My vision becomes glassy, so I deflect with humor. “Look at you being Mr. Softy.”
He snorts.
“Yeah, but once you point it out, he turns into an asshole again,” Quinn says behind me.
The second I spin around, she ambushes me with a hug so tight it knocks the wind out of me. “Don’t leave.”
Jesus. This kid is going to kill me.
I wipe the tears from her eyes. “You’re one of a kind, Quinn. Don’t ever change.” Leaning down, I whisper the same words Storm just told me. “If you ever need anything, please reach out to me.”
She’s the one person I’ll break my no-contact-with-Phoenix rule for if necessary.
She sniffles. “Okay.”
The moment Skylar and I hug is when the tears break free…for both of us.
“Tell me we’ll still be friends,” she chokes out.
I hug her tighter. “Always.”
I can’t imagine not having her in my life.
As long as she doesn’t bring certain parts of hers into mine whenever we catch up.
But I know she won’t, because she understands.
I press my forehead to hers. “You’ll get through this.”
It’s going to hurt like hell, but she’s far tougher than she realizes. And a man who no longer wants her isn’t one who deserves her.
“Not this Ya-Ya Sisterhood shit again,” Chandler mutters beside us.
Ugh. Might as well get this over with.
“It’s been real, Chandler.”
Real fucking exasperating.
“It certainly has.” He pulls an envelope out of his jacket pocket. “This is a check for my half. Vic will be sending his to you sometime this week…since I gave him a good report and all.” His eyes narrow. “You’re welcome, by the way.”
I pluck the envelope out of his hand. “It’s not going to bounce, is it?”
“You’ll find out soon enough, won’t you?”
Swear to God if it does, I will fly my ass to Europe and rip out his spinal cord with my teeth.
I hold out my hand. “Bye, Dicky.”
He shakes it. “Bye, Yoko.”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to point out that Yoko never left John.
Because even though their love story ended up a tragedy…John never would have betrayed her like Phoenix betrayed me.
He chose her over everything.
I try to ignore the agony cramming my chest as I face him.
He’ll always be my hardest goodbye.
“At least we’re parting on better terms this time around, right?”
Expression impassive, he stays silent.
I didn’t expect a sonnet from him or anything, but I figured we’d share one last hug and a few parting words.
“Takeoff is in three minutes,” Chandler announces, and everyone loads onto the plane.
With the exception of Phoenix, who’s still staring at me…not saying a word.
It’s really starting to piss me off.
“Seriously? You’re not even going to say goodby—”
His lips crash against mine and he gives me a kiss that makes my head light and my knees weak.
On second thought, maybe goodbye was a bad idea. My drug just gave me another hit…which will make the withdrawals that much harder.
“Bye—” My words fall by the wayside when I notice the plane moving in my peripheral.
Without Phoenix.
Waving my arms, I run toward it, attempting to stop it before it takes off. “Wait! You’re missing someone!” Anxiety rises up my esophagus. “Call Chandler…or the plane company people. They’re leaving without you.”
How the hell could anyone forget Phoenix?
I sure as hell can’t.
Peeling my gaze away from the rolling jet, I look at him. Unlike me, Phoenix isn’t freaking out.
Quite the contrary. He seems highly amused by the whole thing.
Then again, he’s been acting strange all day.
“What is wrong with you? You don’t even say goodbye to me. Then your freaking plane takes off without you and you’re smiling. What—”
“I didn’t say goodbye because it’s not goodbye yet.” He moves closer. “And I’m not worried about the plane taking off because it’s not my plane.” He points to another jet that’s a little farther down the runway. “That’s my plane. Or should I say, our plane.”
Once again, I’m beyond confused. “What are you talking about? What do you mean, that’s our plane? Plane to where?”
I already told him I can’t go to Europe, and he’s well aware that after today we’re done for good.