Unconditional (Book Two)

25. Unexpected Listener

Jim's POV

My feet stomp heavy on the pavement of the street outside the airport, as I pace desperately from my car. There are confused and angry stares all around as I abandon the vehicle in the middle of the road...but I don't mind....I don't care. My mind now is set on stopping Amelie from getting to that massive bird and flying away from me. I must stop hiding what I really want. I should be strong and speak out, let my brain chase after its thoughts. And all I want is that she doesn't leave my side. I just think about her hopeless eyes as she was saying goodbye, drowned in tears; her weak, crooked smile that was nothing else than a forced, false movement of the lips; and all my mind can process is that why if it is so hard for us to stay apart we must stay apart? The heart wants what it wants. Yes...she is married, but I do believe that's an obstacle together we can face, taking into account the type of marriage she described.

There is a warmer-than-the-outside breeze that melts my cheeks, as I rush past the glass doors into the terminal. My eyes look around in angst for her beautiful brown curls and petite figure, digging in the infinite lines of people that are lined up in order to check-in luggage. I get no sign. I climb the mountain in the need for breath with the adrenaline that rushes, but there is a sudden sight that shifts my concentration from my body's feelings to my beautiful target.

"AMELIE!" I shout from the distance, as I see her walking towards the security area with her boarding pass on her hand. One true sudden feeling of joy.

I see her eyes searching around for my voice, confused, though at the same time I notice their showing of one unusual sparkle. For a moment, her head turns all around her, but finally...her eyes meet with mine. This is the feeling that can finally take me into a closer level to calmness.

"Amelie," I say with an excess of breath, and as we walk towards each other.

"Ji—"

"Please stay with me," I interrupt, framing her delicate face with my hands.

"Wha—"

"I can't let you go. Please don't leave me...please."

There are tears that I can see rolling down her eyes....real tears. Tears that express the most sincere of the sincere sadness.

"Jim...please don't ask me for this," she says with a broken voice, and tightly closing her eyes.

I gently brush her cheek to remove a wet tear that falls down her eye, and as she opens her eyes I touch her chin to bring them up to me.

"I...." she continues, holding back her voice. "I-I can't stay."

"Amelie, whatever it—"

"Jim....." There is a sob and a an amount of sorrow that finds her voice as my name flows out of her pink lips. It makes my heart shatter. I can see she's scared, she's terrified about something I'm unknown to. "I really wish I could stay, but I can't. I can't, and...I just want you to always remember that I love you, okay?"

She kisses my cheek, the place where there was a tear sliding down my face. But as she takes a step forward and away from me...I realize I can't let her go without asking her this, that one thing I saw last night.

"Your necklace," I say, making her stop, and turn towards me. "I must know something about it before you leave."

I struggle to keep my voice from breaking down, from cracking and shaking with the devastation.

Her green eyes show a spark of sudden curiosity as she walks towards me, and I can't help but fix my eyes on the beautiful gem that's hanging from her neck.

"Amelie, I need to know if I gave that necklace to you."

She takes a deep breath—now only inches away from me—and looks into my eyes.