24. I'll Remember You (Finale)
His footsteps were hurried as he cut the distance between himself and his Annie, weaving past several people on his way. His family and friends all called after him, wondering where he was going. They hadn't yet seen the blonde sitting near the front entrance of the waiting area. But Lilliam Pierce knew the truth. She had been texting her friend all morning, trying to convince her to show up. Sky had in turn been indecisive all morning about showing up. Lilliam just hadn't mentioned anything to Beau in case Annie decided she was going to let him go without saying her goodbyes and telling him how she felt about him.
"Annie." He called her name just loud enough for her to hear in the crowded airport.
She raised her head to look up at him and he found her blue eyes were all glossy with tears that spilled out, but she quickly wiped away with the back of her hand. She was still dressed in her pajamas, which hinted that she had decided last moment that she wanted to be there for him. Her long blonde hair was pulled back into a messy pony tail to hide her bedhead messy hair.
A knowing smile formed on his lips as he said to her, "You came to see me, didn't you? You came to say goodbye." He stood only a short distance from her, but all he wanted to do in that moment was to pick her up in his arms and take her with him to England. He knew she would never go for it, and neither would her parents, considering that she was only seventeen.
The blonde scoffed and got up from her chair in the waiting area, trying to hide her sadness at seeing him at the airport. In a very sarcastic and denial filled tone, she responded to his words, "I didn't come see you take off. I came because my parents wanted me to bring Amy to the airport. She has to return to her delinquent school." Beau's green eyes looked around, searching for an exact replica of his Annie, only with bleached blonde hair and a piercing on her nose. Amy was nowhere to be found and Beau was unsure if Annie was telling the truth, or steering him away from the fact that she was there for him.
The truth was that her sister would be staying in Melbourne two more weeks. Though she was still resentful towards Sky, Amy had found a way to move on with her life. From what Sky had been told by Jason, he and Amy had started a relationship and they were both very happy. That filled Sky with relief because it would keep her sister distracted with something positive, and also because Amy would probably stop trying to get in between her relationship with Beau. Or what was left of it at least.
"I'm just really glad to see you, Annie." He admitted to her, scratching the back of his head rather sheepishly. "A year is going to be a very long time without seeing you."
Sky pretended she didn't know what he was talking about. "Oh," She acted surprised. "You're leaving today? I totally forgot."
"I'm going to miss you." He continued, not believing her act about how she didn't know he would be leaving. It was already clear that she was there for him. She just hadn't known how to approach him with all those people surrounding him in the waiting area. "Just think that I'm doing this all for you."
I'm doing this for you, to protect you. Sky mentally kicked herself for having thought of a Star Wars quote with his words. It had always annoyed her the way people always said the ever famous quotes when they knew what her name was. Now in her nervousness she was doing it to herself.
"I'm going to be a better person when I return." He finished.
But Sky gave a shake of her head. "You don't have to do that. I know I was a terrible person for agreeing with that fucked up elite mentality. Don't go."
Gesturing to his family who was now watching him from afar, he explained to her, "Everything is already arranged, Annie. And I said I'd do it. I don't like going back on my word. Besides, a year will be over before you know it." The smile returned to his lips as he assured her, "We'll keep in touch, I'm not going to disappear off the face of the earth for a year. We can call, text, and skype the entire time I'm in England."
"With all those English girls throwing themselves at you." She muttered under her breath, a hint of jealousy slipped into her words.
He chuckled at that. "I'll only ever have eyes for you."
"Promise." She looked into his bright green eyes. "Promise you won't forget me."
He reached for her slender body, pulling her into his strong arms for an embrace. This time, she didn't pull away like she would have done normally. She snuggled into his chest and placed her head on his shoulder. "I promise I'll think of you every moment. I can't forget the person I love."
They pulled away after a minute and he once again assured her that they would keep in touch.
As the last call for his flight was announced, he cupped her face in his hands and gave her a soft kiss on the lips. "Wait for me, Annie." Now he was the one pleading for her not to forget him. "When you see me again, I'll be a better person."
"Just come back as yourself." She smiled at him.
Beau walked away from her that morning, leaving her at the terminal chairs to see him off. Tears blurred her vision as he got further and further from her.
But Annie Walker knew she would be seeing him again.
The blonde stood at a large window that overlooked the runway. She thought that one of the planes taking off in the next minutes would have Beau on board, ready to start a new life somewhere else. But he would come back to her.
He had promised.
And she would wait for him.
the end
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so thank you all for reading this story. it has meant so much to me to see all the support that you all have given my stories. i hope to continue having it in the future, when i write more stories to post on here. i know i left it as a bit of a cliffhanger ending, but that was how i had originally planned it because that gave room for a sequel. and i hate predictable happy endings. in this ending, we know they will get back together, but it leaves room for more drama to be unleashed.
again, thank you for all your love and support. i hope you continue to read some of my other stories. and if you do, i hope you like them.
-clary xx
