Page 97 of Pieces of Us

Amity rolls her eyes. ‘Of course. Where else would she stay? Dad, it’s not like I’m not old enough to know what you two get up to when she comes to visit.’ My dad chuckles while Rome and Jas smirk, but it’s Lily’s stiffened posture that draws my curiosity.

A nervous laugh escapes Uncle Mark’s mouth, and I’m definitely intrigued by his awkward behaviour.

‘Right, well, I guess we’ll both see you then. It’s only a couple of months.’

‘We really should get going, Hart,’ I prompt.

Her eyes bounce around the room once more before she extracts herself from her dad. ‘Take care, yeah?’ she tells him. He nods. ‘I’ll call you when I land.’

‘And me,’ Lily chirps.

‘And me,’ Rome adds.

‘I’ll text or call all of you.’ With a small smile, I help her with her bags. I have so much I want to say, but at the same time, I don’t want to overwhelm her or scare her with the enormity of my feelings.

I place her bags in the boot of my car and open the door to the passenger side.

As I punch in the quickest way to the airport into the navigator, I see Amity fidgeting with the hem of her flowy black dress. She looks comfortable, casual, but stylish at the same time. It might look like an ordinary dress, but the way she wears it and accessorises it, she looks like a model who’s escaped the pages of a fashion magazine.

‘Linc?’ Her murmur cuts through Siri talking.

‘Hmmm?’ I’m partially focused on the traffic jam, and partially distracted by my thoughts that these are our last moments together.

‘My flight isn’t for another five hours.’

Wait. What? My head snaps in her direction as the car jerks from my sudden braking.

She has a look of mischief in her eyes as she places her hand on my knee. An instant thrill zips up my body at her touch.

‘Yeah, we have about two hours to kill before I actually need to get to the airport.’

‘But how? Why?’ I’m more than perplexed.

‘Because I wanted to spend some more time with you.’ She shrugs like it’s no big deal, but it’s the biggest fucking deal. For the first time, she’s really initiated spending more time with me, as opposed to me begging her for a scrap of attention.

Too in shock to pivot our plans, I continue along the road to the airport.

‘Let’s head to Kirra Hill lookout and just park around there?’ she suggests. I nod mutely. ‘Want me to pop it in the navigator?’ I nod again. I’m afraid that if I talk, I’ll become emotional at the thoughtful gesture.

It’s peak hour, so when we arrive, the day is getting ready to make its transition to dusk, making the sky blush peachy pink and orange. Amity’s flight isn’t until nine P.M., giving us a couple of hours to bask in each other one last time. The car park is virtually empty, which isn’t unusual for a Monday afternoon, so I park closest to the edge and away from any stray cars. I want complete and utter privacy and serenity with Hart.

‘This is nice,’ she murmurs as she rests her head back on the headrest, looking out towards the sparkling sea.

‘Are the beaches not like this back in LA?’ I turn my body towards hers, unclicking my seatbelt.

‘I have the best view from my condo, but I meant that it’s nice to share these moments with someone.’ My hand whisks a few strands of her hair back from her face. It’s so soft, and I’m terrified that I won’t get to tangle my fingers in it soon for quite some time.

Glancing at me shyly, she gifts me with a megawatt smile, before it slightly dims. ‘So, I think we need to chat about my next couple of months. They’re going to be crazy,’ she starts, gauging my reaction, which is wholly interested in what she’s saying. ‘My schedule is not only jam packed, but it can change at any moment. Plans can change literally at any moment.’

I slowly nod my head. ‘It’s okay, Hart, I understand. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll wait for you forever. You just call or text whenever you get a chance, but don’t feel obligated.’

She looks relieved and grateful that I’m so accommodating.

‘I know we agreed to keep us casual and see where things go, so I wanted to just adjust both our expectations, or remove them, so there’s no pressure on either of us.’ My heart doesn’t just deflate at her words, it busts.

I don’t want her thinking just because she’s labelling us as casual, that I feel the same. ‘I know we agreed to take it slow, but nothing about my feelings towards you are casual. I don’t want us to think this is a way to opt-out. I want to get to the part where we’re serious, so I’m going to prove that to you in any and every which way I can.’ I swallow a lump in my throat, waiting for her response.

A light red stains her cheeks as she looks out the window again. ‘I am serious about giving us another chance,’ she says softly. ‘I want us to find our way back to each other. It’s just that the girl you knew, the one who was available 24/7, isn’t here anymore. My life is vastly different, and I don’t want you to think I’m forgetting about us or not prioritising us. I genuinely want us to try again, and see if we’re truly meant to be.’

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