth opens and lets me in, our tongues mingling together.

At the first touch we both moan loudly, the sound muffled by the kiss. I feel his hands grip my cheeks tighter. Pulling me closer. My heels press into his back and our centers rub against each other. Need pools between my thighs at the feel of his hardness cradled between my legs.

“I’ve missed you so much,” I murmur softly between kisses.

Will changes the direction of our kiss. One of his hands slides up my back and gets lost in my loose curls.

“Me too … So much.” He angles my head the way he wants it and his tongue goes in deeper. Demanding. Needy. “I love you.”

I don’t remember how, but we end up on the bench. I’m sitting in his lap and we’re kissing like two horny teenagers in the backseat of the car with curfew looming over our heads.

Eventually, we slow down and separate. I slowly open my eyes and look at him. His lips are red and puffy, swollen from our kisses and there is an amused tingle of light in his brown eyes.

Pressing my forehead to his, I let my fingers straighten the messy strands, waiting for the panting to stop and my heart to slow down.

His hands cup my cheeks, his eyes tracing every line of my face. I see his smile slowly drop when he sees underneath my façade.

Tired eyes. Purple bags. Prominent cheekbones.

“Did you go to the doctor, like I said?” His fingers trace lightly under my eyes and over the cheekbones. “You look like shit.”

“Seriously?” I pout. “If Emily was here she’d wash your mouth with soap.”

My attempt at a joke fails miserably.

“If Mom were here now, she’d agree with me and punch me for not making you go to the doctor sooner. This doesn’t look like being too tired from lack of sleep and extra hard work in school.” He’s all serious now. Worry written all over his face. “I don’t want you to be sick, Bel. If something were to happen to you and …” He gulps down, hand rubbing over his face in distress. “If anything happens to you, it’ll kill me.”

His voice sounds small and pained. Like even thinking about the possibility of something happening to me causes him physical pain.

I can understand it, because there is no way I could survive if something happened to him. Breathing in to calm my raging nerves, I let the words stumble from my lips in a hurry.

“I have to tell you something.”