by Jade Hart
He laughed and the masculine rasp sent my heart thundering. Six long months since I’d heard Liam laugh. And I knew in my heart, I wouldn’t hear it again. It was over.
“I wish he could’ve been here to see me graduate,” I whispered under my breath, hoping neither Joslyn nor Theo heard me. It slipped out. I didn’t mean to say it.
Jos threw her arm around me. “I’m gonna punch him when he tells me where he is. He should be here.”
Theo pulled a face. “I’m sure if he could’ve been here, he would. Don’t be too hard on him.”
Guilt settled and I stared at the front of the hanger. The CEO of the aeroclub pinned silver wings onto a man’s lapel, and then shook his hand.
Nerves attacked me sending a gentle nudge down my spine—all that was left of my whiplash. I was next.
Theo stood, holding out his arm. “I’ll escort you. You’re my star pupil. I’d be honoured.”
“Nina Marie Poppins.” The CEO on the makeshift stage scanned the crowd, eyes found mine.
My father, sitting next to Jos, grinned as bright as the stars. “So proud of you, little girl.”
It was fitting he was here to share my success. Smiling at both of them, I stood, and linked my arm through Theo’s. Nerves fluttered in my stomach as we made our way up the aisle.
Theo let me go once we’d climbed the three steps. My heart sped up, and an influx of happiness and sadness filled me. I’d achieved my goal, thanks to Liam. I’d done what I set out to do, so why was my accomplishment empty and unfulfilling? Damn Liam for making me need him. I couldn’t celebrate fully because the one man I wanted to share it with wasn’t here.
“Congratulations, Miss Poppins. You’re now a full-fledged commercial pilot.” The man who looked similar to Captain Anderson smiled, and pinned the heavy set of wings to my black lapel. After shaking my hand, we posed for photos as he handed me a framed certificate.
My heart wanted to fly, but it was weighted down by the knowledge I wouldn’t have been able to do this without Liam and I had no way of thanking him.
I made my way back to my seat and the rest of the afternoon was a blur of drinks, and celebration. Theo did his best to include me, but I held myself slightly aloof. I didn’t mean to, but my thoughts were already free from New Zealand. I had the qualification I needed; there was nothing else for me here. My father understood—he knew I was leaving, and I’d see Joslyn around.
Joslyn’s laugh trilled, and she thumped Theo on the chest. He rubbed the spot with a rueful grin. I guessed they wouldn’t miss me for the rest of the night.
Taking one last look around the partying crowd, committing it to memory, I slunk away. Crossing the car park, I huddled into my coat. My little car was the only thing I had yet to sell. I’d probably gift it to my brother. He recently arrived in town after some jungle expedition.
Something white flapped under the wiper on the windscreen. It was probably another advert for a sausage sizzle or some fundraiser the aeroclub put on regularly. I ripped it free of the wiper, before throwing myself inside, away from the chilly breeze. What I wouldn’t give to be sweating in Samoa’s heat. New Zealand’s weather was determined to freeze my nipples off.
With my teeth chattering, I reached to turn on my car’s heater before ripping open the blank envelope. No name. No salutation.
My heart stopped.
Nina.
Congratulations on earning your wings. I’m so proud of you.
I know I’m probably the last person you want to hear from. I’m sorry for leaving as I did, but I freaked out. I needed time to fix myself. I didn’t want to shackle you with a guy who could no longer earn, but was a drain in recuperation and restudy.
I know it might be too late, but I need to see you.
Enclosed is a one-way ticket to Papeete.
If you come, I’ll know you still care for me.
If you don’t, I know I left it too long, and you’ve moved on.
I understand either way.
I love you. I miss you.
Liam
Oh my God. He had the nerve to pop back into my life after no communication in the form of a letter on my windshield? How the hell did it get there? And why was I stroking it as if Liam could feel it instead of crunching it into a ball and throwing it in the trash?
All the walls I’d built—mortared brick by brick—to hold up my shredded heart crumbled in an avalanche of rubble. The rush and glow of sheer happiness burst through me like a comet.
He was alive. He’d found me. He hadn’t forgotten me.
My opportunity to thank him—for giving me back my future blazed through my heartache, restarting my world. Life wasn’t about holding grudges or nursing mistakes—it was about living in rapture and happiness—like the life we lived together in Samoa. We didn’t play games then… I wouldn’t start now. All the hurt of six months flashed to nothingness.
With fumbling fingers, I peered into the envelope for the remaining piece of paper. We had a second chance to make it last and I wouldn’t squander it.
Inside was a one way ticket to Tahiti, leaving tomorrow morning.
She was late.
Every passenger was on board and the crew were looking anxious.
My heart hadn’t slowed since boarding the flight to Tahiti. I knew Nina had the ticket. Shit, I’d seen her take it from her windshield. I’d wanted to surprise her then and there—to pop from the shadows and wrench her from the car and into my arms. But I waited.
The memory of her accepting her wings threatened to overwhelm me. I was so damn proud of her.
Maybe she wouldn’t show? Maybe she’d taken the six months to push all thoughts of me away, and I’d be left heartbroken. Served me right after leaving her for so long.
The flight attendant spoke into the galley phone, most likely advising the captain they had a no-show. Nina wasn’t coming.
I had to face facts. She hated me. She didn’t want me. And I deserved it. What did I expect after leaving her alone in Samoa? With no goodbye or valid explanation. I couldn’t cope with the thought of being an invalid. Of being a downer with a brain that no longer worked. Not having a hope in hell of achieving my dreams, unless I went back and spent another hundred grand to relearn everything.
So I did the logical thing and ran.
Such a pussy.
As much as it hurt—the waiting, hoping—endlessly afraid she wouldn’t accept my one-way ticket, it was the only way. She needed to make the decision on her own terms. And I needed to know that I wasn’t too late, to see if her love for me was as strong as mine was for her. I knew I’d never feel any less for her. It wasn’t just a mortal love, it was a galaxy of love that would last an eternity.
But I also hated to admit defeat. I wasn’t worthy of her and she had finally realized that. I should never have left her in Samoa. I should have stayed. Screw not remembering how to fly. My priorities were wacked and now I’d suffer alone.
Commotion sounded up the front of the plane and I froze.
Oh my God, she came.
She was here.
My chest contracted and my head pounded along the jagged scar I now sported beneath my black hair.
Flustered, red-cheeked, and bright eyed, Nina apologised profusely to the cabin staff. Her handbag kept sliding off her arm as she manhandled her trolley. My lips stretched into a grin so big it hurt. She didn’t have to say another word. She just proved to me how much she loved me and my life would never get any better than it was in that moment.
I squirmed in my seat, fighting the nerves in my stomach, as the air-hostess pointed the direction down the aisle. I’d deliberately chosen the last row in the cabin.
Privacy. Incognito.
I hadn’t seen her in six months… who knew how my self-control would be.
Her eyes read the seat numbers as she came closer. Every step she took, my heart stuttered with rhythm. God, I loved her. And she was here! Was she a mirage? Was she real? As my brain healed, I’d suffered some wack
y hallucinations, I hoped to hell she wasn’t one of them. I wouldn’t survive it.
Her eyes dropped to her boarding pass as she slowed, nearing my row. I tensed, any moment now—
Her eyes locked onto mine and she dropped her handbag.
We didn’t move, drinking in each other. I stared at her as if I were a parched vampire completely desiccated. All the loneliness of the past six months evaporated.
When she didn’t move, I stood and inched out of the row to reach her. My fingers desperately wanted to touch her, but I hesitated.
“Hi,” I whispered, ignoring the rest of the plane and passengers. They were inconsequential. Nina soaked up my entire attention.
“Liam.” Her mouth gaped. “What are you doing here?”
I smiled, loving the shock laced with wonderment in her tone. “I came to fetch you. You didn’t think I’d make you fly all that way on your own did you?” The moment I made the decision that it was time; I couldn’t stay away any longer. I jumped on a plane to meet her. Hell, the plane ride was only eleven hours, but it was eleven hours too long not to be with her.
Never taking my eyes from hers, I reached for the trolley bag and stretched to put it in the overhead locker. I captured her hand and tugged so she followed me dazedly into the row. I took the window seat, putting my back to it to face her.
“You’re really here?” She blinked, looking me over. “Are you okay? How’s your head?”
There was time for that. And it wasn’t now. I pressed a finger against her lips to shush her. Her eyes widened and she inhaled sharply.
Chills of feelings darted down my arms. I shared a connection with this woman deeper than any other. We grew to love in a coma. We found each other when by rights we should’ve died. We didn’t play games when we were asleep. I wasn’t going to now.
My heart sprinted and the cabin air thickened to cocoon us in our own little world. “You have about two seconds to tell me if you’re here because you love me and you’re moving to Tahiti, or if you’re letting me down easy.” I dropped my finger, letting it trail down her chin, tracing her neck.
She shivered, eyes glowed with undisputed lust. “I don’t need two seconds to answer.”
Need surged through me like an electrical storm. I sucked in a breath as she pressed forward and her lips connected with mine. Our eyes were still open and I drowned in her sapphire depths.
She made an angry noise in the back of her throat and broke the kiss.
I blinked. What was wrong? Kiss me again.
With a jerk, she raised the arm rest between us, pushing it out of the way and sliding closer. The moment her thigh connected with mine, I couldn’t stop myself any longer.
My arms latched around her and I dragged her against me. If there was more room, I’d have her in my lap.
Her mouth opened under mine and her hot tongue fought me in a battle of emotion. I poured every inch of pain and separation into the kiss and grew lightheaded.
She moaned as her hands ran along my jeans waistband and slunk up my t-shirt. She kissed me harder, stealing all rational thought. All I wanted to do was help her undo my jeans and sink into her.
I couldn’t control the groan rattling through me and my fingers lassoed into her hair holding her firm, kissing her like I’d wanted for six long, lonely months. I couldn’t get enough of her taste and the knowledge she was here. She’d come… for me.
An annoyed cough sounded above us. Nina flinched and broke away, wiping her mouth.
An elderly flight attendant peered down her nose. “Excuse me; this is not the back of the bus for making out. Do up your seatbelts, we’re about to take-off.”
I chuckled as Nina gulped, her cheeks as red as a valentines card. “Sorry,” she mumbled.
The moment the woman disappeared up the aisle, I grabbed Nina’s hand and placed it directly on my crotch. The heat of her fingers sent me into lust overdrive, and I damned my idea of reconciling on a plane.
Her breath caught and she rubbed my erection. My eyes tried to close in bliss, but at the same time, I was left shaking my head in amazement. I’d placed her hand on me as if we’d been together for years and she’d not flinched. Sure, she’d touched me in our coma-dream, but this was the first time in real life we’d kissed and been this close.
Her face slackened. Did she think the same thing?
Her fingers stroked and then pulled back. “This is so strange. I know exactly how you feel and taste, but I’ve never actually been with you naked.” She dropped her eyes. “And yet, I don’t care. I trust my dream more than I trust reality. I know you. I love you.” Her voice dropped to a husky whisper. “I can’t believe you made me kiss you like that in public, though. And our first kiss no less.” Her smile took my breath away.
“It was a hell of a first kiss.” I leaned in to nuzzle her neck, breathing in her fresh scent of vanilla. “I’ve missed you so much. I need you so much. I don’t care where we are. Or if it’s the first time or not. I want you.”
Nina reached up to run her fingertips through my hair. I tried not flinch as she found my scar.
Pain shone in her eyes and terrible guilt filled me. “I’m sorry. For everything.”
She sighed. “I know. But I could have helped you. I wanted to help you. You gave me no choice.” Her face flashed with temper. “No one knew if you were alive or where you were. It was torture, Liam. It was selfish, inconsiderate, and I’m sure Joslyn wants to strangle you as much as I do. Don’t ever do that to me again.”
I hung my head. “You have every right to be pissed. And I’ll make it my lifelong commitment to make it up to you.”
She sucked in a breath.
All I wanted to do was kiss her and affirm she was really here. I didn’t care we were on an airplane. All I cared about was for the first time in my life, I was blisteringly happy. Charlotte would be pleased. I finally found my place in the world and it was linked to this woman who, as much as she tried to act annoyed at me, was quickly dissolving into the beguiling woman I remembered from our shared dreams.
We sat in silence as the engines roared and we hurtled down the runway. Nina flashed me a timid smile as we raced to the clouds. “You and me, on a plane again. At least if we crash, we’re together.”
My heart squeezed. As wrong as it was to look fondly on a life-threatening condition like a coma it was the best thing that happened to me—minus the brain injury, of course.
When we levelled out, I took Nina’s hand and placed a tiny red box in her palm.
“What’s this?” Her eyebrow rose as she caressed the felt.
“Open it.”
She frowned, and slowly snapped the box open. Resting inside was a key.
“What’s this for?”
I smirked. “It has two meanings.” God, I was gonna be so cheesy.
She smiled softly, taking the key out and fingering the tassel keychain.
“It opens something that I’ll show you when we arrive in Tahiti.” I leaned in and captured her mouth, before adding, “It also symbolises how you’ve unlocked all my feelings. I’d sworn never to feel such highs and lows of life again. But you showed me how one dimensional I was. Guilt, remorse, shame… there is so much more, and you reminded me of that.” I reached to touch her cheek, fingertips sparking as she leaned into my touch. “I missed you every second of every day.” I took a breath, inhaling her scent, drugging myself with her. “When you walked up to accept your wings, I couldn’t stop myself from inching forward. Chills darted down my back at the mixture of happiness and satisfaction on your face. I was bowled over by emotion, as in a way, even though I wasn’t there, I helped bring your dreams to life. That’s priceless to me, Nina. I'm so so damn proud of you. And so happy you accepted my gift.”
“You were there? You watched me?” Her voice was barely a whisper.
Shit, maybe I should’ve mentioned that part.
My voice dropped, barely audible over the engine hum. “I couldn’t have stayed away. Just seeing you exp
erience that was worth the separation as ultimately it means our future together is unstoppable.”
“What do you mean?” Her chest rose and fell and I had to restrain myself from dipping my head to kiss her soft cleavage.
I kissed her lips instead, taking my time to coax and tease. When I pulled away, I murmured, “We’re unstoppable as we’re together. I’ve found you, and now I’m never letting you go again.”
* * * * *
The day was waning and the sunset was an orange fireball in the cloudless sky when we left the Tahiti terminal together. The entire ride we talked, we laughed, shared, we fell in love all over again.
Being back in Tahiti made happiness overflow. My life was perfect. I looked at Nina beside me. She’d only brought the one trolley bag. Her entire life was in that bag and she’d let me become her future. Shit, I was getting sentimental.
I bent to kiss her cheek as we made our way to the resident car park. I bought a jeep two days before I left, and it sat bright blue and shiny in the orange sunset. “Are you jetlagged? Do you want to rest or you okay to do a side trip?” I eyed her, trying to see fatigue. The only thing Nina gave off was dynamite energy. I could almost picture her dancing and spinning. Maybe I should’ve learned how to do that, too.
She let me put her bag in the open roll top back and I took the excuse to squeeze her fingers as I opened the passenger door, helping her climb in. She bit her lip and smiled as I didn’t let go when she was seated.
“What did you have in mind?” Her voice hinted at what she had in mind. I shivered at the throaty invitation.
“Nothing too strenuous.” I dodged around the front of the jeep and climbed in. “I want to show you what your key unlocks. You’ll like it. I hope.”
Pulling out of the car park, I narrowly missed a speeding quad bike. I’d been driving here for a while and still hadn’t got used to the chaos. Tahiti roads were mayhem with night markets setting up their wares, and tourists all freshly scrubbed heading out for dinner.
