Missed Me, Missed Me, Now You Gotta Kiss Me

Finally; Something's Gotta Give

He wasn’t there. I had an early flight and the airport was in Nashville, so I had to have an hour’s head start. I hadn’t really expected him to magically know that I was leaving in the morning, but I thought I remembered telling him that when he carried me into my house.

  I was badly hungover, and that fact was not lost on my parents. They were wise ones for sure. But, surprisingly, they didn’t hassle me about it. They just talked very loud to make a point.

  My bag was already packed, so all I had to do was leave. I waited for the last possible second for Liam to come and say goodbye—even for just a little while. I even tried calling him. I just got his voicemail.

  “Um, hi….” I said. “It’s Piper. I just wanted to say thanks for getting me home last night and, um….Well, I wanted to say bye. I dunno when I’ll be back. I’ll probably stretch it until school starts back up again. I kinda hafta graduate here first, ya know? Anyway….I’ll uh…talk to you later, I guess. Bye.”

  I nodded to my parents, who were going to drive me there. On the way, I told them to expect a buncha presents for me to come to the house.

  I kept thinking that Liam ought to be chasing us in his beat up Ford. But, so far, there was still no sign of him. I knew it was selfish of me, but I just couldn’t help it. I’m still a girl! I still fantasized about Prince Charming riding in on a white stallion. Only lately, Prince Charming’s face was starting to resemble Liam and awful lot.

  I tried calling him again just before we got to the airport. This time I didn’t leave a message.

  “Alright, well….” I said after I had checked my bag in. “See you guys soon?”

  My mom gave me an awkward hug; her stomach was so big now that she had to lean over as if she were balancing on something. I could have just given her a half hug. But, no. My mother had to have everything difficult.

  “Call us,” she said.

  “You too,” I demanded, glancing at her swollen stomach pointedly.

  Smiling, my mom’s hands came to rest on the space between her and her babies.

  My dad gave me a tight hug. “No more beer parties,” he told me quietly.

  I flushed guiltily. “I’m with a pregnant woman now,” I reminded him, laughing.

  We finished saying goodbye and then I left through security. While I waited for my plane to board, I tried calling Liam once again. He must have his phone off. I sent him a text message, telling him that I’d miss him and would be happy to see him again. And then I gave up.

  My plane boarded, and there was not a white stallion in sight.

  THE

  END.

  I stared at those two dumb letters, wondering why I had ever bought that dumb book. I sighed in frustration. Romance novels really sucked sometimes. I finished the whole book in the few hours it took to reach Arizona. I had bought it in the gift shop. It was called “Love, Guns, and Necessities”. It was about this girl on a heist with this bank robber. Initially, he had kidnapped her, but then they fell in love. Their love scene was nothing special. Laura Harley was certainly no Nora Roberts. The book kept me occupied, though.

  When the plane did land, I was suddenly hit with a wave of nerves. Had I done the right thing in coming here? I thought I did. I really thought I had done the right thing. But still; the mind thinks some pretty bizarre things, no?