Page 97 of Love Beyond the Illusion
They’re right. Everything that my best friends are saying is correct. This level of feeling doesn’t happen often. I can’t let this go without telling him how I feel. “How fast can we get me on a flight?” My voice comes out rough as I pop up from my chair.
Bailey quickly looks at Avery, but Avery’s eyes are on Lina. “Just because my dad is a captain doesn’t mean he can perform miracles,” she says, “Just kidding. Of course, he can! I’ll call him right now.” Lina hopped off the floor and headed into my bedroom with her phone in her hands.
“Yes!” Bailey cheers with her eyes wide.
“You’re going to do this, and you’re going to be brave. Now where is your suitcase? Do we need to pack anything for you?” Avery adds.
I blink rapidly. “Yes, everything is dirty. I need all new clean clothes.”
Lina comes barreling out of the bedroom. “We don’t have time for that, ladies. She’s going to be on a flight in forty-five minutes.”
My heart is pounding in my chest. With the help of my best friends, I’m going after the man I love—who hopefully loves me too.
“Bring it in, ladies.” Avery hooks me around the neck with one hand and Bailey with the other. Lina squeezes into our group, hugging us between Bailey and me. I take a moment to feel all the love that radiates off these three women.
“Okay, enough with the mushy stuff, we got to get you on that plane!” Lina exclaims, pulling away from our embrace.
“Let me run to the restroom quickly,” I say.
Bailey exhales with annoyance. “Fine. Just hurry.”
Taking a minute to collect myself and my thoughts, I turn on the sink and splash cold water on my face. It instantly calms me, practically resetting my nerves. I wipe my face with a hand towel before finding my reflection in the mirror. “You can do this,” I whisper to myself.
I briskly walk out of the bathroom and into the hallway to find Avery shoving clothes into my luggage. “What are you doing?”
“Oh, I switched out some of your dirty clothes for clean ones and slipped in a few pieces of hot pink lingerie,” she says with a devious smile, visibly proud of herself.
Shoving me out the door, I quickly turn around. “Who’s going to water my plants?”
“I will,” Lina says, shoving her key into the lock. “We’re all driving together. Then, after we drop you off, we’ll take Avery back here to get her car.” She turns to Bailey. “Finally, I’ll drop you off atThe Poppy.”
“Fabulous. Now, let’s get this woman her man. Wait. Are you and Jack still married?”
Bailey asks, hitting the down arrow on the elevator.
I squeeze my eyes shut. “Yes.”
“Only you,” Avery teases, nudging my shoulder. “And that’s why we love you so much.”
A bashful smile crawls across me while Lina and Bailey laugh.
We get to the airport in less than twenty minutes. Lina haphazardly pulls up to the passenger drop-off. I twist my body from the front seat to see Avery and Bailey’s puffy eyes in the backseat and Lina’s in the driver’s seat to my left.
“Tell that ’90s heartthrob of a man how you really feel. And don’t come back to Phoenix without a husband,” Bailey’s voice cracks as she fights back tears.
Avery grabs my hand, giving it a little squeeze. “Keep us updated, or we’ll stalk you.”
Tears fill my eyes. “Thank you, and I love the three of you so much.”
Lina leans over the center console to give me a full-body hug. “I emailed you all your information. You will be good to go, babe.”
Stepping out of Lina’s jeep, I feel light, confident, and ready to give Jack more of myself than I already have. I stop in front of the automatic doors and wave at them as they drive away. Then, I head right for the escalators that lead to the third-floor terminals.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Jack
MyshoessqueakasI run in a full sprint through the airport in Phoenix. Adrenaline is pumping through my veins, and my heart hammers against my rib cage from what I’m about to do. The embers from the fire in Piper have caught me, and now I’m burning with impulsivity. Those same flames convinced me to marry her the day I spoke with her for the first time.
