Loose Ends

Twenty-Four

It was quiet the next morning as we drove back to London. Forty-five minutes of thought swirling silence. Sabine looked out the window ahead as we pulled up to my flat. I got out and grabbed our suitcases, as Sabine went up and opened the door for us. She locked the door as I set the bags down and went straight for ou- the bedroom. It wouldn't be ours in the next hour I reminded myself, as I settled in to the thought and followed Sabine to the room.

I walked in and found Sabine flipping through her photo album of the photos Anderson took of us. She closed it and set it with her sweatshirt I left out on the bed when I set up our bags for our secret trip to the countryside. I stepped up.

"Do you still want to call a cab?" I asked. "I'm going that way anyway to drop off the envelope at my mother's office. I can take you."

She looked at me, sorrow clouding her brown eyes.

"Yes," she said, her voice sounding stronger than her eyes gave away. "I think it will be easier."

We fell in to silence again and I sighed.

"No, I'll take you," I insisted and Sabine looked up at me surprised. "It will be hard for me not knowing if you got there safely or be able to contact you if you get stuck in traffic."

Sabine smiled. "I could use the cab driver's cell or call you from the airport."

"Not good enough," I pushed. "I'm taking you."

"Okay." She smiled.

"Okay?" I reiterated surprised. I thought she might fight me on this, but she didn't.

"Okay." She giggled. "You're taking me."

It was her last day. She didn't want to fight, plus I knew it would make her feel better me sending her off there rather than here. She gathered her photo album and sweatshirt in her arm and carried it out to her suitcase. I helped grabbing her folded stack of clothes on the chair, which I didn't think she noticed.

We pulled up to London-Heathrow Airport parking below the check-in sign for British Airways.

"You wanted to go Brit all the way, didn't you?" I joked looking up at the sign.

Sabine smiled at me and made sure she had her wallet and passport in her pocket for the third time since we left the flat. Her wallet and passport in hand, she stopped and looked at me. A million questions jumbled in my head made it hard for me to ask one.

"Will we stay together?"

"Where do we stand?"

She hadn't said one word in regards to us. Sabine opened her mouth and I waited for the worst, yet instead I heard, "I love you."

My heart warmed and melted. I was quickly becoming the biggest girl ever.

"I love you, too," I said and leaned over giving her the best snogging she's ever had since we met.

I pulled away and she sincerely appeared dazed. She exhaled deeply bringing herself back to animation and asked somberly, "So, I'll see you?"

She wasn't asking for an answer. Neither of us were good at saying goodbye. She smiled sadly and pushed her door open to get out.

"Wait!" I stopped her. "How will we stay in contact?"

She turned to me and smiled. "Check your contacts list."

I looked at my phone, as she quickly got out and grabbed her bag from the back. There in my contacts under her name was her home phone number, cell phone number, e-mail address, and home address. It was still a mystery how she was always able to get in to my phone. I looked up and watched her stand at the British Airways counter getting her ticket and bag checked in as a man walked out through the automatic doors.

My eyes caught the blue envelope my mother gave me laying on the passenger seat and I glanced back up at Sabine at the counter again. She made sure I wouldn't forget giving it to my mum even in my thoughts lost over her. She was still dominating me. She may have given me her contact information to keep in touch, but it didn't mean she wanted to go... I couldn't let her go. I looked at the envelope and grabbed it, pulled the key out of the ignition, got out of the car and ran inside.

"Sabine!"

I turned around at the call of my name and saw Sebastian running toward me, as I headed toward security. Sebastian slowed before me, something weird in his eyes, and dropped to his knees.

No, he wasn't.

"Get up, Sebastian. This isn't the -" I hissed, looking around the ticketing area as people stopped and turned to see what was going on.

"Yes, it is," he said unyielding. "It's the same. Stay Sabine."

"I can't. I have to go. My life is in Miami," I tried to reason, unconvincing to my own ears.

"Can you truly see yourself walking away from this? I know you Sabine and I know you don't want to go," he argued.

He reached in to the envelope tucked underneath his arm, tossed it to the floor, and held up an antique ring between his thumb and forefinger. "You've dominated my heart. Now dominate the rest of my life, Sabine. Marry me."

I broke down, a hand coming around my mouth. I barely noticed the whispers and the awes, as I dropped to my knees in front of him and nodded my head.

"Yes," I barely choked out with a whisper, as I pulled my left hand up before him and he slipped the square stacked diamond studded ring next to my corset ring and the room erupted in applause.

Sebastian kissed my tear streaked face and hugged me to him. I watched the crowd around us and pulled away, taking Sebastian's face between my hands.

"Take me home." I smiled. "I'll take a later flight out."