Unconditional (Book Two)

21. Where Our Memories Lay {Pt. One}

Jim's POV

"AMELIE!" I exclaim, jumping to her, and embracing her in a desperate hug.

Amelie laughs in happiness, and hugs me back tightly. "Hi, Jim!" she says in my ear, as I rub her back.

I honestly don't want to pull away from the hug. What I felt when I saw her...I can't even get to explain. I suddenly felt like I'd fallen asleep and was standing inside my brain in a beautiful, unbelievable dream. Because that's what I felt...unbelief, especially since I dreamt with her last night, and because I thought I wouldn't see her in a very very long time, that being something that crushed me deeply.

"What a very pleasant surprise!" I continue with a smile, as I pull away. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh well, I was going to call you as soon as I was in the cab. They sent me from work to do some interviews."

I feel an immediate shot of happiness again, as I realize Colin is not coming with her. I got to admit that being away from her crushed me—as I said—but at the same time, now that she's here I realize that it will make it harder for me to get her out of my mind, and try to work things out with Karen...which is of course wrong, and I of course feel guilty, but there's really nothing I can do about my feelings for her. When I have here with me it is like if I didn't care, like if no other human being in this world existed other than the two of us.

"That is so great!" I exclaim. "How long will you stay here?"

"Today, tomorrow, and I leave on the day after around 6:00 pm," she says, looking at the ceiling as she recalls and checks the information she's giving is right.

"Oh wonderful! If you don't mind, I'll be meeting you every single day you're here."

Amelie laughs, and looks into my eyes funnily, as if what I'd say was totally ridiculous. "Of course I don't mind!" she says, gently hitting my arm. "I wanted to meet you every day, too."

I smile, trying to hide my blushing cheeks. "Alright so," I start, taking a look at my watch. "It's almost 10:00 am...Did you have breakfast?"

"I did, but I had it before I got in the plane, and since there is a three hour difference it's been long since I ate. I wouldn't mind having breakfast again."

"Oww great! What do you say about some homemade pancakes at my place?"

As I talk about homemade pancakes, the dream I had last night comes back to my mind, and I blush a little again at the thought of her coming to me in the morning with only a sleeping robe on, and letting me kiss her the way I did. That—unfortunately—won't happen of course, but I can't deny it did welcome my craving for pancakes...and—wrongly—for her.

"Ooooo I like the sound of that......but.....you won't burn them right?"

At the sound of that, I widen my eyes, but immediately bring them back to normality so that she doesn't notice my shock at the unbelievable coincidence. It is like if she knew! Though I can't get to understand how.

"Nah! Of course I won't burn them. I am a professional chef," I say jokingly and with some sort of fake authority, as I walk her out of the airport, and drive to my house.

Amelie's POV

Jim drives carefully through the streets of LA, and my heart sinks in sorrow as the beautiful memories from our past appear in my eyes. His car has the exact same scent it's always had, and those memories can't help but come back to me. How we would drive in this car to have dinner, ice cream, when we went to the airport to the cruise, or to Paris when we got engaged...all of this hunts me, and I am fighting to keep the tears back.