Page 148 of Through the Flames
“Oh, fuck, I mean, that’shisgirl!” he quickly amended.
I let the noise, the chaos, and the almost-spilled sports drinks wash over me, but none of it mattered. My chest tightened as I watched her triumph on the screen. Every point and every ounce of effort she’d poured in had led to this moment.
My girl was a grand slam champion. Alone on the other side of the world, while I was watching her do exactly what I knew she could.
I was frozen to the spot, just letting it sink in as the quiet hum of adrenaline rolled through me. My hands flexed at my sides, tracing the tension in my body, while my mind replayed every second of her fight, every calculated move she made.
Even amidst the chaos, my focus was entirely on her, and I’d make sure she knew it would be like this for every second of the rest of her life.
***
The airport was chaos. There were people everywhere, rushing and weaving through the crowd. Luggage wheels squeaked and voices echoed overhead.
Normally, this would have been my definition of hell, but today, none of it registered. My whole body was taut, and my senses were narrowed to one point.
Then I saw her. Fucking finally.
Ella had a bag slung over her shoulder, her hair was messy from travel, and her eyes scanned the crowd until they found me. The moment they did, she paused, recognition and relief washing over her face.
Ella dropped everything and took off at a full run in my direction.
I caught her mid-stride, my arms wrapping around her waist and lifting her off the ground. Feeling her body pressed against mine, the heat of her skin, and the rapid heartbeat beneath my hands, I felt like I could finally breathe again.
She buried her face in my neck, laughing breathlessly. I refused to let her go, hugging her tighter still, before pressing a kiss to her neck.
Relief and fatigue were written across her face as she leaned back slightly, her hand stroking the side of my face. “Thank you for coming,” she murmured softly.
I froze just slightly, jaw tightening. “For coming?” I said, mock-offended, ducking my head so I was looking straight into her beautiful green eyes. “Why the fuck wouldn’t I be here, baby?”
Her lips twitched, half-laughing, half-exhausted. “I didn’t mean it like that …”
“Of course you didn’t,” I said, my chest swelling with a mix of relief and pride. “You just better never doubt it again. You did it, Ella. You made it happen. I’ve never been prouder of anyone in my life.”
She leaned into me, letting out a shaky laugh. I brushed my nose against hers as I took in her face, memorizing every line and curve.
My throat felt constricted. “I’m so glad you’re back home.”
But when we finally pulled out of that godforsaken hellhole, I didn’t take her home. Not yet.
Instead, I drove us out of the city, down winding roads where cypress trees reached high and bare over dark water.
The winter air carried a sharp chill, but the horizon burned warm — streaks of orange and violet bleeding across the sky, the kind of sunset that looked painted just for us.
Ella sat in the passenger seat, bathed in the soft gold light filtering through the windshield, and slipped her hand across the console into mine. Her thumb traced lazy circles over my knuckles.
She didn’t ask questions; she was completely lost in the connection between us.
Ella knew me, therealme, the man no one else would ever understand or accept the way she did, and still, she leaned closer and closer.
My obsession wasn’t loud, it was gravity, and she’d stopped fighting it long ago.
When I finally stopped, gravel crunching beneath the tires, the world had gone quiet except for the rustle of wind through the trees and the distant call of a bird settling in for the night.
The sun sank lower, gilding her face, catching on the glimmer of her hair, and my chest ached with the weight of what I needed.
Most people would’ve said this wasn’t the perfect moment.
No candles. No roses. No choreographed spectacle.
