The hustle and bustle of the airport distracts me. Streams of people lining up all heading to different destinations. There are plenty of business men standing in the first class line waiting impatiently to be served. The economy line is full of families and crying kids, all waiting to continue their journey. It takes longer than expected and by the time I’m served, I don’t have as much time as I originally set aside before having to board the flight. Shit. I don’t know how this happened; I scheduled everything and gave extra time for any incidentals like traffic or queues.
You dropped the ball, Presley. It’s what happens when you’re suffering from a broken heart.
Oh shut up, brain!
As I walk towards the gate, I see a line has already formed. Just great. I’m not sure if I have enough time to check Masen’s diaper and grab a bag of chips. I have barely eaten all day. Scanning the gate area for a spare seat to change Masen, my eyes move towards a man sitting on his lonesome near the entrance. With his head bent down, dressed in a black tux, he nervously plays with his wedding ring. How odd. As if someone would fly wearing a tux! It takes a moment for my brain to catch on but when it does, it’s like a strike of lightning followed by loud thunder. It hits me all in that one moment. That signature move, running his hands through his hair. Rubbing of his eyes beneath his black thick frames…
It can’t be.
You’re seeing things. You’re tired and delusional from the lack of sleep and food. You also possibly need your eyes checked for old age. Yeah, that’s it. Blame it on old age.
Yet I am drawn to this mysterious stranger. His behavior is odd and I’m surprised that airport security hasn’t detained him for being a suspicious weirdo. Oh god…what if he has a bomb?!
I’m walking slowly towards this madman, frightened for mine and Masen’s lives. What the fuck am I doing? Why is no one else helping me! The nervous rush running through my veins is making the blood in my heart pump so hard I’m certain everyone can see.
Then I stop.
A few steps away.
My heart stops, the beats barely existent as I stand on the spot, frozen. The blood drains from my face, and like I’ve seen a ghost, the noises around me fade into the distance. My stomach is nothing but a hollow pit, the walls caving in as the pain eats away at every part of me that has struggled to exist.
All because the man in the black tuxedo is my jerk.
The man who has so carelessly stolen my heart.
I’m walking towards him like a zombie and somehow manage to place Masen’s carrier carefully on the ground beside me. With a dry throat, I’m unable to speak the words sitting on the tip of my tongue. The words that have run circles in my head, begging me to speak them out loud every second since he walked away that night. But my pride steps in, and straightening my posture, I try to act calm and cool, not wanting him to see how much he broke me.
“What are you doing here?”
He doesn’t say anything, and the announcement reminding everyone that final boarding is commencing sends everyone around us into a hurried pace. Yet Haden is sitting perfectly still. Head down, staring at the carpet, twisting his shining wedding ring around his finger.
He got married. You saw the wedding ring earlier. Run now. Board that plane and never turn back. Don’t wait for him to shatter your heart even further, if that’s even possible.
“Did you know Britney Spears was married for less than twenty-four hours?” His tone is even, controlled, not a single whisper of any remorse.
Where is he going with this?
“Uh, yes I did…”
Silence.
He laughs at himself, like it’s a sick and twisted joke, shaking his head as his shoulders slump. “Who would have thought I would beat that record? Three hours. I mean, who the fuck separates after three hours?”
My voice cracks, and with a nervous stutter I ask, “Haden…what are you trying to say?”
His eyes move slowly up my body, causing every part of me to ache in his presence. When his eyes eventually meet mine, his stare is so deep that I’m terrified he has climbed into my soul and has buried himself even further. He looks dejected, tired, and worn out. There’s no life in his eyes anymore…even when he stares back at me. And why would there be? He doesn’t love me.
“You see, all along I was waiting for a sign. Just like in the movies. You know, when the priest asks if anyone objects and the girl of your dreams runs into the church professing her undying love and then the couple run down the aisle and into a fancy car.”
“It was a guy stopping the wedding, and I think you mean bus,” I chastise, with a weak smile.
“In my fantasy it’s an Aston Martin.”
“That’s some fantasy you got.”
His eyes dance playfully. Behind the dark circles, the corners of his eyes wrinkle as a smile escapes him. “So I’m sitting at the head table as everyone toasts the newlywed couple and I think, wait. I’m the Jerk here. How could I expect that fantasy to come true when the girl I love avoids drama at all cost? She would never do anything like that. And if I had opened my eyes, I would have seen that she gave me an opportunity. An opportunity that I selfishly ignored and placed my own insecurities in front of.”
Another announcement interrupts, but I ignore it, eager for him to finish his story.
“Then, it’s time to dance with my wife, and like a giant wrecking ball that knocks the life out of me, I realize I’ve made the biggest mistake of my life. I married the wrong person because I didn’t think I was good enough for the girl that has consumed me.
“All along my girl said she wanted more. She wanted my heart to beat for only her. She wanted to be the only one I ever thought about. And she is. My heart beat for her the moment I first met her and purposely spilled that tea over her desk. It beat so fucking hard that I had no idea what to do. I have never experienced anything in my life like this. I just refused to believe she could ever feel the same way about me. So I married the wrong person hoping that the Band-Aid would fix the giant hole in my heart.”
“Haden…” I whisper, tears falling down my cheeks.
“It’s always been you, Presley Malone. Even before you even noticed I existed. I just couldn’t handle how intense my feelings were for you. I was going insane.” His voice cracks with pain.
I drop to my knees until we are face to face. Caressing his cheek, I don’t wait for any more signs. I lean in and kiss his beautiful lips. The second our lips touch, a warm electric current electrifies every inch of my body, and I know in this moment that I can never let him go again. I want to fight for him, for us, for our family.
I pull back momentarily, still in close proximity to him. “You said the girl you loved…”
“I love you.” He runs his fingers along the side of my cheek, moving them towards my hair. His grin takes my breath away, and with a gentle whisper, he says, “I love you so much I don’t know how to exist without you. I’m sorry I had to put you through all that to get to this point.”
“I love you, Haden Cooper. I’m sorry I didn’t have the guts to admit that earlier. I was terrified. I’ve never felt so in love with someone as I am with you.”
There, in front on the entire crowd, he pulls me in and kisses me deeply as if no one is watching. His tongue desperately searches for mine and the moment we connect, both of us moan. I don’t care who’s watching us. I never want to stop. This belongs in my catalogue of memories. A moment I want to hold onto forever, because this time, I’m not going to let go of him, and I trust he will never hurt me that way again.
The crowd around us breaks into a cheer and applauds as we pull away from each other, shocked that everyone is watching us; a few are even filming us with their phones.