I want you close

Chapter thirty

Airport, home, confession.

Clyde's point of view:

I felt arms wrap around me from the back as I stood staring out the large windows of the airport. "who-" but I did not need to ask whom it belonged to, because I already knew. It belonged to the person I missed most, to the person I did not think would keep a hole in my life by their absence. "Elenor."

"Miss me?" She asked as she let go and I turned to face her. I did, but I did not admit it. Instead, I chuckled as I stood still, staring into her eyes. "You did," she shrugged, confident.

But that confidence did not last, she looked at the ground and took a deep breath in. I furrowed my eyebrows as I leaned down a bit, teying to look her in the eye, "Is everything okay?" I questioned.

She looked back up and nodded, "there is something I have been meaning to tell you," she said as she played with her hands anxiously. "In fact, I could not wait to come back to say so."

"Okay," I nodded. "Tell me."

"It's better if we sit down," she said as she walked away, but she did not sit on any of the airport empty seats.

"There is plenty of seats here, just pick one."

"In private," she said, referring to the large number of people who crowded the place. "Even though they have no interest in what I am going to say, I need a quiet place."

I nodded and rushed towards her to take her bag away, but she insisted on carrying it herself. So I gave up, I knew better than insisting, she will do whatever her mind tells her to anyway.

We walked out, and ended up sitting on a bench in the empty small park nearby. She found it hard to speak, which caused me to stress.

"Do you remember the thing you did not want me to do?" She asked, "The thing you told me about before I left."

"Yes?" I started feeling concerned.

"I did not do it." She assured, I breathed in relief. "The first day I was gone," she started. "It was fun."

"I am glad," I said, honestly.

"But as the days went by," she continued. "I started missing home."

"Understandable," I commented. "I feel the same when I am away, it is normal. You have lived in this country your whole life."

"You do not understand," she took another deep breath. "I never had a home." She said, I stared, waiting for an explanation. "The home I have missed, is not a house or a country."

"What is it you mean?" I questioned.

"The home I am talking about, is the feeling of belonging." She explained, "I have never had that. But at that trip of mine, I realised that I had one, right beside me for a while now. It took me long to figure out but-" She paused, "the home I am talking about, is-" she lifted her eyes to meet mine, "you."

I stared at her, breathing heavily. "Say something," I did not. "Please?" She got up, "it was not what I expected but, it's okay" I could sense the hurt in her voice, I can tell it was not okay.

For a moment, I was frozen, but when she turned around, ready to leave. I got the courage to speak, "Where are you going?" I said as I got a hold of her wrist and pulled her back down, she landed close, way too close. "Are you not patient enough to let me take it all in to come up with the perfect words to use?" I could feel her heavy breathing fanning my face, but I did not mind, not at all. "Choosing you might be the only right decision my father has ever made." I lifted my gaze from her lips and back to her eyes, she stared at me for a long moment before giving me a breathy smile. She rested her forehead on mine, and I did not dare to pull back. I came closer, if that was even possible, "may I?" I asked as I cupped her face. She nodded once, then twice. And I did not need to wait any longer after her approval, I pushed my lips on hers then pulled back. But she had another idea since she dove back in. I got a hold of her waist as I kissed her back. We did not pull away until we were both out of breath, "Is that what you expected?"

"Well," she smiled as she tried to catch her breath. "I had two scenarios in mind, but none of which is as perfect as this."

"Oh yeah?" I questioned as I placed a final kiss on her lips. "Red huh?" I said as I ran a hand through her hair.

"Badass," she said, grinning. "Right?"

I gave her a look, then chuckled at her comment. "Right," I agreed before getting up and pulling her with me. I intertwined our hands and led the way to the car that Mark, the driver drove me here by. I opened the door and she slid in all the way to the right side and I got in on the left and closed the door behind me. "Back to the castle" I ordered the driver right before i closed the black divider between the him and us all the way up for privacy.

She was looking out the window as the car started moving, "Nope," I said, she looked at me confused. "You won't-" I pulled her all the way to the left side, close beside me. "-sit far away from me while I just got you."

She giggled, "you know, you will get bored of me if I am next to you twenty for seven."

"Never," I said, shaking my head.

"You have to miss my touch," she said, "to want me more."

"Hm," I raised a brow as I wrapped my arms around her. "Thinking far ahead into the future, are we now?"

"We are engaged after all," she said.

"Right,"

"Becoming frightened I see?" She said as she furrowed her perfect eyebrows at me.

"No, why?" I questioned.

"Well," she started. "Before, it was a forced engagement. But now, I sense feelings, is there not?" She questioned, I nodded once. "Hence, that is something far away from our choice," she got free from my arms and stepped back, I suddenly felt cold. "You do not have the choice to make that, to choose the time you want to ask me, or even have the choice to thinking before taking that step, if you ever want that." She said, "you are stuck whether you want it or not." I swallowed, "this might not work, and you can't get free."

"But it might work," i said.

"Then you won't have the chance to plan the perfect way to propose."