Pinky Promise

Chapter 20 Airport

Garrett's POV

I can't seem to stop or even calm my speed as I just pace back and forth so quickly, awaiting for this airplane to land, finally showing up. My stomach feels as if it's just filled with knots and my heart won't stop racing, beating so frantically against my ribcage at the anticipation of seeing the one girl that makes my heart feel like it is slowing and stopping at the same time.

I don't just want to see her again, I NEED to see her again, especially after the awful reality of almost losing her. So I'm just keeping the pace going, until we finally see a small plane landing down on the airstrip and slowly coasting it's way over to the building to park. We are waiting for this plane in the middle area for the terminal because there are only a handful of terminals in this airport with it being so small. So we are just making sure that there is no way we can miss her.

I stop my pacing back and forth, as my foot needs to keep going so it keeps it's rhythm going, by tapping my toes against the floor. We watch the plane creep up and I don't know if this is her plane, but man the pilot is taking his sweet time to park, so I can find out either way. I almost can't take the anticipation building up inside of me anymore.

The plane finally parks as we hear people making their way out. As the people start to empty out of the plane my gaze lands on every single face that exits that plane and not one is Lilly or even Officer Smith.

I keep looking around as I realize that was all the people on the plane and none was Lilly. So now knowing she wasn't on that plane my mind starts to run wild.. What if something has happened to her? What if there was a problem and she couldn't even leave? I need to know what happened to her.

How was she not on that plane? How many planes are out flying to this area this late at night? I think this to myself as I see one more plane coming in to land as my heart's pace picks up once more.. not like my heart ever slowed down, but it's now skipping beats.

The pilot with this plane, lands and glides across the airstrip quicker than the pilot in the last plane.. thankfully. So I don't at least feel like I'm waiting too long. The plane inches closer as I realize I'm holding my breathe in anticipation to hopefully see her.

The plane parks and after a long moment we can hear the people exiting the plane and now headed our way.. We haven't been the only ones waiting here either, but come to find out the only people in the terminal with us are reporters, because they jump up with a haste in their step as they bombard the group coming out of the plane My gaze jumps from person to person not seeing the one face I want to see.

But I hear a voice I know, which is calming to say the least. I hear Officer Smith's voice boom over everyone else's just demanding all their attention. "Move! Give her room or I will have you arrested for harassment!"

I watch the crowd part as if it was the red sea for Moses.. and who would I see, but none other then the lady of my dreams. She looks nervous as she takes a look around trying to hide from the reporters. I watch her gaze scope around the room as the officers play guard to her trying to control the hoard of reporters not taking no for an answer.

I watch her gaze lock onto mine instantaneously taking the breathe from my lungs, as I watch her take off running to me from across the room. I take her lead and start to run meeting her half way as I watch her jump and my arms open wide as we collide into each other. I feel her legs wrap around my waist as her arms wrap around my neck like some sort of spider monkey jumping on a tree, clinging on for dear life. I can feel her tuck her face into the crook of my neck and I do the same to her neck just taking in her sweet calming natural scent as my arms wrap around her torso, holding her tighter than before. Mostly because I'm afraid at this point if I let her go this could all just be a dream and she will just disappear once again.

I can't help but walk around trying to make sure I stay balanced with that collision, not wanting to let her go.. but I won't let her fall either, so I just hold her as tight as I can, almost walking in circles. I can now hear her crying into my neck by the sniffles, but I can feel my shirt getting wet as well.

I run one of my hands up her back and through her hair to the back of her head, as I coo to try to help calm her. "Shhh baby you're ok.. Everything is going to be ok... You're home now Lilly Flower." I can feel her nod at this statement as she continues to cry. Even with her shedding so many tears I can't help but feeling relieved at finally getting her back into my arms.. I needed this so bad.

I feel arms wrap around us as I look and see her parents and my mother are hugging us like one big family bear hug. I feel Lilly lift her head curiously looking at the people involving us in the unexpected embrace.

"Momma, Daddy, and my second Mama! I'm sorry I was going to come give you a hug I swear.. I just.." She tries to explain as her father laughs and puts his hands up to stop her explaining. "It's ok Lilly Bear I understand that you want us around, but you NEED him and that's ok.. I just had to make sure for myself that you were ok or I would have let him come alone because I know you both need this time together." He says to us as we shyly smile staring at each other as we are interrupted by the clicks of cameras and reporters trying to get our attention for questioning, even over the officers still.

"Lillith Miller's family? How do you feel about her now, knowing she is the cause of a young man's death? .... Is this man your next victim of obsession Lillith?" We hear as I can feel Lillith suck in a sharp breath sounding like she is going to cry again. I pull her head back down into the crook of my neck putting her back into my protective cocoon, instantly get mad at her defense.

"Excuse me? What did you just say to her?" I ask as Mr.Miller puts his hands up to me once more as he softly says to me, "Get her out of here and we will meet you guys back home at some point and we will take care of the reporters.. go."

I nod as I respond back just as softly. "Ok I'm taking the scenic route." I hold her tight in my arms as I turn around and carrying her out of the front doors of the airport to get her away from this chaos. I can hear them still yelling questions at us but the sounds of their voices quiet and fade the farther away we get, thankfully.

To try to make sure they won't find us, I take the long way, walking through the treeline and towards the covered park area. I walk with her in my arms as she sniffles and cries more until I find a covered bench area. I take us there, sitting myself down on the top of the bench as she readjusts herself so she is now straddling me but still holding me tight around my neck. I keep a tight hold around her torso because at this point it would take a crowbar separating us, to take her away from me

"Lilly I swear everything is going to be ok." I say to her as she pulls her head out the crook of my neck. She nods and looks at me with heartbroken eyes still filled with tears as her cheeks glisten from the tears that have already fallen.. that image before me just breaks my heart, knowing how hard of a time she is having right now.

"Thank you Gary.. I'm so sorry about clinging to you, I just missed you so much and you always make me feel better, I just had to be with you.. I'm sorry for jumping on you like a flying squirrel or something." She explains to me with sniffles in between her words making me chuckle.

"I needed this too Lilly. I missed you so much and I told our parents, when they kept telling me to calm down, that I won't be ok until I can hold you again. I know it might sound awful, but I'm feeling better right now for sure just having you here by me. I don't care what you're doing as long as you're with me. But I think the squirrel description is a great one I was thinking you were like a spider monkey jumping onto a tree!" I say playfully making her laugh and shaking her head at me.

But making her smile and laugh is a success in my book for sure. So I will take the win even if it's a small win. "Just make sure to not let those reporters get to you. They are just trying to make up a good story and all those good stories come at the cost of your sanity and we won't let them have that victory." I say to her as she shakes her head.

"I don't know why we couldn't let them have that victory because they are right.. I'm the cause of his death." She says so sadly looking down as her arms slowly drift from my neck, over my biceps and forearms then ending on her lap.

"Hey.. " I say to get her attention, but she doesn't look up. So I take my hand to her chin, lifting it lightly as our eyes lock again.. I just stare into her glossy covered gorgeous eyes for a very short minute, they are still beautiful no matter how sad they are.

"None of this situation is your fault. You cannot blame yourself for a decision someone else made.. He chose to do the things he did and none of that should fall back on you.. Do not blame yourself for something you didn't have any control over." I try to convince her as I see her eyes water up more, I watch the tears slowly fall from her eyes dripping to the tops of her cheekbones and cascading down her cheeks.

"The sad and probably worst part is that.. he tried to do all this for me.. That's why I feel responsible. He tried to do everything for me because he wanted me back so bad.. Like he was buying a house in the bahamas because I always wanted to go.. He was a getting the medium sized house just how I always talked about.. He wanted to make sure I was by the water because he knows how much I love it.. and even stopped at the restaurant, that he got noticed from, for me.. He was just trying to give me what I wanted, while trying to keep me. He was so sweet, actually having fun with me and I honestly would have really enjoyed my time with him if I hadn't been abducted.. But the part I can't get past, is that he knew he wasn't going to win this fight, he told me it was a losing one. He came to terms with that and just said since he knew he had no chance in keeping me, that he just wanted to die the way he chose, instead of being in a miserable life without me.. That's why he died like that.. I tried to convince him not to.. I tried.. he just kept telling me how much he loved me and that he wanted me to move on to be happy and to not blame myself.. But how could I not? He did it all for me." She explains so sadly as the tears start pouring down her cheeks faster than before looking like a full stream now.

She leans forward placing her forehead on my shoulder as my arms wrap around her waist holding her there against me. I listen to her sniffle with her body shivering in my hold, not from the cold but from the devastation.

I find myself rubbing her back, just trying to comfort as much as I can. "It's still not your fault and you need to have respect for his wishes by not blaming yourself in this hard time. He went out the way he wanted, which is more than most people can say and I'm glad he took good care of you while he had you, that shows how much he cared for you.. too bad for him he didn't realize all his feelings for you sooner.. but sometimes you have to lose what's best for you to realize it's worth. At least he got to have you in his last moments I'm sure that meant a lot to him too." I reassuringly insist. I think I'm getting into her head finally calming her nerves. She let's out a deep breath and nodding into my shoulder. I can feel the pressure lifting off of my shoulder as she sits straight up, I take my hands wiping the tears off of her cheeks gently. "Thank you Garbear." She softly thanks me as I nod in response.

"So I heard you were harassing the poor officers.. is that true?" She asks playfully, I think trying to change the mood of the conversation. But that's how she is just trying to change the mood to a better one because she is just a naturally positive person. No matter how dark my world gets she has always been my light, brightening everything around me.

I send a cheeky smirk her way as I nod again before replying. "Well.. yes but I wasn't going to wait like they had to.. I jumped your fence and got into your place from the patio and I offered an exchange to show them Jaxon's place if they let me come along and they did but I had to wear a bullet proof vest."

I watch the smile grow on her face as she replies, "You have always been so pushy when it comes to me.. but wearing a bulletproof vest? that's kinda cool."

I chuckle at that then retorting back, "I prefer the word persistent, but yes when it comes to you, always.. and it was exhilarating to get to wear the vest while trailing with their group of officers.. They swarmed and barreled into his place and even with me jumping the fence the whole thing was exciting for sure. Not what I'm use to by any means."

I watch her lean forward and pressing her soft luscious lips to mine and this moment alone soothes my soul just like I have been needing all day. She breaks the kiss but doesn't move back letting me feel her light breath fan over my lips until she just softly says into my lips, "I'm sorry, I just missed you so much."

I close the space between us, crashing my lips to hers as I tighten my grip around her and I kiss her like there is no tomorrow with her. She presses her body into mine as we kiss with more of a passion, making the kiss deeper and filled with so much hunger for each other. I only break the kiss to catch my breathe as I say back to her, "I missed you more."

We smile and pant just trying to catch our breath for a moment until I decide to break the silence. "Let's head back to your place so your parents don't think that you got abducted again."

She grins then nods as she gets off of me by flipping her leg over and out, hopping down to the ground. She takes my hand in hers pulling me forward to head back to her house. We walk hand in hand the whole way back to her family home and I can't help the smile on my face from this small gesture that means so much to me. I pull her hand up to my lips kissing the back of it, catching her attention as she shyly smiles at me right before we get to our destination.

Once we get to the house, I open the front door for her as she walks in. No one seems to be back yet and here I thought we were going to be late. So I just flop down, laying on the couch throwing my hands behind my head getting comfortable with my eyes closed. That is until I feel a hand on my chest. My eyes fly open, connecting with her sparkling orbs as I watch her lay down on top of me with her head on my chest, arms wrapped around me and her legs intertwined with mine.

I hear her suck in a sharp breathe then letting it out closing her eyes and I feel her body going limp completely relaxing, probably falling asleep since it's so late now, almost morning with no sleep.. But maybe I can actually get some sleep now that she is back. I feel the exhausting emotional day hit me like a brick wall falling asleep instantly to feeling of her heart beat combined with her amazing aroma. That's all I seem to need to be content.