Page 1 of Forever

CHAPTER 1

ANABEL

“Oh, shit! This is so not going how it was supposed to!” I mutter to myself, but I don’t stop running.

Most of the people I pass probably think I’m a crazy lady running through the airport like this. Maybe some of them will even call security and there will be a wild chase just like in the movies. Security chasing the bad guys all over the place, lots of shouting, crashing into people, and maybe some kind of explosion.

You must stop doing that. That’s what I’ve been telling myself for a while now, but it doesn’t help much.

My brain is working overtime on stories and crazy scenarios. It goes with the territory, I guess. Or maybe I’m just telling that to myself so I don’t have to go and get my head examined.

At least this time I really have a good reason for my crazy behavior. Twenty hours in a plane can do that to a person. Twenty hours, which I was supposed to spend sleeping because it was night when I started my trip, but I couldn’t do that since I had overdosed on coffee and energy drinks so I would be able to study.

February sucks. Like, really sucks.

Here I am again on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean and, instead of enjoying it, I’m obsessing with all of the studying I have to do and all the things and obligations that are waiting for me in Croatia.

I’m breathless and panting hard when I come to the check-out counter, but it’s all worth it, because most of the people are still way behind me. This is not the first time I think about starting the gym, but I don’t have the time to breathe much less spend an hour in some bad smelling gym with overly enthusiastic people around me running on the treadmill with no goal in mind. I’m too busy for that.

Between classes, homework, studying, writing my graduate thesis, keeping up with my family and friends, working as a waitress whenever I can, and writing my new book, I don’t have time to think. And let’s not forget my transatlantic boyfriend.

The time difference is a bitch, but we make do the best we can. Texts, phone calls, and Skype are our best friends. During the off season, he comes to Croatia, and when I have time off, I go to the States.

I’m happy if I have a whole week off because that means we have full five days together. In the last year, I’ve changed time zones so many times I’ve lost count. Just when I get used to being in America, I return to Croatia so it’s adaption time all over again.

My body and mind are exhausted, and I can’t freaking wait for it all to be over in a few short months, because I’m scared I’ll combust otherwise.

In the last year, I’ve worked really hard. Everything has to happen at a certain time so I can graduate on time and move to the States before Will leaves for training camp in the summer. My schedule is crazy. I work twelve to fourteen hours a day, seven days a week.

It’s not even strange I’m going crazy.

The cop sitting behind the glass looks at me strangely as I give him my passport with brand new visa inside. Yes, you heard it right. Nobody knows it but me. It’s a surprise, but a few weeks ago I got my visa, and for the next ten years I can come and go to the United States of America as I please.

I was so happy and excited when I got the news that all I wanted was to call Will and Sienna to tell them, but I decided it could wait for a bit. With coming here now and all that.

The guy checks out my passport and returns it to me with a polite greeting, but all I can think about is getting out of there. Rolling my small carry-on behind me, I get out in the waiting area.

Nibbling at my lower lip, I look around searching for familiar faces, but I can’t find any. I walk around, passing groups of people and look around the busy JFK airport, but no luck.

Did she see that my plane is late and decided to ditch me and go alone? Or maybe she forgot altogether about promising to come and pick me up. There are a bunch of options.

“Took you long enough,” a familiar, sassy voice calls behind me loud enough to get my attention.

In a hurry, I turn around on the heels of my feet and see the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known in my life. A smile spreads across my lips as we both run to cross the small distance and crash into each other. Her hands wrap around my shoulders, and I inhale the familiar exotic scent of one of my best friends.

“I’ve missed you so much!” Sienna cries out, hugging me tightly.

“I missed you too, Si,” I say, my voice muffled. “It was one hell of a journey, but I’m glad to be back.”

Tears come to my eyes, and I try to push them back. My body is tired, I’m jet-lagged, and it makes me cranky and more emotional than usual.

“It’s good to be home.”

It hasn’t been that long since I was here the last time—maybe like a month and a half or so. I couldn’t be away for the whole winter holiday, so I spent Christmas with my family, and the day after I was boarding a plane for a week with William before my classes started.

I’m not even supposed to be here now. My final year at college, exams and all that, but the Knights got to the Super Bowl and there was no way I was missing that for anything in the world. Exams and obligations be damned. I know how much it means to William, and I’m so proud of him for coming all this way despite everything that’s been in our way.

So, when I heard they were in the Super Bowl, I bought a last-minute ticket—one extremely expensive ticket—and got my ass on a plane after my exam was over to surprise and support William.

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