Page 37 of Banter & Blushes #1

THE AIRPORT CHASE

LUCA

I ’d been pacing the kitchen of the restaurant for an hour.

Maybe longer. My mind was racing a hundred miles an hour, trying to come up with a solution, some way to make Rebecca stay.

I should’ve said something sooner, should’ve told her how I felt on the beach, but we ended up getting distracted with just hanging out. Now I was running out of time.

The more I thought about her leaving, the more my chest ached, like something vital was being ripped out of me.

What did I even expect? She had her life back home.

She wasn’t going to just abandon everything for me, some guy who—what?

Lived in a small town and cooked food for a living?

What did I have to offer her that would make it sound better than what she was going back to?

“I’m an idiot,” I muttered to myself, pacing around the kitchen again. I kicked at a box of flour that was inconveniently in the way, sending it scattering across the floor.

Joe, who had somehow wandered into the restaurant again to “check on me” after our impromptu beach crashing plan, looked up from his phone and raised an eyebrow.

“You’re going to break something if you keep stomping around like that,” he said, not looking up from his screen. “What’s eating you?”

“I can’t let her go,” I snapped, turning to face him. “I just can’t, Joe. I’m... I’m a mess. I’ve already messed this up, haven’t I? She’s going back home, and I didn’t even get the chance to tell her what I wanted for us. ”

Joe glanced up, his face completely deadpan. “Oh, good. You’re finally admitting it.” He slid his phone back into his pocket. “Took you long enough.”

I shot him a glare. “I’m serious, Joe. What if I can’t fix this? What if she leaves and I never see her again? What if I never get the chance to tell her?—”

“You can’t just sit around feeling sorry for yourself,” Joe interrupted, holding up a hand to silence me. “You’ve got to do something about it. Look, I heard her mention something about the flight being around noon.”

My heart skipped a beat. Noon. That was soon. Too soon.

I felt a cold rush of panic rise in my chest. She was really leaving. The thought of her getting on that plane, flying away, out of my life forever—it was unbearable.

I wasn’t just going to sit here and let it happen.

Without even thinking, I grabbed my jacket off the hook and practically ran toward the door. Joe’s voice trailed behind me as he called out, “Luca, where are you going?”

“I’m going to the airport!” I shouted, already halfway down the street. “I’m not letting her leave! I’m going for it.”

The airport was a blur of people, all rushing around with their luggage, checking in, heading to gates. My palms were sweaty, and my heart was beating so loud I was sure the entire airport could hear it.

I was nervous. I was panicking. But I couldn’t stop now. I had to find her.

I pulled out my phone and sent her a quick message: Please don’t go yet. I need to see you.

But I didn’t wait for a reply. There wasn’t time for that. I had to find her first.

I rushed through security and onto the terminal, my eyes scanning the crowd. Where was she? Where was Rebecca?

And then, through the sea of faces, I saw her. She was standing near the gate, looking down at her phone, her suitcase by her side. She was already so close to leaving. The thought gave me a painful visceral reaction.

I didn’t even think. I just ran toward her, weaving through the crowd, heart hammering in my chest.

“Rebecca!” I shouted, not caring who heard or what anyone thought. “Rebecca, wait!”

She turned, her eyes widening when she saw me coming toward her. She took a step back, her hands clutching her suitcase. “Luca? What are you?—?”

“I know I’m probably the last person you want to see right now,” I said, my voice frantic.

“But I can’t let you go. I just... I can’t.

You’re everything I’ve been looking for, and I don’t know what to do without you.

I know I messed up. I didn’t say the things I should’ve said when I had the chance. ”

Rebecca opened her mouth to speak, but I wasn’t done. I had to get it all out. There was no turning back now.

“Please, don’t leave,” I continued, desperation creeping into my voice. “I promise you, I will always take care of you. I’ll never let you be sad again. I’ll?— ”

“What are you talking about, Luca?” she interrupted, her voice trembling. “I’m not asking for?—”

“No, I know you’re not. But I need you to understand.

” I took a step closer, my hands trembling, my heart in my throat.

“I’ve never felt this way about anyone. I know I’m not perfect.

I’m not some prince charming or anything like that.

But I swear to you, I will do whatever it takes.

I just need you to give me a chance. I need you to stay with me . ”

Her eyes were wide, the emotion in her gaze so clear that it almost broke me. She was torn —torn between wanting to stay and wanting to walk away, between all the reasons she shouldn’t and all the reasons she felt she might want to.

“I can’t just throw everything away, Luca,” she whispered, her voice wavering. “This isn’t the kind of thing you plan, or even expect. I have responsibilities back home. Things I can’t leave behind.”

“Then let me take care of you,” I said, my voice cracking as I took another step closer as if her very presence carried its own gravitational pull I couldn’t resist. “I’m asking you to let me be the one to take care of you.

Please, don’t go. Not like this. I can’t let you walk away and wonder ‘what if.’ I’ll spend my life wondering if I could’ve made it work. If you could’ve been happy with me.”

Rebecca’s eyes filled with uncertainty, and I could see her fighting the pull of my words, fighting the pull of everything she might want but couldn’t allow herself to have.

“I’m scared, Luca,” she said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. “I’m scared it won’t work out. That we’ll both end up hurt. That we’ll just be... a short term thing.”

A lump formed in my throat, and I reached out, taking her hands in mine. “We’ll be whatever we make it. I’m willing to fight for us. Whatever it takes. I care about you . I want the chance to show you that we can be more than you could imagine.”

Rebecca stared at me for a long moment, her eyes flickering with doubt, but also something else—something warm, something real.

She took a shaky breath, and for the first time since I’d arrived at the airport, I allowed myself to hope. Maybe... maybe I finally said the right things. I finally made her understand what she means to me.

She didn’t pull away. And that was enough.

“Alright,” she said, her voice low and hesitant. “Alright, Luca. I’ll give you a chance. But you’d better make sure I’m not walking away from this a broken woman.”

I nodded vigorously, feeling like my whole world had shifted in that moment.

I dropped to one knee in front of her, in front of everyone, grateful for her willingness.

“I swear to you, Rebecca, I’ll never let you down,” I said, my voice fierce with determination. “I’ll never let you go.”