Pocket Full of Posies

Chapter Forty-Three

I'd never been on a plane before—hell I'd never been outside of Tennessee. My nerves weren't because I was suspended in the air, though. Ever since I left Evan at the airport, my mind had been consumed with finding Landon and telling him how I felt—and it had to be perfect. He was perfect and he deserved nothing less. I didn't want it perfectly rehearsed, but I owed him big. An apology was a really good start, followed quickly by an explanation.

Evan had quickly gone over the details he was aware of...which was super little. He didn't even know Landon's dorm room. Pretty much the only information he gave me was that Landon went to Harvard Law...and I had known that long ago. But I didn't have the heart to tell him his help was useless.

He had mused that he kind of wanted to tag along just to see how it went down.

"Kinda inspires you, don't it?" I had teased with a wink.

He hadn't appreciated my joke.

The silliest thing was that I was hoping this inspired him. I wanted him and Alice to have their happily ever after. But I wasn't one to rush people.

The flight was only a few hours, but I was a wreck the whole time. This just wasn't like me. Going on an airplane, traveling to an unknown city. If my mind wasn't completely focused on Landon, I'd probably have a panic attack about all the newness. Wait—scratch that, I was having a panic attack.

What if it was too late? What if he decided he just couldn't be jerked around by me anymore, confusing him?

That's never been the issue and you know it, I admonished myself.

It was true. Landon's feelings for me was the most solid fact I'd ever known. The fear wasn't in being rejected. The fear was completely opening myself up to him.

I smiled at my own reflection in the cab window. The closer we got to the school, the less afraid I got. The morning sun was rising just above the tall buildings. God, I'd probably be waking him up. Maybe I should dally a little bit to give some time to wake up...

The cab suddenly lurched, bringing my thoughts to a screeching halt. In front of me, the driver let out a string of curses.

"What's wrong?" I asked worriedly.

"Tire blew!" he bellowed. Hurriedly, he pulled off to the side of the already busy road and got out.

I sat anxiously in the backseat, heart hammering. Even in the early morning, Cambridge was already bustling with cars and people walking the streets. I wasn't sure what I'd been expecting, but it wasn't this. The buildings were all old looking, yet posh at the same time. It was beautiful. And if the cab taking me to my future wasn't broken down on the side of the road, I probably would have marveled at it a little more.

Grabbing my purse, I tossed cash in the front seat and darted outside.

"Which way to Harvard?" I barked at the driver, now grabbing a jack out of his trunk.

He looked up at me in annoyance. "If you'll just wait, I'll have this done in ten minutes."

I couldn't wait ten minutes. Shaking my head, I insisted on knowing the direction to the school, adding I'd already given him more than enough cab fare.

He seemed to relax a little at the mention of a tip. "Up that way," he said finally, extending his hand.

Grinning widely, I said, "Thanks!" and started running.

After being in a plane and car for hours, it felt really great to run. Good for me, I'd never changed out of my work shoes and they were black sneakers. Oh God...I'd never changed out of my work clothes. Great. Just what a girl needed to go tell the man of her dreams she loved him. Nothing like black on black to scream romance.