Page 149 of Wrecked (Dirty Air 3)

Ha. fucking. ha.

Me, the one with an allergy to anything more permanent than last week’s leftovers, is committed to something other than my career and my family. But despite my patience and loyalty to Elena, I can’t keep living with her far away. A flight from London to Monaco is too long for my liking. Even Caleb gives me shit about Elena living far away from me.

Neither one of us has mentioned where we want to go from here. After I finished my press events and wind-down from my last season, I flew to Monaco, wanting to surprise Elena.

I made plans. Big plans that make me drunk on excitement rather than nervousness. Unlike my last big life change, I thought everything out. Every single detail and all the possible scenarios. I know it’s crazy. I know the whole damn thing will make my friends question whether I’ve completely lost it. But if this year has taught me anything, it’s that I can’t spend my life waiting anymore.

I don’t want to spend another year of my life biding my time because of societal norms. Well, I don’t want to waste another month, let alone another day without Elena next to me. And most of all, I want to live every day to the fullest now that I know my life will change drastically as I get older. Hence my plan.

The first step was prepping.

The second step involved breaking and entering.

And the final step is about to occur, based on the rattling of Elena’s doorknob to her flat.

I take a deep breath, tucking my fidgeting fingers into the pocket of my ripped jeans. Elena opens the door and drops her keys on the side table. She shuts and locks her front door before hanging up her purse, all without giving me a second glance.

Her awareness is shit. Combine that with her crappy flat and you have the latest inspiration for a Criminal Minds episode. Bleak but honest.

“Well, love, I’ll tell you one thing, you’ve proven exactly why you shouldn’t live alone anymore.”

Elena screams, jumping a foot back before hitting the door. “What the fuck, Jax!”

I lean against the wall, smiling at her. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

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She pushes her hand against her chest. “And you couldn’t have texted me that? How did you even get my key?”

“Your landlord was easily bought.”

“¡No mames!” She hits the light next to her, basking us in a glow.

After a year of being around her, I’ve picked up on her slang words. “Okay, fine, I’m joking. I borrowed your spare key last week.”

“By borrowed you mean ‘took it off my keyring’?”

“Precisely. You’ve always had a way with words.”

She walks up to me, abandoning her spot by the door. Her eyes slide from me to the newly built shelf hidden behind a bedsheet. “What’s this?”

Spoiler alert for all the sad saps out there: building Ikea furniture is like assembling a Millennium Falcon Lego set without any instructions. Fucking terrible.

“A gift.”

“Trying to buy my love already after a few months together?”

I grin at her before placing a soft kiss against her lips. “Why buy something I already have?”

Elena shakes her head, hiding her smile. “So, what is it?”

I tug on the sheet, revealing my creation.

Elena doesn’t move, let alone speak, as her eyes land on the rows of snow globes.

“You kept all the notes?” She traces the glass of one snow globe as if she can touch her lavender piece of paper secured inside of it.

“I couldn’t let you throw them away. I haven’t cashed in on all of them yet.”