The Three Of Us (Lauren/You)

| 15 | The Three Of Us

Your POV

One month later...

"Glad to be back?"

My lips curved into a smile as our plane met the smooth runway of Miami International Airport. It's been a month since I've been here and honestly, I missed this old state. True, I left brokenhearted but Miami was a place I would always come back to.

Plus I saw like eight snakes wriggling by the side of the road in Australia and I was not about to deal with that.

"I'm just glad to finally be rid of you," I replied, turning beside me and smirking at James.

He laughed, his tone low and yet melodious. To be completely honest, I was dreading being alone with James on this trip. After all, I didn't know if he was truly sorry for being horrible to me or he was just acting to fool his father. But he's been courteous and polite this whole trip, always following me around and taking notes, making sure he understood everything I taught him.

There were times his ego would inflate of course, like the time he yelled at a waiter for making him wait for his coffee, but those would all be fixed in due time. At least he's learned to apologize so there's that.

"It was fun. Thanks for being patient with me this whole time. If it was anyone else they'd probably already left me to fend for myself."

I shrugged as the flight attendants were helping the other passengers with their bags. "I get paid to take your nonsense," I joked.

We both laughed as we were led out the plane and into the airport. My head was throbbing from the jet lag of a twenty hour flight and I can't think of anything more than just going to bed and sleeping all my stress away.

"Want to ride with me? I'll tell my driver to drop you off at your apartment."

"That'd be grand," I said, yawning into my hand. "I might take a day off tomorrow too, my head is killing me and I need some sleep."

James nodded and led me outside. "No problem. You take care of that and I'll take care of work tomorrow."

We climbed inside the car waiting for us outside and James told his driver the directions to my apartment. My eyes stayed glued outside the window as we drove off. It was only a month and yet Miami looked different somehow.

Or maybe it was me who was different.

The president was right in sending me to Australia because, I seemed to forget my problems. I would go to work and drown myself in it and for a while, there was nothing but me in my own little world. But what I hated were those nights alone in that hotel room, looking out at the city just like I was doing right now.

Because then my thoughts would drift back to the people I've left—or rather, left me.

"You're doing it again."

James sent a small smile my way as I turned to face him. "What?"

"I've noticed it for a while now, even when we were still in Australia. Sometimes you'd space out and stare into nothing. I've always wondered what was going on inside your mind."

"I'm just thinking," I mumbled.

"What has you thinking so much, Y/N?"

I sighed and debated whether to tell him or not. I would be excused to just brush off his question but I've held all emotions inside for one month and I just needed someone to listen—to understand.

"You know, I wasn't supposed to come with you to Australia. I was supposed to stay right here in Miami."

"What happened?"