Safe Place

20

AIDEN
(this chapter contains sexual content.)

"Can we get Taco Bell? My legs are aching." Eli whines holding onto his thighs.

We've been waiting for Zara to get off the plane for the past two hours and Eli is sitting on the rails like an impatient child. He's a child with the looks of an 18 year old.

"I'm staying, she'll be here anytime soon." I look down at him before he gets off the rails, rolling his eyes dramatically.
"I'll be feasting without you."

She's been in Los Angeles for the past week now and she called me once and texted me once. The text was to say congratulations for my football game and the call was her panicking because she doesn't think she'll get to finish all the missing work from the past week.
Pretty much, I don't think she's missed me.

So far 4 kids asked for my autograph. One of their moms yelled at me because I accidentally stepped on the kids foot and then she had the audacity to shake her head at me once I signed the kids shirt.

It's not like I'm famous or anything. Overall I'm just a college kid that likes to play football.

I lift my head up, leaning against the cold metal bars as I pull up the light piece of cardboard that has 'Welcome home, babe!' written on it. I called Zara 'babe' once and it took a day for her to forgive me because it's her least favorite word in existence. But since almost everyone in New York knows we're in a relationship that means we have to look like we're in one 24/7.

And right as I'm about to turn around to see if Eli is in sight that's when she comes in. All my attention focuses on her.

Her soft dark hair falling right below her waist, glowing turquoise eyes scanning the airport, trying to find a familiar face. She's standing very tense. She looks nervous by all the eyes on her, but once her eyes hit mine her body relaxes, her shoulders dropping in relief, a soft smile forming on her lips before she pauses, seeing what I wrote on the piece of cardboard.

I let go off the cardboard, placing everything down as I get away from my surroundings so I can hold her.

"I hate you" she mouths running up to me.

As soon as we're a foot away from each-other I grab her waist pulling her off the floor, her feet dangling as hair is hitting my face. She's wrapping her warm arms around my neck whispering in my ear. "I hope you know I'm only doing this because everyone's watching."

"Is this our way of apologizing to each other?" I snicker into her shoulder.
"I think so."

"ZARA!" Eli yells into the air, everyone staring at him like he's some crazy paparazzi.

I release her from my hold to give her a chance to be with Eli.

He puts his Taco Bell on the ground holding his arms out to her. I squint at the floor trying to count how many bags of Taco Bell there are.

6 exactly.
Actually,
6 in sight.

I look up watching him throw Zara into the air as laughter bursts out of her. She looks happier than ever.

She can be a ray of sunshine sometimes. But most of the times she's our usual grump.

She holds up a finger to Eli, looking at him like she remembered something very important, setting herself down, sprinting up to me faster than usual. She grabs onto my arm aggressively, taking the hair tie she gave to me to borrow off my wrist. "My favorite hair tie."

It's a black, regular, ripped up hair tie that's stretched out and has probably been wore by a 1000 other people in the span of Zara's whole lifetime.

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