Page 44 of Perfect Tragedy
" I know it can’t possibly be the same, but since I couldn’t be there, I sent someone else in my place.”
My heart. stops. beating.
“Wh-what?”
He laughs softly in my ear. “I couldn’t get the time off, but someone else could.”
It feels like it takes a minute for my brain to catch up to what my heart already knows. It starts beating rapidly and pounding so fiercely and loudly I am sure everyone else can hear it too.
Looking around, I don’t know how I didn’t see him before. My stomach twists in excitement and I feel tears burn the back of my throat. My lips speak his name without sound.
Beyond my parents a little ways, he stands proudly and a foot above everyone else. His lips are turned up in a soft smile, and something that resembles pride and excitement dance in his eyes.
He’s really here.
He came for my graduation.
The phone is easily set aside as I mumble goodbye to Jack and thrust it into my dad’s hands as I move past him.
People between us make a maze that I weave through to get to him. Our eyes never waver from each other as we walk toward each other in what feels like a slow motion scene from a movie. The smile on his face, the twinkle in the green eyes I love so much make my body sing. Like a magnet unable to move away from the pull of him, I keep moving closer as if I have no choice.
When we reach each other, I barely pause before I throw myself into his arms and he pulls me off my feet, spinning me around.
The past few months of hardly any significant words from him are forgotten - it all seems silly now that he’s here.
“You’re here,” I say breathlessly while burying my face into his neck. I inhale. I can’t help myself. I don’t even stop to realize that my reaction to his being here screams my true feelings for him, but I don’t care.
“Of course I’m here,” he chuckles and his breath moves over my shoulder making me shudder. I’m suddenly aware of every place our bodies touch. My arms wrapped around his shoulders, my lips almost brushing the skin of his neck, my breasts pushed against his chest and our bodies lingering in places all the way down. I don’t want to ever let go.
With great reluctance I pull away and he places me back on the ground. I look into his eyes with a big smile on my face. His smile returns mine, “I’m so proud of you. Glad I got to see you walk across that stage.”
I shrug feeling embarrassed, “It’s not a big deal.”
He reaches out and tugs the cords indicating that I graduated with honors, and shakes his head, “Yes it is. And how about the fact you’re going to Montana State?”
“It’s really not a big deal,” I shrug again embarrassed that I’m staying in state when I always imagined I’d go far away for school. Fact is, I was going to get more scholarship money by staying local.
“Stop saying that. You’re amazing. And like I said, I’m proud of you.”
“How long do we have?” I ask and my throat clogs up immediately knowing that our time is likely limited. “Until you have to leave?”
He smiles sadly, “I only had a couple days - have to head back to the airport shortly.”
I frown confused, “A couple days, but you’re leaving today?”
How is it that I can feel so happy and sad at the same time. Suddenly, I feel like now is my chance. Who knows when I will get to see him again. And I’m tired of the hot and cold - after his confusing email, there’s so many things I’d like to say. Maybe now is my chance before he leaves. I can make my feelings clear. I want to tell him. Tell him I’ve loved him since the day I first saw him. I’m done pretending what I feel isn’t real.
“Blake? Are we going to leave now? You have to get to the airport.”
Confusion washes over me and for a moment I don’t understand who’s speaking. My brow furrows and I look at Blake in confusion before I see an arm slink through his, long red nails gripping the skin at the inside of his elbow.
Realization crawls over me like spiders racing across my skin. The hair on the back of my neck and my arms stands on end and my stomach drops. Tears instantly burn my eyes, but this time it’s a feeling besides joy making them appear.
He’s here, yes. But he’s here withher.
How is this happening?
Something in his eyes change and I can’t nail down the emotion in them.
