Love In Unexpected Places ✓

Chapter Twenty-Three

Finally, the day that I had dreaded since the day I had met Jean-Paul had arrived.

It was time for his flight back to Paris. I decided to wake up a little early to make him breakfast before he had to get on the plane for a long trip back home.

I had decided to make him some homemade oatmeal with fresh fruit. I poured him a glass of orange juice before going into the bedroom to wake him up.

I tried my best to hold my composure through the morning, but when he got dressed and it was time for me to drop him off at the airport, I completely lost it.

I fell down onto the couch with tears streaming down my face, a tightness in my chest, and I found it harder to breathe.

Jean-Paul came over to sit down beside me.

"I'm so sorry Blakely," he whispered as he pulled me into his arms and held onto me tightly.

"I didn't plan to come to the US to meet a woman and fall in love. I'm sure you didn't mean to meet another man after what happened with Max. But we did. We fell hard for each other, he said. This isn't a permanent goodbye. Just goodbye until I can figure out what to do. I promise you will see me again. Don't dwell on me leaving. Think about all of the memories we shared with each other. I promise to email and call often. If you have social media we can follow each other and talk on there too. We just have to have a long-distance relationship for a little while. I love you, Blakely, he wrapped me into an embrace. You have stolen my heart from the first moment you bumped into me in that coffee shop. No one else in this world could ever make me feel the way you do. It's us against the world, ma chérie."

His words left me with comfort. I only hoped and prayed that we would see each other again. I didn't want this to be the last time I ever saw his face. But even if it was for a little while, I was more than determined to make a long-distance relationship work.

"My heart is broken by you having to leave. But if you promise me that this will only be temporary, I'm sure I can be just fine. Promise me that we can talk every day."

"I promise," he whispered as he took hold of my hand and placed one last kiss upon it.

He held out his hand and I laced my hand within his. I helped him take his bags down to the car and then we were off to the airport.

We walked in and he checked into the airport before giving them his bags. We sat down in a seat next to each other while waiting for his plane to be called.

We didn't say anything. We just sat in silence and soaked in the last hour that we would see each other for who knows how long.

I leaned my head on Jean-Paul's shoulder, inhaling his scent like it was my dying breath. He wrapped his arm around me and rested his cheek against my hair.

I wrote down my email address, phone number, physical address, and social media handles on a piece of paper for Jean-Paul. He nodded his head as he took the paper into his hand and folded it before placing it into his pants pocket.

Finally, the moment I dreaded had arrived-Jean-Paul's plane was called to begin boarding. I tried to keep my composure, but I just couldn't do it anymore. I tried so hard to wait until he was out of sight before crying, but my emotions had other plans.

Tears started streaming down my face. Jean-Paul reached up to wipe them away one last time, before kissing me and whispering. "Until we see each other again." Then he pulled me in close for a hug. I breathed in his spicey smell one last time, before pulling away and letting him go.

He turned around and slowly walked away from me. At the gate to his flight, he turned back one last time to wave goodbye, before disappearing off into the distance.