Page 8

Seven

Choice Made

W hen Alexa woke up the next morning, the morning light was filtering in through the windows. Her squinted eyes widened as the fog cleared from her mind. She sat up straight.

Tristan. The flight.

How had she overslept? Alexa grabbed her phone to check the time, only to realize it was dead. Groaning in frustration, she remembered she’d forgotten to charge it before bed—no wonder the alarm hadn’t gone off.

After a quick refresh, she put on a sundress, ran the hairbrush through her hair just to tame it, grabbed her dead phone and car key, and rushed downstairs.

She nearly crashed into Cassie at the foot of the stairs.

Her sister regarded her with wide eyes. “Are you going to Tristan?”

“He’s probably left. I’m going to the airport,” Alexa called over her shoulder, walking to the door.

“Do you want me to come?”

“No, I’ll be fine!”

“But—Lex!” Cassie ran out of the house after her. “What are you going to tell him?”

Alexa got behind the wheel and plugged her phone in to charge. “Whatever I must. I’m not going to lose him.”

“Call me when you get there,” Cassie said, holding the door. “And please be careful.”

“I will.” Alexa shut the door, maneuvered the car out of their driveway, and sped out of the neighborhood.

She gripped the wheel hard, her knuckles white with tension. If there was one time for Alexa to drive recklessly, it was now. She needed to reach the airport before he passed security.

The smooth handling and responsive controls of her new car were a stark contrast to the ones she had driven before. It made her feel more in control even as she pushed the limits of the speedometer. With her mind solely on reaching Tristan in time, the hour-long drive to the city felt like a blur.

Alexa weaved through traffic, her heart pounding. Reaching the airport, she pulled into a nearby lot outside the main terminal, parking hastily along the curb. The thought of a parking ticket barely registered—she had no time to waste. Jumping out of the car, she slammed the door shut and sprinted toward the shuttle stop.

The moment the shuttle arrived, she leaped on and gripped the rail tightly, willing it to move faster toward the terminal. As soon as it came to a halt, she dashed off and rushed toward the main entrance.

She headed straight for the security checkpoint. Tristan would surely be in the departure lounge by now. She only hoped she wasn’t too late to catch him before he passed into the restricted area.

She waited behind a family of travelers, bouncing impatiently on her feet. The security staff eyed her with curiosity, but she ignored them. When it was her turn, she passed through the metal detectors and was quickly on her way, following the signs for the departure lounge.

And then, ahead, she saw it—a line of travelers waiting to go through the final security checkpoint. Her heart nearly stopped when she spotted a familiar figure, tall and unmistakable even from behind.

Tristan was handing his boarding pass to the security officer, his trolley bag beside him. Jude stood just behind him.

Alexa broke into a sprint, her voice catching in her throat before finally breaking free in a shout. “Tristan!”

Tristan seemed to hesitate, his hand pausing on the handle of his bag. For a moment, she thought he hadn’t heard her over the din of the airport. But then, he turned, slowly at first, and then all at once, his eyes wide with disbelief.

Their gazes locked, and in that instant, the crowd, the noise, the rush—all of it disappeared. It was just the two of them, standing on the brink of a moment that could change everything.

Tristan took a step toward her, his expression a mix of relief and something deeper—an emotion she’d never seen in him before, as if he’d been holding his breath and could finally exhale. Alexa, for her part, felt tears pricking her eyes, her heart hammering.

It was an aching realization of how close they had come to losing each other.

Tristan abandoned his trolley and rushed toward her, his long strides eating up the distance between them. When they collided, it was with a force that almost knocked the breath out of her. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her so tightly that she could feel his heartbeat against her own. It was as if he was afraid she might disappear if he let go.

“My love,” he murmured into her hair, his voice thick with emotion. “You came. Here. ”

“I never left,” she choked.

“I thought I lost you.” He pulled back just enough to look at her, his hands cupping her face tenderly. “I thought—I thought we were done.”

“I couldn’t let you go.” She sniffed. “Not like this. I love you. I love you so much. More than anything in the world.”

Like that was all he needed to hear, Tristan’s eyes shone with unshed tears. He leaned down and pressed his forehead against hers. “I love you too, my Lexa. More than anything in this world.”

“Promise me you’ll ask me to marry you when you return?”

Tristan’s eyes widened. “Are you sure?”

“I want you to know that I’m all in,” she said, looking into his eyes. “There’s no life without you, Tristan Knight. If I couldn’t have you, I’d rather not live at all.” Tears streamed down her face. “I love you, I love you, I love you unconditionally . Don’t you dare question that again!”

Tristan closed his eyes and vowed, “Never.”

“Good, because I—”

He leaned in and captured her lips with his, cutting her off. Alexa kissed him back, meeting his urgent kisses with equal fervor.

“Tristan, it’s time!” Jude’s voice called out from behind.

Tristan groaned, kissed her once more, and broke apart. “I’ve missed you so much in the last few hours alone, and I’m going to miss you terribly for the next three days. But I promise to call you and text you every time I’m able. And when I return,” he paused, and with a hopeful curve of his lips, continued, “I will ask you to marry me.”

Alexa smiled back. There was the Tristan she knew, the one who never hid from her.

“I have to go now.” He pulled her into one last fierce hug.

“I know,” she murmured. “I’ll be right here when you get back.”

“And I’ll be counting the hours till I hold you in my arms again.” He pulled away and dropped his arms from her, taking a reluctant step back. “I love you, Alexandra Ford. You are my beautiful fantasy-turned-reality.”

Alexa’s smile widened. “I love you too, Tristan Knight. You are the fulfillment of all my dreams.”

Tristan’s face split into a dazzling smile, displaying his perfect, white teeth, before he turned and walked back to an irritated-looking Jude. He grabbed his trolley bag and, just before he disappeared from her view, looked back one more time. Their eyes met across the distance and he raised his hand in a silent farewell.

Alexa waved back. And then, he was gone, leaving behind a tightening feeling in her heart instead of ecstasy and hope.