Military Love » Harry Styles

chapter sixty two (BRAD ENDING)

My hands shrivelled from the harsh air rubbing against them. I turned around in one quick movement and saw an old couple entering the airport doors, they were holding tight hands.

The cold air did not disappear from the space around me after the old couple entered the hall and the electric doors closed. It only seemed to be getting colder as the seconds I dreaded slowly were left behind me. I sat down rubbing my hands together, hoping the generate some heat.

There was snow outside the airport and many tax free shops were selling stockings and red coloured wrapping paper. I sighed, having no clue how I would spend this year's Christmas. Last year, I spent it with my mom. It was good, but Brad left a few weeks before that, so my mood was bad.

It had been a year since I've seen Brad. Of course we skyped once a month and a few letters were exchanged, but those became less frequent as the time slowly and dreadfully passed.

To be quite honest, there wasn't a day that passed where I thought about Brad. Sometimes Harry would cross my mind, but I would curse at myself for even bothering to let him in in the first place.

The sound of cheers and cries filled my ears like a brilliant unheard melody. A new airplane had glided down to the snowy ground and it didn't take long before many red-faced and sweaty people entered the gate with their belongings tightly clutched to their chests.

They ran to their family and friends, tightly embracing them. It was very busy at the airport, many people were flying in to visit their family for the holiday. I smiled at the thought of family and friends.

My eyes strolled down the corridor with the hope of seeing the mob of familiar blonde hair again, which, for more than a year I had only seen through a pixilated skype screen.

The thought of his deep blue eyes made my insides warm, and gradually the rest of my body became warmer. So warm, that eventually I had to take of my thick winter trench coat and gloves.

Once again, I was disappointed to see none of what I had hoped or expected. My head lowered to face my shoes and I sat down again.

Brad hadn't been clear when I asked what time his airplane would arrive back in Colorado, where we both lived. He occasionally ignored my questions or only told me day. He was never specific about the time.

I had been on the road since midnight to reach Fort Collins, where Brad and his family lived. I had no idea what meeting him would be like. Whether it would be awkward or familiar, or somewhere in between, I had no clue.

At last, I found myself standing at  a freezing cold airport –who became a little less cold with my thoughts about Bradley, at 6am. My breakfast was nothing more than a hot cup of coffee and a croissant I had quickly snatched and paid for at the first airport restaurant I laid my eyes on.

A simple melody took my attention as I faintly mumbled along to it, waiting for Brad to come. My mind wandered off to my mom, who had kissed me good bye before she left for her new night job last night, to my friends whom I celebrated Thanksgiving with a few weeks ago.

I was shaken out of these pleasurable memories when I felt a warm arm grabbing my waist. My first instinct was to turn around and smash my knee into their junk.

I turned around and was about to lift my knee when in a split second I saw the person's face. Everything stopped. The world stopped. The cold air slipping through the electric door seemed to stop moving, the old couple at the other side of the airport seemed to stop talking and the sweaty people pouring out of gate six seemed to stop hugging their family.

Everything stopped for him. The world stopped turning. I stopped breathing and my heart stopped beating.

"Brad-" I managed to whisper out, my voice unsteady and scared. The emotions in my head and heart were fighting for dominance. I didn't feel anything, it was too overwhelming. A burst of butterflies, fireworks ruptured in my stomach.